Harley MS 651, ff 1-184

Contents:

ff. 4r–57v: Eusebius of Caesarea (b. c. 260, d. 339), Bishop of Caesarea, Chronici Canones (Chronological Canons), translated by St Jerome (b. 347, d. 420), with his prologue; ending ‘Huc usque historiam scribit eusebius pamphili martiris contubermalis [sic]; cui nos ista subiecimus’ [see Patrologia Latina, 27, 233-508, 677-702].

ff. 57v–61r: St Jerome, Continuation of Eusebius; ending ‘Huc usque ieronimus presbyter ordinem procedentium digessit annorum . Que secuntur prosper digessit’ [see Patrologia Latina, 27, 233-508, 677-702].

ff. 61r–63v: Prosper of Aquitaine (b. c. 390, d. c. 463), Epitoma chronicorum (Epitome of the Chronicles); ending ‘Huc usque prosperi chronogaphia . in qua dominicae incarnationis annos non annotavimus quia in subsequenti chronographia eadem pene & eo amplius quam a prospero a sigisberto monacho sub annis domini recitantur a trecentesimo octogesimo primo dominice incarnationis incepta . quo iheronimus presbiter chronicorum finem fecerat’; with revisions made by Robert de Torigni (b. c. 1110, d. 1186) [see Patrologia Latina, 27, 703-24].

ff. 64r–147r: Sigebert of Gembloux (b. c. 1030, d. 1112), Chronica (Chronicles), beginning ‘Incipit Chronographia Sigeberti monachi gemblacensis’ [see Patrologia Latina, 160, 57-240].

ff. 147r–177v: Robert de Torigni, Chronica (Chronicles); with standard appendix to the prologue, the Epistola ad Warinum (Letter to Warin) by Henry of Huntingdon (b. c. 1088, d. c. 1157), historian and poet.

The manuscript contains a number of later addition:

ff. 1v, 2r, 3r, 3v: Medieval and early modern titles, shelfmarks and ownership inscriptions.

ff. 177v–184v: Anonymous continuation of Robert de Torigni, Chronica, copied from Royal MS 13 C XI by Sir Simonds D'Ewes (b.1602, d. 1650).

Decoration:

1 large puzzle initial in blue and red in a yellow frame, with penwork decoration in blue and red (f. 7r); 4 large initials in blue or pink-brown with penwork decoration in a combination of the colours blue, green, red or yellow (ff. 4r, 5r, 64r, 148v; the latter in a yellow frame); medium and smaller initials in blue, green, ochre, purple or red, often with penwork decoration in one or more of the alternate colours (including yellow), or with a reserved design; one medium ochre initial in a yellow frame (f. 121v); several medium initials in two colours: 3 in blue and red (ff. 22v, 105, 140v); 3 in green and red (ff. 102v, 136r, 138v); 2 in blue and ochre (ff. 114v, 176v); 1 in in ochre and red (f. 140v); and 1 in ochre and purple (f. 137r); medium or small puzzle initials in blue and red or blue and purple (ff. 8r, 45r, 47r, 107v, 110v, 117v, 118v, 125v, 128r, 129v, 146v, 156v, 157r, 159r, 159v, 170v), ochre and red (ff. 110r, 128v, 174v), or green and red (f. 132v), with penwork decoration in the same colours, sometimes with reserved lines in blue or red; small plain initials in blue, green, ochre, purple or red (one with yellow infill on f. 55r) throughout the manuscript. Rubrics and running headers in red. Roman numerals in red. Paraphs in red. Underlining in red. No decoration on ff. 178r-184v.