Royal MS 13 A XVI

'CHRONICA regis Henrici quinti': the Liber metricus, or chronicle in elegiac verse of the first five years (1413-1417) of Henry V, by Thomas Elmham, monk of S. Augustine's, Canterbury, and (1414) Prior of Lenton, co. Notts. Prologue, in prose, beg. 'Ad honorem beatissimae Trinitatis'; ends 'sub rubrica 14a anni quinti. Followed (f. 4) by the title 'Extractum breue de chronica Thomae Elinham (sic) prioris Lentoniae, de tempore regis Henrici quinti' (cf. Rawlinson MS. B. 214, f. 137, at Oxford). The introductory lines begin 'Terreni decus imperii fit ab Altitonante', the initials of ll. 1-12 forming the name Thomas Elmham.' Printed from Cotton MS. Julius E. iv, in Memorials of Henry V, ed. C. A. Cole, Rolls Ser., 1858, p. 79. The present MS. is there mentioned (p. xlvi), but was not collated. It is wrongly said to be of the 18th cent.

The interlined explanations frequently differ from those in the printed text, e.g. in ch.i, l. 1, over 'Babilon' is 'confusio per fallaciam Lollardorum'. Among other variations are:-f. 7 b (p. 100), ch. x is made up of ll. 139-146, 155-162, the rubrics of ch. xi, xii being omitted,and ch. xiii is made ch. ii of the second year;-f. 12 (p. 111), ch. xvii runs 'Accidit interea casu tentoria quaedam Igne cremata fore, cura remissa nocet';-f. 13 b (p. 114), at the end of ch. xxiii is added 'Hic post decessum Richardi praesulis alter Ion Wakering dictus praesul honore datur';-f. 18 b (p. 125), ll. 614, 615 omitted;-

f. 31 (p. 152), ll. 1136-1139 omitted;-f. 36 (p. 164), after ch. xxii is the couplet (with rubric and heading 'cap. 23') 'Ut vigiles annulo Christi Norwice gradiaris gratia chara docet, quo Benedictus ouat' (on the appointment of John Wakering as Bishop of Norwich in 1416, cf. Rolls ed., p. xlvi, note), the following ch. 'Stat lustro' being numbered xxiv instead of xxiii, and the hymn 'Te Matrem laudamus' (Rolls cd., ch. xxiv) being omitted. Paper; ff. 36. Octavo. 9¹/₂ in. x 6³/₄ in. XVI cent. Belonged to [John, Lord] Lumley (name autogr. on f. 1). Lumley cat. f. 165; cat. of 1666, f. 8; CMA. 8304. Bound up with 13 A. XV.