Physical Description:
158 leaves : parchment ; 286 x 190 (208 x 130) mm Notes:
A legendary and historical chronicle of England named after its
first hero, Brutus, a descendent of Aeneas and the epic founder of
Britain. It begins with Brutus' conquest of Albion and continues
through the death of Henry V and the assumption of the crown by
Henry VI. Also includes an epitome of English history, a prophecy
and medical recipes. In Middle English and Latin. Parchment, ff. i
(paper) + v (parchment, of which the first is a former pastedown) +
158 + ix (parchment) + ii (paper). 1-19⁸ 20⁸(-7, 8). Catchwords
underlined in brown ink, and on f. 24v in red ink; quires and
leaves signed in letters and roman numerals. 42-39 long lines (44
on ff. 156v-158), frame ruled in dry point, but in ink on ff. 9-16
(quire 2) and ff. 17 and 24v (outer side of outer bifolium of quire
3). Written in England in the middle of the fifteenth century in a
secretary script. On f. 1, C-shaped bar and foliage border in gold,
green, blue and pink with black ink sprays terminating in green and
gold balls. 2-line initials in blue with red flourishing; plain
blue 1-line initials; blue paragraph marks; rubrics in red
throughout. f. ii verso: [Epitome of English history from William I
to Henry VI in 17 rhyming couplets, beginning of 16th century]
Viribus armorum bastardus Willelmus agebat/ Ut rex Anglorum fieret
quo iure volebat & f. iv: [added in 16th cent.] Oratio bruti ad
dianam ...[6 lines]; Responsio diane ad brutum ... [8 lines]; Sede
sedens ista iudex inflexibilis sta & [4 lines]; Epitaphium henrici
secundi regis Anglie ... [10 lines]; Epitaphium frederici
imperatoris ... [3 lines]; Nullus in orbe fuit homo vivens nec
valet esse & [4 lines]; Funis cum lignis a te miser ensis et ignis
... ff. 1-158: Here may a man here that England was furst called
Albion and thurgh whom it had the name, In the noble lande of
Sirrie ther was a noble kyng and myghty and a man of grete renoune
that me called Dioclisian ... [f. 156v, Continuation by a later
hand:] [A]nd anone after that Rone was goten depe and many other
tounes in baase Normandie& [A]fter kynge henry the v regned henry
his sone but A childe and not fully A yere olde whos regne begane
the first day of septembre// ff. 83v-86, 102v-130: [Prophecy added
in the early 16th cent.:] Notandum est enim quod principalis auctor
huius prophetie hic in sequentibus in margine per singula folia
scriptum fuit spiritus sanctus ... [Rubric:] Per istos 12 versos
sequentes ostenditur quomodo auctor iste secundarius dispositus
recepit istam prophetiam. [Verses:] Febribus infectus requies
fuerat michi lectus & [f. 102v:] Sole sagittante frigido boree
remeante & Divine legis fiet meditatio regis// f. ix: [Medical
recipes, added early 16th cent.:] The medycyn off kyng henry the
viiith for the pestelens wych hath helyd vxx persons & For the
colik & the stone & For a mangey hors & For to stanch blood & Subjects:
Brutus the Trojan (Legendary character) -- Early works to 1800. ;
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485. ; Great Britain -- Kings and
rulers -- Genealogy -- Early works to 1800. Form/Genre:
Manuscripts -- Great Britain -- 15th century. Provenance:
HM 136 served as the printer's exemplar for the first printing of
William Caxton's Chronicles of England (1480). The manuscript shows
the printers marks throughout the volume. Contemporary side notes.
Notes on f. 1, "pr. 1l 13s 4d." Twice the name of John Leche, late
15th century or early 16th century, appears, possibly by the same
person who copied sections 1 and 4, on front flyleaf iii, "Liber
Johannis Leche"; on back flyleaf i, "Liber Johannis Leche de Wico
Malbano in Com. Cestr." A series of scribbles in the same sixteenth
century hand in the upper margins of every few leaves throughout
the book often contains the name of Dorothy Helbarton. Other
sixteenth century notes: back flyleaf vii verso, "Franciscus
Dorington huius liber possessor legittimus"; back flyleaf viii
verso, birth notices of Arthur Cole (27 November 1519) and Ursula
Cole (10 March 1521). Seventeenth century owners: front flyleaves
iii and iv, "Joseph Sond"; front flyleaf vi, "Will Persall"; f. 1,
"George Culcheth his Booke 1666" and "1681 J. Bagnalls." Thorpe
catalogue (1836) lot 252; Sir Thomas Phillipps' name and the date
1858 on front flyleaf iii; his MS 8858. Acquired privately by Henry
E. Huntington through A. S. W. Rosenbach in 1923. Cataloging Notes:
Uniform Title: Chronicles of England.
Rights
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