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Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 26

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Source
Parker Library On the Web (Cambridge)
Library
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Shelfmark
  • MS 026
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1200 - 1299
Language
  • Latin
  • Middle French
Title
  • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 026: Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora I
  • Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora I (preliminary matter)
  • Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora I
Agent
Description

  • Summary: Matthew Paris OSB (c. 1200-59), a Benedictine monk of St Albans Abbey, was their official chronicler who wrote chronicles covering both world history and British history. These two volumes are of his most important work, the Chronica maiora, covering world history, but with a particular emphasis on that of Britain - vol I is CCCC MS 26 and vol II is CCCC MS 16, their production dating to the period c. 1240-55. Matthew was also a talented artist who was both scribe and illustrator of his own chronicles. These volumes have coloured marginal drawings, and also signs and heraldic shields in the borders signifying the persons and incidents in their lives, and also signifying their deaths, set beside the text passages mentioning these events. Recently, in 2003, the prefatory section to MS 16 (ff. i recto - v verso), containing lists and genealogies of kings, a diagram of the winds, itineraries, maps, and the picture of the elephant given by Louis IX to Henry III, has been bound separately as MS 16I. The part containing the chronicle text itself, ff. 1v-282r, has been rebound as MS 16II.


    Contents :


    ir-viv - Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora I (preliminary matter)

    Note: The preliminary matter consists of

    Note: a. Itinerary from London to Jerusalem with a description in French, similar to one in the Royal MS. 14, C. vii but containing some interesting variations. It occupies seven pages. The portion from London to Dover is engraved by Gough Brit. Topogr. pl. VII, fig. 2. The text is printed by the Société de l'Orient Latin, Itinéraires Français, p. 125

    Note: (ivv) b. A brief genealogical chronicle Cronica sub conpendio abreuiata a fratre M. Parisiensi

    incipit: (ivv) Considerans prolixitatem Cronicorum Anglie

    Note: It runs from Alfred to Edward the Elder: then a leaf has been cut out. This took place at an early period, for a copy of it of cent. xiii late in Tiberius E. vi (f. 5) terminates in the same manner. At the end of the volume on p. 285 it is resumed and continued to Henry II

    Note: (vr) c. Circular Paschal table

    Note: (vv) d. Table of Concurrentes etc. from 1116 to 1620: a similar one is in Royal 14, C. vii

    Note: Diagram of the winds with verses. Sunt subsolano socii

    Note: Attributed to M. Paris in Nero D. I, f. 184v

    Note: (vir) e. Kalendar. See below

    Note: The following are my own notes on illustrations, etc.

    Note: (ir) The itinerary from London to the Holy Land, ff. ir-ivr, is illustrated with conventional cities, and with ships and figures of men every now and then

    Note: On f. ivv Genealogy: circular diagram with bust of Alfred in C.

    Note: On f. vr the circular Paschal table is made to revolve: head of metal pin in C. Spandrels of beautiful ornament

    Note: Another table or diagram formerly stuck to the lower part of the page is gone

    Note: On f. vv Table of Concurrentes. Diagram of winds etc. (French and English names).

    Note: On f. vir Kalendar, six months on page

    Note: January 3. Genouefe red 4. Oct. dedicac. 5. Dep. S. Aedwardi red. De S. Aedwardo comm. 7. Dep. S. Aedwardi reg. et c. hic fiet festum red 19. Dep. S. Wlstani red 27. Festum Reliquiarum in eccl. S. Albani blue

    Note: February 28. Osuualdi archiep.

    Note: March 2. Ceadde ep. C. 10. Inuencio S. Oswini Reg. M. red 25. Ermelandi

    Note: April 11. Guthlaci C. Added, Ob. Michael de mentemor. Abb. (1349, date in lower margin) 19. Aelphegi archiep. M. red 24. Inuencio S. Yuonis Ep. 30. Erkenuualdi Ep. red

    Note: May 7. Johannis Archiep.

    Note: June 7. Transl. S. Wlstani Ep. red 14. Basilii Archiep. red 17. Botulfi Abb. red 21. Leofredi Abb. (black). De S. Albano iii lect. red 22. Passio S. Albani Anglorum prothomartiris blue 23. Aetheldrede V. 25. Inuencio S. Amphibali sociorumque eius blue, with octave

    Note: July 2. Swithin red

    Note: August 2. Inuencio S. Albani blue and red, with octave 5. Oswaldi red 20. Oswini reg. m. red, with octave

    Note: September 4. Transl. S. Cuthberti red 17. Lamberti red

    Note: October 13. Transl. S. Ae(d)wardi Reg. C. green 17. Transl. S. Etheldride V.

    Note: November 17. Hugonis Ep. C. red 20. Aedmundi Reg. M. blue.

    Note: December 3. Birini


    1r-ixv - Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora I

    Note: Illustrations

    Note: (4r) Brutus worshipping Diana, who has deer's horns and winged feet

    Note: (6r) Lear and his three daughters: Cordeilla has scroll, tant as tant vauz tant te pris pere

    Note: (12v) Alexander sits holding globe: feet on lion and dragon

    Note: (14v) Cassibelanus? seated king

    Note: (15v) The Virgin reclining: child in manger: ox and ass: curtain on rod

    Note: (16v) The three kings on camels gallop to R.

    Note: (18r) Crucifixion with Virgin and St John: four nails

    Note: (18v) A man stones Stephen kneeling

    Note: (20r) A small figure of the Virgin

    Note: (33v) Merlin half-length only partly inked in: below two dragons and boar, in pencil

    Note: (44r) Machometus: below his feet a red pig sus: he holds two scrolls. Poligamus esto. Scriptum est enim Crescite et multiplicamini. Presentes delicias pro futuris non spernite

    Note: (53r) Bust: Offa in cowl, crown falls off showing tonsure: another of a woman in cowl and crown

    Note: (58v) Alban beheaded. Executioner catches his (own) falling eyes in L. hand

    Note: (59r) Offa directs two men, who dig up Alban's coffin

    Note: (65r) Alfred half-length in medallion with scroll, Primus in anglia regnam solus

    Note: (80v) Single combat on horseback between Aedmundus ferreum latus and Cnuto rex Dacie. Angli and Daci in two towers R. and L.

    Note: (83r) Mimekan nanus cuts off legs of Rodogan gigas (lightly inked in)

    Note: (86v) Shield and crown of Harold (az. lion rampant or)

    Note: (87v) The same reversed. Shield of William (gu. 3 leopards or)

    Note: (90v) William's shield and crown reversed. William II's shield and crown (the same)

    Note: (99r) Crosier (of Abbot Richard of St Albans)

    Note: (106r) Hand holding taper (opposite description of the Holy places: and account of William's court in Westminster Hall)

    Note: (106v) Shield and crown of William II reversed: bow and arrow below. Shield of Henry I

    Note: (109v) Crosier and cross reversed (death of Anselm)

    Note: (110v) Two Templars on one horse

    Note: (110v) Hospital founded by Matilda in London

    Note: (111v) Men fall out of ship (wreck of the White Ship)

    Note: (112r) Bust of Alexander of Scotland?

    Note: (113r) Shield and crown of Henry I reversed. Shield of Stephen

    Note: (117v) Bust of David of Scotland

    Note: (119v) Shield of Stephen reversed. Shield of Henry II

    Note: (127v) Baptism of the Soldan of Yconium by the patriarch of Antioch: in a tub. A cleric holds box of chrism

    Note: (131r) Shield of the young king Henry, party per pale gu. and sable to denote death. The crown above, not upright

    Note: (132r) Murder of Becket: the four knights; Grim with cross interposing. Becket falls away from altar on R.

    Note: (133r) Falling walls (Leicester)

    Note: (134r) Bust of William of Scotland, crown falling off. Bust of a Scotchman with axe, weeping

    Note: (135v) Robert Mercer of St Albans, and two men digging up S. Amphibalus

    Note: (137v) Crown and shield of Philip of France (az. six fleurs-de-lys or 3, 2, 1). Reversed crown of Louis

    Note: (138r) Crowned mitre of Prester John

    Note: (138v) Crown and shield (half black) of the young Henry, reversed

    Note: (140r) Battle. Salaadinus and Guido rex struggling for Crux Sancta

    Note: (viir) After the text, a full page with three splendid coloured drawings. Busts of crowned Virgin, and Child with cross-nimbus: border of clouds below

    Note: (viir) Below this on L. Head of the dying Christ. On R. Head of Christ full-face with jewelled collar of tunic

    Note: (viiv) Mappa mundi on verso, Gough Brit. Topogr. I 66, 86. The map in Nero D. v was copied from this. Genealogy of kings, one leaf

    Note: (ixr) On the last flyleaf are notes, viz.

    Note: (ixr) Title. Cronica ab origine mundi usque ad a. d. millesimum ... simum videlicet usque ad mortem henrici (II) Regis anglie

    Note: (ixr) iiii marce auri dedit ... de ... pro pacevii marce dabantur comiti legr S. pro carta quam habuit a rege de custodia Wascon

    Note: (ixr) S. Patrick prophesies greatness of the unborn S. David

    Note: (ixr) Circa carleolum patria est dicta aluedele.Hic. uersus austrum cocormue villa. patria. complem.Aqua dorecte et currit (?) per cocormue

    Note: (ixr) Edwarde Aglionby of Balsall Temple (xvi)

    Note: (ixr) IhesusmariaJohnes (xv)

    Note: (ixr) Note on dispersion of Apostles and division of the world

    Note: (ixr) List of Saxon kings, Egbert to Ethelred

    Note: Verso, covered with paper, apparently blank

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  • Images courtesy of The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For higher resolution images suitable for scholarly or commercial publication, either in print or in an electronic format, please contact the Parker Library directly at parker-library@corpus.cam.ac.uk
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