Royal MS 17 D XX

ANDREW OF WYNTOUN, Original Chronicle of Scotland, in verse, with other tracts, viz.:-

1. The orygynale cronykyl of Scotland, by Androwe of Wyntowne (so his name in the prologue), canon of St. Andrews and prior of St. Serf's Inch on Loch Leven.; compiled for Sir John Wemyss (d. 1428). The second of the three recensions (see W. A. Craigie in Scottish Review, July, 1897, p. 33, and Anglia, xx, 1898, p. 368), ending in 1408, but written after the death of Robert, Duke of Albany, in 1420 (see f. 292). In nine books, each with separate prologue and table of chapters. First edited by David Macpherson in 1795 from this MS., with collation of the Cotton MS. Nero D. x and Harley MS. 6909, but omitting all passages in books i-v not referring specially to Scotland. Re-edited completely by David Laing, Historians of Scotland, ii, iii, ix, 1872-1879, and again from the Cotton and Wemyss MSS. with collations of others by F. J. Amours for the Scottish Text Soc., text vols., 1903-1908 (introductory volume to follow). f. 1.

Prologue beg.:-

'As men ar be þare qualyteys Inclynyd tyl dywersiteys.'

Chronicle beg. :-

'In honowre of þe ordrys nyne Off haly angelys þe quhilk dywyne.'

Ends:-

'Wytht honoure fync retowryt he Hame agane in his cuntre.'

2. 'Heir is assignyt þe cause quhy oure natioun vas callyt fyrst þe Scottis': a short prose chronicle to 1482, which also follows Wyntoun in two Edinburgh MSS. (Advocates' Library 19. 2. 3 and 19. 2. 4) mentioned by Laing, op. cit. ix, pp. xxij, xxiii. Printed from 1400 to the end (f. 306,1.17-f. 308) in Pinkerton's Hist of Scotland, 1797, i, p. 502. Beg. ' In þe fyrst it is to be wryttyn þat þe natioun of Scottis begowthe in þe tyme of Moises'; ends 'and þan þe wictall grew better chaip, for þe boll þat was for foure pundes was þan for xxxi s. of quhyt siluer'. f. 299.

3. Letter of Prester John to the Emperor Frederic [I ?]: a Scottish text, based on the supposed Latin letter to Manuel Comnenus (see 12 C. VI, art. 5, &c.), but extensively altered and interpolated. Imperf. at end. Beg. 'Johne callit prest, kinge amange all þe kyngis of þe erde, tyll ane nobyll man Frederik, empriour of Rovme, salute gretyng. Sen it is schewyne tyll ws one []our name that []e dysyre gretlie to wyt ande knaw ws ande our regionis'; ends 'quhilk may be tane be na way bot be þe odour of ane virgine. and ane virgine cum to þe desert and set . . .'. f. 310. The vellum fly-leaf (f. 312, 93/4 in. x 6 1/2 in.), part of an old binding, is from an early 13th cent. service-book, containing masses for the first week of Lent, with music on a four-line stave.

Vellum (outside leaves of quires, inside leaves also of quire xv) and paper; ff. i + 312. Folio. 11 in. x 8 in. Last quarter of XV cent. Gatherings (beg. f. 1) of 20 leaves (iv¹⁸, xiii²⁴, xiv¹⁸, xv18, three paper leaves at end containing art. 3), numbered 'quar. I', &c., with catchwords. Sec. fol. 'As cronykleiys'. Border, in very crude imitation of Flemish illumination, to f. 1. On f. 262 b (left blank by the scribe) is a rhyming note of ownership (see Laing's preface, p. xli), 'This buik dois perteine To ane rycht honorabell man Georg Barclay of Achrody And mony wþer propirly. Brother german is he To Sir Patrik of Tollie, Cheiff of Barclays in Scotland, And mony quim guid deid has haid in hand'; and below ' Sir Patrik Barclay of Tollie, Cheiff of that name I testifie, as in his scheild []e may sic, Twa corsis [i. e. crosses patty] weires he, The thrid be resone quhy That hovse marit properly Ane dochter of Gartly Wt gryt honour and dignity Qlk than was Barclay And was ane knyt ryt worthy. The mariage of þt lady Indeuit wtguid qualatie Movit hir husband, Toly than Into his armis to dov (?) an Qr corsis two before haid he. Scho was he the cawser of þe thrid to be'. A coat of arms, possibly that of Barclay, was on f. 1, but Le Neve obliterated it with his own arms. The namesof Georg Barclay, Margaret Gordone,and Francis Barclay of Achrody, with a monogram of G M F B A, are on f. i, together with scribbling (16th cent.) of the word 'honorificabilitudinitatibus' and the inscription 'This buke perteins me, Syr William Martyn, vicar of Banff'. The name of Jhone Mertyne is scribbled on f. 8 b and Martyn on f. 309. Other scribbled names are Johne Leuingstoun, f. i b, 'Margaret Gawdyne, 1604 []eiris', and 'Maister Thomas Nicolsone commissary of Ab[er]d[een]' (early 17th cent.), f. 308 b, Johnne Dune, f. 309, Johne Gilmor, f. 308 b. The Ms. afterwards belonged to William le Neve, York Herald (1625-1634, knighted 1634, d. 1661), whose signature is on ff. 1, 298 b, 308 and arms on ff. 1, 298 b (in the latter case quartering another coat, viz. gules, a fess vair between three battle-axes arg. Old Royal pressmark of a seal (a ship); not in cat. of 1666 or CMA.