Royal MS 13 E IX

HISTORICAL, geographical, and other works, in Latin and French, viz.: 1. 'Nomina Romanorum pontifcum' from S. Peter to Urban VI (1378-1389, dated here 1369), with dates. The date 1380 concludes the list, but no name is assigned to it. Johannes Papissa is given under 855, with a note 'non ponitur in cathalogo pontificum'. Antipopes are usually omitted, but Benedict X (1058-1059) is given under 1060. Dates throughout erroneous. f. 2.

2. 'Nomina Imperatorum' from 'Octouianus' to 'Lodowicus dux Bauarie' (Louis V of Bavaria, elected 1314, undated here), with a note of his excommunication by John XXII. Inexact, with omissions and incorrect dates. f. 2 b.

3. Thirty-four irregular French verses on the early inhabitants of Britain from Albina to Brutus Greenshield. Beg. 'De une (sic) roy de Grece Albync la fyle'; ends 'Kar tote sa uye vesquyt en pes'. Followed by a list in Latin of the early British kings from Brutus to 'Wallo qui Britanniam perdidit et Kambriam adquisiuit et vocauit eam ex nomine suo'. f. 3.

4. List of the kings in England from ' Horsus' (cancelled) and 'Hengistus' to 'Edward de Wyndeshore' (Edward III). Latin and French. f. 3 b.

5. 'Hec sunt cognomina procerum qui intrauerunt Angliam cum rege Willelmo duce Normannorum conquestore Anglie et qui inheredati sunt in Angliam in feodum militare': the version in rude French verse of the Battle Abbey roll found in Brompton's chronicle, with variations. See Twysden, Decem Scriptores, p. 963. Beg. 'Maundeuile Daundeuile'; ends 'Galesdene et Mungumery'. Similar versions are in Harley MSS.

293, f. 33, 1808, f. 19, 2386, f. 55 b, Cotton MS. Nero A. VIII, f. 129 b, Lansdowne MS. 446, f. 40, and 8 B. VI, art. 11. above. f. 4.

6. 'Desitu mundi et eius mirabilibus' : excerpts from the Otia Imperialia of Gervase of Tilbury (printed by Leibnitz, Scrtptores Rerum Brunsvicensium, 1707, p. 881; see also F. Liebrecht, Des G. von T. Otia Imperialia, Hannover, 1856), comprising the greater part of the geographical section in lib. ii. Beg. 'Dominaciones et diuisiones terrarum'. The MS. supplies (ff. 5 b-14) the large lacunae relating to the geography of Asia and Europe in Leibnitz, p. 912 (the passage is found also in Cotton MS. Vesp. E. IV, f. 23 b), but omits the historical passages (pp. 924-947, 952-955, Vesp. E. IV, f. 44). Ends with the account of changes in the names of cities, Leibnitz, p. 956 (so Vesp. E. IV). f. 5.

7. 'Incipit qui ymago mundi intitulatur' : part of the Imago Mundi attributed to Honorius of Autun and others (cf. 8 F. XIV, art. 25). Printed by Migne, Patr. Lat. clxxii. 115. Beg. 'Ad instruccionem multorum' (from the Epistola ad Christianum, Migne, 119-120, cf. Arundel MS. 328, f. 1, and Harley MS. 941, f. 6), and ends at the beginning of cap. 43 (Migne, 134) 'Cum loca concauae continueris (sic) aquis'. f. 22 b.

8. Further excerpts from Gervase of Tilbury, viz. lib. iii, capp. 112, 47, 24-26, 49, 50, relating to miraculous images of our Lord, &c. f. 25 b.

9. Prophecies of Merlin Sylvester and others. Beg. 'Lilium in meliori parte manebit'; ends 'municiones erunt'. For full description see Ward, Cat. of Romances, i, p. 314. f. 27.

10. 'De oleo vnccionis regum Anglorum sancto Thome Cantuariensi archiepiscopo per sanctam Mariam mirabiliter reuelato': vision purporting to have been seen by Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, at Sens. Beg. 'Quando ego Thomas Cantuar. archiep. exul ab Anglia'; ends 'si hoc esset constitutum a deo'. This version (found also in Cotton MS. Titus D. VII, f. 28) is printed with slight variations by Migne, cxc. 391. For another version see art. 16 below; and see also in Harley MS. 495, f. 10, Lansd. MS. 762, f. 6 b, Cotton MSS. Cleop. B. I, f. 182 b, and Claud. E. VIII, f. 1 b. f. 27 b.

11. 'De situ et mirabilibus mundi' : further extracts from Gervase of Tilbury, lib. iii, comprising most of the miraculous tales in a different order from that of Leibnitz and Vesp. E. IV. Beg. 'In prouinciis prescriptis sunt multa et diuersa mirabilia', and includes the following chapters in the order here given: prologue, capp. i, 3, 6, 16, 20, 22, 27, 28, 2, 40 (with additional paragraph), 8, 90, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12 (with an additional miracle of Virgil), 13-15, 17-19, 21, 29-34, 36-39, 41-45, 48, 51, 78-80, 72- 77, 52, 55-59, a new chapter (beg. 'Est equidem locus in Wallia que dicitur Whe de la spine'), 60, 63-71, 81- 84, 87-89, 91, 92, 94-102, 104, 110, 116, 120, 122, 126- 129, 124, 125, 133, and an additional chapter entitled 'De domina in serpentem conversa', beg. 'Quia prius diximus'. f. 28.

12. 'Itinerarium Iohannis Maundevile de mirabilibus mundi': a Latin version of the so-called Travels of Sir John Mandeville. Beg. 'Quia plures desiderant audire de terra sancta'. The same version as that contained in Cotton MS. Appendix iv, Harley MS. 175, and MS. T. 4. 1 in the Hunterian Mus.,Glasgow. For an account of its relation to the English versions see Vogels, Die ungedruckten lateinischen Versionen Mandeville's, Crefeld, 1886, p. 20, and his Handschriftliche Untersuchungen über die englische Version Mandeville's, Crefeld, 1891, p. 46. f. 40.

13. 'De spiritu Willelmi': Gervase of Tilbury, lib. iii, cap. 103. Beg. 'Multotiens et a multis'. Followed by lib. i, capp. 17, 18, iii. 61, 62, 85, 86, a story (not in the printed text) of a demonological experience which is said to have happened at Vernon in France to William Bonquer, subsequently a justiciary of Henry III of England (see Foss, Judges of England, ii, p. 24); and finally by cap. 93. f. 72.

14. 'Anti alcoron Machometi', by Ricoldus de Montecrucis, a Dominican missionary in the East (d. 1309). Prologue beg. 'Quot sunt dies serui tui'; ends with a list of chapters. Text beg. ' In primo oportet scire'. Printed at Seville, 1520, under the title Improbatio Alcorani, and at Venice, 1609, under the title Propugnaculum Fidei. Much of the matter printed in cap. viii is given here in cap. vii. f. 78.

15. Life of Mahomet; under the same heading as the last article. Beg. 'Temporibus Bonefacii pape'; ends 'pro dicte legis cultorum confusione in secula seculorum. Amen'. It contains in particular the account of how a fugitive priest came to Mahomet and brought about the sign of the dove. f. 93.

16. Thomas Becket's Vision at Sens: a longer version than that in art. 10 above. Title (in margin), 'Incipit quedam narracio de quadam visione sancti Thome Cantuariensis'. Beg. 'Quando ego Thomas Cant. archiep. exiens ab Anglia'; ends 'dolor habundabit super miseram Egyptum'. f. 94.

17. Prophecy of a friar to Pope Innocent [VI, 1352- 1362]. Title (in margin), 'Item de quodam fratre de ordine minorum qui se asserebat dicere mirabilia'. Beg. 'Eratquidam de ordine minorum'; ends 'humiliet viles habitatores'. The year 1356 is called (in the story) 'iste annus presens'. A shorter version occurs in Cotton MS. Vesp. E. VII, f. 122. f. 94 b, col. 2.

18. 'Libellus de emendacione vite Ricardi heremite', sc. Richard Rolle of Hampole. Title, 'Incipit libellus de emendacione vite siue de regula viuendi'. Beg. 'Ne tardes conuerti ad deum'; ends 'graciarum accio in secula seculorum. Amen'. Printed at Paris, 1510, as an appendix to the Speculum Spirilualium, and at Antwerp, 1533, De Emendatione, &c. f. 95.

19. 'De gestis imperatorum et pontificum Romano. rum': the chronicle of Martinus Polonus (cf. 13 B. IX). Instead of the two series being arranged in parallel columns or pages, the emperors (f. 102) precede the popes (f. 116), art. 20 intervening on a blank column between them. 'De gestis imperatorum' begins 'Post natiuitatem domini nostri Ihesu Christi'. The series of em. perors ends in 1284, with the appearance of the pseudo- Frederic II; the series of popes ends in 1389, with the election of Boniface IX, 'et per Urbanum quartum preconcessis'. The text is of the longer version, but without the digression on the earlier history of Rome. The passage relating to Pope Joan is included (f. 129 b). At 1277 (the death of John XXI and the end of the interregnum following, f. 134 b) is a marginal note in a 17th cent. band, 'Huc usque Martinus Polonus'. f. 102. Art. 20 is inserted between the two parts of the chronicle of Martinus Polonus (see above).

20. Fragment of an inventory of relics at St. Albans Abbey. Beg. 'Et aliorum plurimorum sanctorum'; ends 'summa indulgencie decem anni et quinque dies'. Cf. Cotton MS. Claudius E. IV, f. 350, from which the present article was probably copied. The complete text is printed from the Cotton MS. in Gesta Abbatum Monasterii S. Albani, Rolls Series, ed. H. T. Riley, iii, App., p. 539. f. 116.

21. 'Excerpciones Iohannis de sua historia aurea' (so colophon, f. 144 b): abridgement of the Historia Aurea of John of Tinmouth. Headed 'Cronica a principio mundi sub compendio compilata'. Beg. 'In principio creauit deus celum et terram, id est celum empireum'; ends (at 1347) 'peditum copia magna valde'. Copied from Cotton Roll xiii. 2; at f. 150 occurs the note 'Hucusque rotulus' in a 17th cent. hand, and the colophon on the verso of the roll has been copied by the present scribe at the place (f. 144 b) where his transcript from the recto ends, a space being left before the commencement of the text from the verso. Printed by Ludewig, Reliquiae Manuscriptorum Diplomatum, Halle, 1741, xii, p. 82. f. 138.

22. Abridgement of part of the history contained in art. 25 below, taking it up at 1347, where John of Tinmouth ends. Beg. (without title) 'Circa festum sancti Bartholomei'; ends (in 1393) 'apud nouum forum dirumperent muros domorum'. It follows the preceding article at a very slight interval, and at the beginning of it (f. 150, col. i) a note is written in the margin with the plummet 'Hic dimisit vicarius de Tynem[outh], cetera inde sequencia (?) per Thomam Walsyngham sunt compilata'. In MS. 7 at Corp. Christi Coll., Camb., a collection of historical extracts mainly agreeing with Walsingham, of which art. 1 covers the period 1377- 1405, occurs the note, written 'manu neoterica' (Nasmith, Catalogue, p. 3, cf. M. R. James, Catalogue, p. 18), 'Supplementum historiae aureae I. de Tinmouth ex coenobio, S. Albani, id est, pars maioris historiae Thomae Walsingham'. The part of Walsingham's history extending from 1347 was thus probably regarded as a continuation of Tinmouth and an abridgement of it would naturally follow an abridgement of the Historia Aurea. f. 150.

23. 'Incipit compendiosa descriptio Britannie siue Anglie Wallie et Scocie et Hibernie iuxta cronica Ranulphi Cestrensis monachi compilata': extracts from Higden's Polychronicon, lib. i, under the head-line 'Descriptio regni Anglie sub compendio compilata'. Begins (after a list of sections) in the section 'De varia insule nuncupacione'; and contains the passages on the topography and antiquities of England (Rolls ed., ii, p. 2), of Wales (i, p. 394), of Ireland (i, p. 328), and of Scotland (i, p. 382). f. 160.

24. 'Gesta regum Anglie compendiose compilata' (so head-line, f. 172): a short chronicle of the kings of England from Brutus to Edward III. Beg. 'Anglia que quondam a Bruto Britannia vocabatur'; ends with the death of the Black Prince, 'mortuus est ante patrem et Cantuarie tumulatus'. The last paragraph is separated by a space from the previous one, and five blank pages are left for a continuation. f. 169 b.

25. Chronicle of English history from 1272 to 1392 (1273-1393 in the MS.): one of the series of chronicles compiled by the successive historiographers of St. Albans Abbey. It incorporates, with modifications, several earlier St. Albans chronicles, viz. Rishanger (1272-1306), Trokelowe (1307-1323), Blaneforde (1323- 1325), and an anonymous chronicle (1328-1388) contained in Harley MS. 3634. See the edition of the last by Sir E. Maunde Thompson (Chronicon Angliae 1328- 1388, Rolls Ser., 1874), who shows that the original chronicle was suppressed (probably on the accession of Henry IV) on account of its violent attacks upon John of Gaunt, and the present version substituted, in which a different narrative of 1376-1377 is inserted, and many alterations have been made by the original scribe in order to remove passages offensive to the Duke of Lancaster. lt is probable that the present version was compiled under the direction of Thomas Walsingham, historiographer of St. Albans, and it is possible that his hand is to be seen in the marginal instructions to the scribe (e.g. ff. 239 b, 242 b). Subsequently this chronicle formed the basis of the Historia Anglicana which passes under Walsingham's name (edited, Rolls Ser., 1863-1864, by H. T. Riley, who gives a full collation of this MS.). See Riley's and Thompson's introductions for fuller details. Beg. 'Anno gratie millesimo ducentesimo septuagesimo tertio'; ends (imperf.) 'in carnalitate versari deberent' (Riley, ii, p. 406), with a catchword 'transiit'. The final leaf of the MS., to which this catchword relates, is now in MS. 7 at Corp. Chr. Coll., Cambridge, pp. 49, 50 (Riley, ib., p. 407). f. 177. Vellum; ff. 326. 17³/₄ in. x 12⁷/₈ in. Circ. 1400 (after 1394, since reference is made on f. 253 b to the death of Sir Hugh Calverley, and see art. 25). Written at St. Albans; cf. Cotton MS. Claud. E. lv, which is very similar. Double columns of 58-61 lines. Gatherings normally of 12 leaves, with catchwords, but leaves are occasionally cut off or left blank at ends of treatises. Some remains of old quire numeration on v-xvii (ff. 40-1176) do not seem reconcilable with the order of the various works; but when the running headings of the pages were written ff. 28-39 seem to have preceded ff. 5-16. Blank spaces are left for illustrations or supplementary matter {e.g. ff. 3, 4 b, 242 b, with the marginal notes of the supervisor). Sec. fol. 'De une (sic) Roy'. Large coloured initials at the beginning of treatises, enclosing foliage patterns; initials of chapters flourished in red, blue, and violet. Cat. of 1666, f. 11 b; CMA. 8343, 8344, 8336, 8359.