Royal MS 13 B VI

HENRY OF HUNTINGDON, Historia Anglorum, in Latin; in ten books. Prologue beg. 'Cum in omni fere literarum studio'; lib. i, 'Britannia igitur beatissima est insularum'. The title states that the history was written in 1145; but it is carried down to the death of Stephen in 1154. After the concluding verses on the accession of Henry II, beg. 'Rex obiit, nec rege carens', are the words 'Et iam regi nouo nouus liber donandus est', which occur elsewhere only in Corpus Chr. Coll. (Cambridge) MS. 280. See the edition by T. Arnold, Rolls Series, 1879. A later hand has added (f. 157) a brief summary of English history from Henry II to Edward I, who is called 'Edwardus quartus'.

On a fly-leaf (f. 159 b), in a 15th cent. charter-hand, are written 'Versus Bruti ad Dianam', beg. 'Diva potens nemorum, terror siluestribus apris', and the 'Responsio Diane', on the colonization of Britain, from Geoffrey of Monmouth, Hist. Brit. i, ch. ii (cf. also Cotton MS. Vesp. E. XII, f. 10); and these are followed by chronological notes on British history Yroffl B.C. 1200 (the arrival of Brutus) to A.D. 1101. These verses and notes are printed in Casley's Catalogue, pp. 219, 220. Vellum ; ff. 160. 10³/₄ in. x 6³/₄ in. XIV cent. Gatherings of 12 leaves, with catchwords, the first six leaves of each sheet lettered and numbered. Sec. fol. 'Hiis penas'. Illuminated initial and border on f. 2; large coloured initials to each book, and small ones to each chapter. Belonged to the Dominicans of Lincoln, 'Isteliber constat communitati Lincolln[ie] ordinis fratrum predicatorum' (f. 1 b, cf.- 155 b). The name of Thomas Newark, 'frater predicatorum ordinis' (15th cent.), is written on f. 160. Old Royal pressmark 'no. 1037'; cat. of 1666, f. 20; CMA. 8329 (one entry for three copies).