Royal MS 17 D XXI

CHRONICLE OF THE BRUTE in English prose to A. D. 1419, comprising the original text to 1333 and two continuations (B and C of Brie) to 1377 and 1419 (siege of Rouen) respectively; see F. W. D. Brie, Geschiche der mittelenglischen Prosachronik The Brute of England, Marburg, 1905, and his edition, E. E. Text Soc., 1906, 1908 (introduction to follow), in which he collates this MS. for the continuations. Beg. with the rubric 'Here may a man here how Engelonde was first callede Albion and thorowgh wham yt hadde þe name', introducing the 'prologe of Albion' (so colophon), which beg. 'In the noble land of Sirie', and chronicle 'In the noble cite of grete Troie'. Original chronicle ends (f. 147) 'withoute eny chalange off eny man. Deo gracias', followed without break by the first continuation, which beg. 'And so aftir þis gracious victorie', and ends (f. 170) 'on whos soule god haue mercy. amen'. Second continuation beg. 'And aftir the gode king Edwarde þe iiide'; ends 'set in rewle and gouernaunce'. By a mistake of the original binder (noted in a contemporary hand) ff. 17, 18 are misplaced; they should follow f. 179. Besides the original marginal notes in Latin a few have been added in English and Latin, merely calling attention as a rule to the contents of the Chronicle, but those on ff. 183 b, 185, 187, 187 b give minute particulars concerning Raynold Colyer, Prior of S. Bartholomew's, West Smithfield, who was born 17 Feb. 1391, elected chorister 1404, chorister at S. Paul's , London, 1405, 'shorne canon' 2 Feb. 1409, ordained deacon at S. Paul's 8 Apr. 1413, priest 7 Apr. 1414, said his first mass Sund. after Ascension Day following, was elected prior 30 Jan. and 'stalled' 19 Feb. 1436, 'and so conteneweth pryour unto þe . . .'. He died still prior in 1471 (see The Victoria History of London, 1909, i, p. 480), though his priorate was not quite continuous, if Dugdale's Monasticon is correct in saying that a John occurs as prior in 1439. Another note (f. 185) states that in 10 Hen. IV 'wasse þe grete pley att Clerkynwell, &c.', i. e. the morality or miracle-play recorded by Stow, Chronicle, 1615, p. 549, as performed at Skinner's Well in 1409. On f. 1. is a 17th cent. title (cf. ff. 1, 196 b) with the somewhat misleading description 'This is a true originall of Caxton's historie of England, but either this copy wanteth 20 ch. or Caxton hath added 20 vnto it'. The true relations of Caxton's Chronicles of England (1480) to the MSS. are explained by Brie, op. cit.

On the fly-leaf (f. 197) are a mnemonic couplet for the order of the kings of England Will. I-Hen. V, beg. 'Will. con., Will. Rufus, Hen. pri., Stephan., Henque secundus', a table of the lengths of members reigns, Rich. I-Rich. III, and a note of 'the grete clippce' on S. Botolph's day [17 June], 1435. Vellum; ff. i + 197. 11 1/2 in. x 7 1/2 in. Middle of XV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (i¹², xxi¹⁰, xxiii¹⁰, ii¹⁰ and xxii⁶ due to the binder's mistake). Neatly written. Initials flourished in red and blue. Perhaps belonged to S. Bartholomew's Priory, Smithfield (see above). On f. 197 is an ownership note (15th-16th cent.), 'This boke ys Sir Nycolas Wollsyden'; also a note, 'prec. xxxvi s. viii d.'. Cat. of 1666, f. 12 b; not in CMA.