Royal MS 13 B XIII

CHRONICLE of Hugh of Fleury and Life of S. Ursinus, in Latin, viz.: 1. Hugues de Sainte-Marie, al. de Fleury, Cronica; in two parts. The first part is a summary of Old Testament history, to 1 Maccabees; beg. 'In principio creauit deus celum et terram'. The second (f. 65) deals with profane (especially Roman) history and its contact with sacred history, from Ninus to Charles the Bald, King of France (A.D. 840-878); beg. 'Assyriorum igitur potentissimus fuit olim rex'. Without title or subscription, but on the first fly-leaf a 13th cent. hand has written, 'Cronica Yvonis Charnotensis episcopi ad Adelam comitissam'. The chronicle was, in fact, frequently attributed to Ivo, Bishop of Chartres 1090- 1115 (cf. Hist. Lat. de la France, x, p. 141), and the second part, as far as the accession of Constantine Great (f. 96), was printed under his name in Freher's Corpus Francicae Hisiorae, 1613, p. 1, from an imperfect MS. The real author was Hugh of Fleury; who wrote it for Adela, Countess of Chartres, and sent it on its completion in 1110 to Ivo for his criticisms (Hist. Litt. x, p. 296). The whole of the second part was printed under his name by B. Rottendorff, Hugonis Floriacensis Monachi Benedictini Chronicon, 1638 (cf. Monum. Germ. Hist., Scriptores, ix, p. 337). The text is of the second edition, as distinguished by Pertz, in six books, though only the beginnings of books ii and iii are indicated. The first part is nowhere mentioned as belonging to Hugh's work, and may be a seperate compilation altogether. f. 2. Art. 2 was originally a distinct MS.

2. Life of S. Ursinus, first Bishop of Bourges, anonymous. Prologue beg. 'Quicunque hystoriis texendis siue etiam gestis scribendis'; text, 'Domino nostro Iesu Christo de Maria uirgine temporaliter nato'. Printed (but without the prologue and imperfect, the text ending near the bottom of f. 126 b of the present MS.) by P. Labbe, Nova Bibliotheca MSS. Librorum, ii. 455. At the end (f. 127 b) is appended the account of S. Ursinus by Gregory of Tours (De gloria confessorum, cap. lxxx, Migne, Patr. Lat. lxxi. 886), beg. 'Biturica urbs primum'. f. 125.

Vellum; ff. 128. 11¹/₂ in. x 8¹/₄ in. (art. 1) and 11¹/₈ in. x 7¹/₄ in. (art. 2). Early XIII cent. (art.1) and XII cent. (art.2). Gatherings (beg. f. 2), art. 1 (double columns), i-xv⁸, xvi³, numbered at the end; art. 2, i⁴. Sec. fol. 'de inmundis", and (art. 2) 'tacita mente'. Initials in art. 1, slightly ornamented, red, blue, green, &c. Art. 2 has the ship seal. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 196' (Westm. invent of 1542, Add. MS. 255469, f. 26); cat. of 1666, f. 8 (art. 1); CMA. 8340, 8663.