Royal MS 14 C VII, ff 157r-231r

The autograph copy of the Chronica Maiora, Part III, by Matthew Paris, covering the years 1254-1259 (the date of Paris's death) (ff. 157r-218v); incipit: 'Anno domini m cc liiii qui est annus domini regis H III xxxciii'. Includes numerous marginal notes and additions by the author. The first two volumes are Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 26 and 16. The present manuscript also includes the continuation of the Chronica majora from 1259 to 1272 written in St Albans and copied by a 15th-century hand (ff. 219r-231r).

Decoration:

Marginal tinted drawings in colours, all but one (f. 218v) painted by Matthew Paris:

f. 158v, A hand holding a crosier referring to Innocent IV's vision of Robert Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln.

f. 159r, Mitre and crosier referring to the election of Boniface of Savoy, archbishop of Canterbury; inverted arms of count William of Ferrara.

f. 162r, Inverted arms of Henry, son of Frederick II, indicating his death.

f. 164v, Inverted arms of Conrad, son of Frederick II, with an inverted crown referring to the his death.

f. 165r, Arms of Manfred, son of Frederick II, referring to his coronation.

f. 165v: Inverted arms of Walter de Cantelupe referring to his death.

f. 166r, Mitre and crosier referring to the election of William of Kilkenny, bishop of Ely.

f. 167r, Inverted papal insignia with a hand holding a flower, referring to the death of Innocent IV.

f. 167v, Papal insignia with a hand holding a flower, referring to the election of Alexander IV.

f. 170v, Inverted arms of Hernaldus de Bosco referring to his death.

f. 174r, Inverted arms of Warin de Munchensi referring to his death.

f. 181r, Diagram of the solar eclipse.

f. 181v, Charter with a seal referring to the charter of freedom of election granted to the church by king John.

f. 181r, A claw of a lion referring to the name of the Roman senator Brancaleone; inverted crosier and mitre for the death of William, bishop of York.

f. 182v, Arms of William of Holland with a sword and inverted crown indicating his death.

f. 211r, Inverted crosier and mitre for the death of Richard, abbot of Westminster.

f. 213r, Four swords referring to the rubric 'De quatuor militibus constitutis in singulis comitatibus'.

f. 214r, Mitre and crosier for the election of Godfrey of Kimeton, archbishop of York, and another one for the election of Richard de Gravesend, bishop of Lincoln.

f. 217v, Inverted arms of the count of Flanders referring to the death of Thomas of Savoy.

f. 218v, Inverted mitre and crosier indicating the death of Fulk, bishop of London; Matthew Paris on his deathbed.