Add MS 38691

" THE COMPENDION HISTORIALL": translation by Thomas Wall, Windsor Herald [afterwards Garter King of Arms, d. 1536], of the Compendium Romanorum, a French compilation extant (anonymously) in a Paris MS. (Bibl. Nat., fonds fr. 730, formerly 7163, see Paulin Paris, Les MSS. fr. de la Bibl. du Roi, v, p. 429) which has a note 'ex camera compotorum Blesensis,' and is conjectured from the arms to have belonged to the poet Charles, Duke of Orleans. It is an amorphous work in two books, not confined to Roman history and by no means chronological in its arrangement, its purpose being explained (f. 6 b) in "The prologue of hym which made the booke in Frenche." In this prologue, which does not appear to be contained in the Paris MS., the compiler states that having in another book of his given an abridgement of three decades of Livy and the First Punic War he now proposes to collect and explain the historical allusions in St. Augustine's De Civitate Dei and in the additions made thereto by the translator Raoul de Presles. The allusion to a previous work renders it probable that the compiler was Jehan Mansel, whose Fleur des Histoires (Royal MSS. 16 F. vi, vii) begins with a paraphrase of Livy and of Leonardo Bruni on the First Punic War. Wall, who became Rouge Croix Pursuivant in 1521, was the son of another Thomas Wall, successively Lancaster Herald and Norroy King of Arms (Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, i, no. 3986) and the translation is apparently autograph (cf. Cotton MS. Galba B. ix, f. 58). He prefixes a preface in which he states that he began the translation 4 June, and ended it 8 Sept. 1528, and adds an epilogue including a full list of the authors quoted (mostly at second hand) in the course of the work. From blank spaces left near the end it would seem that he translated from a copy the last page of which was torn. Translator's preface (f. 1) beg. "Duryng the shorte and transitorious lyffe," and is followed by table of chapters; author's preface (f. 6 b) beg. "They which desire hastely and without great studye" ; and text (f. 8), "Forbycause that ther be many oppinions." Ends "to see hym face to face with sceurete of." Colophon, "Amen finis here endyth the compendion historiall." Epilogue beg. To the laude bonnour and prayse of oure sauiour Jesu Crist his blyssyd mother." At f. 300 is a table of subject-headings taken from the translator's marginal analysis. A few quotations from Latin classical authors are added in the margins (ff.34, 34 b, etc.) and in the same l7th cent. band are some English verses on f. 10 b, viz. "The ould tradition left to mann Doth give to gods the power to bann His ill attempts, as Troys fall shows. Yet Rome that marthyred Remus knows A way to keepe the gods in awe, And thus there [their] powers not worth a straw." Paper ; ff. iv + 301. Folio. 1l ³/₄ in. x 8 in. A.D. 1528. Illuminated initial of interlaced work (gold on blue) to bk. ii (f. 205); that to bk. i is outlined only. 19th cent. binding by Lewis (see f. iii b). On f. 299 b is the note "This boke was bought by Thomas Treheyron, Somerset, for v.s. by [? of] an upholster in London the x day of Februarii anno r.r. H. oct. vicesimo ix " [1538]. Treheyron's name occurs also at ff. 1 b, 2, 8, 301, in the last case accompanied by arms (not his ?), viz. quarterly, 1 and 4 a bird (raven ?) within a bordure engrailed, 2 and 3 barry of 8, a lion rampant. Treheyron is said to have married Catherine, daughter of Sir John Writh, Garter (Noble, College of Arms, p. 126), who was aunt of Thomas Wriothesley, lst Earl of Southampton (cr. 1547), to whose wife the MS. afterwards belonged. Her signatures, both as Jane Wryothesley and Jane Southampton, occur (ff. 1 b, 2 b, 9 b, 40, 93). Scribbling of the l7th cent. includes (f. 285) the words "To his louing father Christopher Thomson" (cf. f. 234). Later the MS. belonged to Joseph Haslewood, the antiquary (d. 1833), whose bookstamp on vellum is on f. i, to Thomas Thorpe, the bookseller, and to Sir Thomas Phillipps. Phillipps MS. 8903 (sale-cat. 1913, lot 806).

Thomas Wall, Windsor Herald; Garter King of Arms 1534: Compendium Romanorum transl. by: 1528.

Jean Mansel: Translation of Compendium Romanorum of (?): 1528.: Engl.

History: Compendion Historiall: transl. by T. Wall of the Compendium Romanorum of J. Mansel (?): 1528.

includes:

• f. 10 b Poetry: Scribbled lines on Roman religion: 17th cent.
• f. 285 Christopher Thomson: Name scribbled: 17th cent.