Royal MS 13 D I

13 D. 1

1. R. HIGDEN, Polychronicon. No title or colophon. Beg. (with rubric 'Prologus in historiam policronicam) 'Post preclaros artium scriptores'. Printed by C. Babington and J. R. Lumby, Rolls Series, 1865-1886. At the year 1342, after the words 'capitis interdixit' (ib. viii, p. 338), is the marginal note 'hucusque Ranulphus', cf. i, p. xlviii. The continuation is the same as in Babington and Lumby's MS. A (viii, pp. 340-344, 355-406) and ends at the same point, viz. March, 138⁰/₁, 'senex multorum dierum'. The portion relating to 1376, 1377 (f. 169 b) is also printed in E. Maunde Thompson's Chronicon Angliae 1328-1388, Rolls Series, 1874, pp. 391-401, from the present MS., collated with Lambeth MS. 160. Preceded (ff. 3-9) by an alphabetical index and an extract on chronology from (pseudo-)Augustine, De Mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae, ii. 4. f. 10.

Between this and the next art. 13 D. i* (see below) was formerly bound up in the volume and is so given in Casley's Catatogue.

2. Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia regum Britanniae. With the prologue 'Cum mecum multa et de multis', but without the second prologue and the epistle (cf. 13 A. III). Text beg. 'Britannia insularum optima in occidentali occeano'. See also Ward, Cat. of Romances, i, p. 248. The prologue is slightly abbreviated, and the friend from whom the British book was obtained, on which Geoffrey's work was said to be founded, is described as 'W. Herefordensis archidiaconus' (and so also in the concluding paragraph of the work). No titles or division into books. Colophon, 'Explicit historia de gestis Britonum'. f. 175.

3. Pseudo-Turpin, 'De gestis Karoli [Magni]': the well-known legendary history of Charlemagne, attributed to Turpin, Archbishop of Reims (753-800). Beg. 'Gloriosissimus Christi apostolus Iacobus'. See Ward, op. cit., i, p. 572. There is no prologue, and the list of Spanish cities (ch. 3 in the printed texts) and the discussion of Christianity (in ch. 17) are omitted. On the other hand the MS. contains the passage relating to the council at St. Denis (in ch. 31), and the description of the figures of the Seven Arts (after ch. 31); and the narrative of the miraculous fall of the walls of Grenoble (beg. 'Sed valde dignum est') is appended at the end, followed by the rubric, 'Explicit liber Turpini de gestis Karoli'. The following supplementary chapters are then added :-(a) 'De miraculis beati lacobi', beg. 'Quid patrie Gal ecie '. f. 221 b ;-(b) 'Qualiter Iacobus translatus est in Galeciam ', beg. 'Post salvatoris nostri passionem'. Ib.;-(c) 'De sollempnitate beati Iacobi', beg. 'Beatus Lucas evangelista'. Ib.;-(d) 'De statura Karoli, &c.', beg. 'Erat autem Karolus capillosus' (i. e. ch. 21 in the ordinary texts, which is here omitted at that place). f. 222. These are followed by the subscription 'Explicit gestus Karoli regis Francis'. f. 212 b.

4. Genealogy of Henry III, traced from Yvor [i. e. Ine]; extracted from the Genealogia Regum Anglorum of Ailred of Rievaulx (Migne, Patr. Lat. cxcv. 711), with the addition of paragraphs at the beginning and end. Beg. 'Cum mecum propter ea que responsione tua accepi'. The compiler appropriates, and telis in the first person, an anecdote of Matilda, wife of Henry I, quoted by Ailred from David, King of Scotland; but the introductory and concluding paragraphs show that the compilation was made in its present form in the reign of Henry III, to whom it is personally addressed. Reference is made to his brother Richard as reigning in Germany, which points to a date between 1257 and 1260. f. 222 b.

5. Testamenta xii patriarcharum, translated from Greek by Rob. Grosseteste (cf. 4 D. VII, art. 5). Beg. 'Transcriptum testamenti Ruben'. Colophon, 'Explicit testamenta prophetarum'. f. 225.

6. Summary chronicle, from A. D. 1 to 1208. Beg. VIII Kalendas Ianuarii Christus natus est'. f. 237.

7. Another chronicle, still shorter, from B.C. 1140 to A.D. 1385. Beg. 'Anni ab orbe condito ad urbem Rome'. f. 242 b.

8. 'Descripcio corporis Christi': the so-called Epistle of Lentulus, with different introductory words, and additional matter at the end. See the text printed by J. P. Gabler, Kleinere theologische Schriften, 1831, ii, p. 636. Beg. 'Legitur in annalibus Romanorum'. f. 243.

9. 'Descripcio beate Marie'. Beg. 'Fuit beata Maria stature medie'. f. 243 b.

10. 'Mirabilia Hybernie'. Beg. 'Hybernia dividitur in quattuor'. Followed by 'mirabilia Anglie' and 'Orientis', by lists of 'fontes' and 'montes', and by notes on the journey from England to the Holy Land (beg. 'Notandum quod ab Anglia ad Romam sunt mille miliaria'), ending with a reference to the coming of messengers from Jerusalem to Canterbury, in 1300, to ask for help. f. 243 b.

11. 'Libellus de tribus partibus mundi, viz. de Asia et eius partibus, de Affrica et partibus eius, de Europa et partibus eius, de montibus et finibus, de insulis et de ciuitatibus'. Beg. 'Tres sunt partes mundi'. f. 245.

12. 'Recapitulacio omnium terrarum ciuitatumque tocius mundi, primo de Asia, Anglice lingue': seventyeight lines of English verse. Beg. 'Þis world ys delyd al on thre'. f. 246 b.

13. Statement of the taxable value of the possessions of the clergy and laity of England, and of the produce of a tenth and a fifteenth. The taxable property of the clergy is given as £ 204,143 19s. 2¹/₂d.; the value of a tenth as £ 20,414 7s. 11¹/₄ d.; of a fifteenth of the laity as £ 38, 257 2s. 5d., less £321 for cost of collection. The number of towns is given as 52, 140; of parish churches, 45,011; of knights' fees, 42,215, of which the clergy hold 28,015, the laity 14,200. Cf. 7 D. XXI, f. 2 b, 17 B. XLVII, art. 9, &c. f. 247.

14. 'Exposicio Daniclis prophete super sompnia' (so colophon): a brief interpretation of various kinds of dreams, roughly arranged in alphabetical order (cf. 12 C. XII, art. 25). Beg. 'Aves qui viderit contra se pugnare'. f. 247 b.

15. Notes on weights and measures. f. 248 (cf. 247).

16. 'De xv. signis xv. dierum precedencium diem iudicii'. Beg. 'Mariaomnia exaltabuntur'. f. 248b.

17. R. Higden, Polychronicon : a continuation from 1341 (birth of Edmund Langley) to 1377 (death of Edward III). Beg. 'Hoc eodem anno Nonis Iunii'. Colophon, 'Explicit liber septimus, qui est ultimus, historie policronice'. This text is the Latin original of the English version preserved in Harley MS. 2261, and printed by Lumby, Polychronicon, Rolls Ser., viii, pp. 429-446. The English version, however, is continued to 1402. f. 249.

Vellum; ff. i + 295. 1 ft. 2¹/₂ in. x 9¹/₂ in. Late XIV cent. (probably about 1385, see art. 7). Gatherings of 12 leaves (iv⁸, v⁹, ix¹⁰, xvi², xix⁸, xx⁶, xxiv⁶), with catchwords. Double columns. Artt.

6-16 and art. 17 each fill a single gathering, and art. 17 is in a different hand from the rest of the MS. Two tables of contents are prefixed (ff. 2, 2b), of the 17th and 15th centt. respectively. Sec. fol. 'de Burgundia' or (text) '-dio urbis'. Illuminated initial and border on f. 10, elsewhere initials flourished in red and blue (especially at the beginnings of books). Belonged (15th cent.) to S. Peter's church, Cornhill, London (ff. 1 b, 2 b). Old Royal press-mark 'no. 708' (Westm. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, f. 33); cat. of 1666, f. 7 b; CMA. 8315, 8361, 8306, 8307, 8346, &c.

includes:

• f. 247 Accounts: Computations of a fifteenth and tenth, etc.: temp. Rich. II.