CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND

MS 033
MS Short Title CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND
Text
  1. TOPOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND CHRONOLOGY OF ENGLAND FROM 3980 BC TO 1200 AD
  2. CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND FROM THE DEATH OF KING LEAR TO THE REIGN OF VORTIGERN AND FROM THE DEATH OF GRATIANUS TO THE DEATH OF ARTHUR
  3. IN WELTH IS NO SEKERNES, A MACARONIC VERSE
  4. GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH: HISTORIA REGUM BRITANNIAE BOOKS 7:3 - 12:8 (PROPHETIA MERLINI)
  5. KING EDWIN'S WARS, IN PENTAMETER VERSES
  6. CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND, FROM THE DEATH OF EDWIN TO THE ACCESSION OF HENRY 3
  7. CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND, FROM ALFRED TO THE DEATH OF HENRY 5
  8. CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND AND OF THE POPES AND ROMAN EMPERORS FROM KING ARTHUR TO EDWARD THE ELDER, PARTLY AS A CONTINUATION OF BEDE'S HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA FROM 1225
  9. METRICAL CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND FROM WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR TO EDWARD 3
  10. MNEMONIC FOR THE ORDER OF THE REIGNS OF ENGLISH KINGS FROM WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR TO EDWARD 3
  11. DESCENT OF THE FRENCH CROWN TO EDWARD 3, A DIAGRAMMATIC TABLE AND EXPLANATORY TEXT
  12. BERNARD OF GRAVES: THE DEATH OF EDWARD 3 AND ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF EDWARD THE BLACK PRINCE, VERSE
  13. LETTERS BY WHICH KING JOHN RESIGNED THE THRONE TO INNOCENT 3, COPIED FROM A DOCUMENT DATED DOVER 15 MAY 1213
  14. HOMAGE OF 1325 TO KING CHARLES 4 OF FRANCE BY KING EDWARD 2, AS DUKE OF GUYENNE
  15. ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENT OF EDWARD 3, FROM A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT BY THE DUKE OF YORK
  16. HISTORY OF BORDEAUX IN ANCIENT TIMES, BASED ON A TEXT COPIED BY VITALIS DE ST. SEVER IN THE CHRONICLES OF THE CHURCH OF VIENNE, RHONE VALLEY. TRANSCRIPT FROM A COPY BY RAYMUNDUS GUILLIM DE PUY
  17. BEDE (PS.): IMAGO MUNDI
  18. OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY FROM NOAH TO DAVID
  19. JOHN OF GARLAND: ALIUD COMPOTUM METRICUM
  20. MNEMONIC CALENDAR VERSES
  21. ALEXANDER DE VILLA DEI: CARMEN DE ALGORISMO
  22. JOHANNES DE SACROBOSCO: TRACTUS DE SPHERA
  23. HISTORY OF BRITAIN FROM CAESAR TO GUTHLAC, POSSIBLY EXCERPTED FROM BEDE'S HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA
  24. BEDE: HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA, 1 - 3
  25. POLITICAL PROPHECY AND SATIRE IN THE REIGNS OF EDWARD 1, 2 AND 3, LOSELY BASED UPON GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH: PROPHETIA MERLINI
  26. DE ADVENTU BRITONUM INISTAM INSULAM
  27. DESCRIPTION OF THE RULE OF GASCONY BY THE ENGLISH FROM 1220 - 1259
  28. LETTER OF KING EDWARD 3 TO POPE CLEMENT 6 CONCERNING PAPAL PRIVILEGES IN THE REALM OF ENGLAND, DATED WESTMINSTER 10 SEPTEMBER 1343
Description MS in Latin (texts 2-9, 12-14, 16-26,28), Middle English (texts 1, 3, 10, 15), French (text 11, 14) and Gascon (text 27) on vellum, England, ca. 1325-1430, 180 ff. (-3), 21x15 cm, generally 2 columns (17x10 cm), occasionally single column, (16x8 cm), 39-41 lines in Anglicana book script of varying formality and quality by Bernard of Graves (texts 11,16,27) and 15 further scribes. Headings in red, initials throughout in blue with red penwork with flourishes and yellow wash, one large illuminated initial with white penwork, 13 portraits of English kings in red, blue or gold frames with diapered ground, one is a contemporary portrait of the Black Prince, one large illuminated miniature of a university classroom scene, and one 3/4-page miniature of the White Ship showing the drowning of the sons of Henry I, 3 royal armorial crests tricked in gold and full colours. The miniatures are by 5 artists reflecting styles associated with Cambridge in the 1340's and London in the 1390's.
Binding England, early 18th c., mottled calf with blind-tooled border, sewn on 4 bands.
Provenance 1. Bernard of Graves, London (ca. 1375-1400); 2. Possibly King James VI of Scotland (16th c.); 3. John Napier of Merchistoun, Scotland (17th c.); 3. David, Earl of Huntingdon, Scotland (17th c.); 4. Colonel Robert Graham of Grahamstown, South Africa (19th c.); 5. Christie's 25.6.1986:208; 6. H.P. Kraus, New York. Deaccession October 2010.
Commentary Probably a Royal MS, which has accompanied kings on their travels to France. Text 19 has a colophon that records 4 stages in the transmission of the text from its discovery in the Church of Vienne, naming both places and scribes until at last copied by Bernard of Graves, giving a quite extraordinary insight to the process of transmission in manuscripts. Portrayals of Edward the Black Prince and of King Richard II are extremely unusual. The artist may be identified with the illustrator of the Belknap Hours and of Bodleian Library MS Bodley 581 Liber Geomancie, possibly owned by King Richard II.
Exhibited University of Oslo. Domus Bibliotheca, 6-15 May 1996: European medieval manuscripts from The Schøyen Collection.
Place of origin England
Dates ca 1325 - 1430 AD