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Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 139

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Parker Library On the Web (Cambridge)
Library
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Shelfmark
  • MS 139
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1100 - 1199
Language
  • Latin
Title
    • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 139: Simeon of Durham OSB, Historia regum. Richard of Hexham OSA, De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii. John of Hexham OSA, Nennius
    • Regino of Prüm, Chronicon || Cronica abbatis Prumiensis monasterii a Christo nato ad annum 1002
    • Richard of Hexham OSA, De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii || Historia piae memoriae Ricardi prioris Hagustaldensis ecclesiae de gestis regis Stephani et de bello Standardii
    • Simeon of Durham OSB, Epistola ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboracensium || Epistola Simeonis monachi ecclesiae S. Cuthberti Dunelmi ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboraci
    • Simeon of Durham OSB (attrib.), De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Ucthredi comitis et de comitibus qui ei succeserunt || De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Uithredi comitis
    • Simeon of Durham OSB, Historia regum || Historia sanctae et suavis memoriae Symeonis monachi et precentoris ecclesiae sancti Cuthberti Dunelmi de regibus Anglorum et Dacorum et creberrimis bellis et rapinis et incendiis eorum post obitum venerabilis Bedae presbiteri fere usque ad obitum Henrici filii Willelmi nothi
    • John of Hexham OSA, Continuation of Simeon of Durham OSB's Historia regum || Historia Ioannis prioris Hagustaldensis ecclesiae XXV annorum
    • Serlo of Fountains OCist, Descriptio de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae || Descriptio Serlonis monachi fratris Radulphi abbatis de Parcho de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae
    • William of Glasgow, Carmen de morte Sumerledi
    • Aelred of Rievaulx OCist, Relatio de standardo || Descriptio venerabilis viri Aetheldredi abbatis Rievallis de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae apud Standardum juxta Alvertoniam
    • Aelred of Rievaulx OCist, Miraculum de quadam sanctimonali de Watton || Quoddam miraculum mirabile descriptum a viro venerabili Aethelredo abbate Rievall. de quadam sanctimoniali femina de Wattun
    • Stephen of Whitby OSB, Historia fundationis abbatiae Sanctae Mariae Eboracensis || Quo modo et a quibus cenobium Sanctae Mariae Eboraci fundatum sit, et quantas invidorum perturbationes impulsum sustinuerat, sed Dei protegente gratia magis ac magis auctum et multiplicatum fuerat; autore Stephano ejusdem cenobii abbate
    • Thurstan archbishop of York, Epistola de egressu monachorum Fontanensium || Epistola Thurstini archiepiscopi Eboraci ad Wilhelmum archiepiscopum Cantuariae de cenobio Sanctae Mariae Eboraci et observantia regulae Sancti Benedicti in eo
    • William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || De vita et conversatione Gereberti papae
    • William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || Visio Karoli imperatoris
    • William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || Visio S. Maurilii
    • William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || De annulo statuae commendato
    • Geffrei Gaimar, Estoire des Engleis (excerpt) || Narratio de uxore Ernulfi ab Aella rege Deirorum violata
    • Visio cuiusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi || Visio cujusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi
    • Nennius (attrib.), Historia Brittonum || Eulogium brevissimum Britanniae insulae quod Ninnius Elvodugi discipulus congregavit
    • Caradog of Llancarfan, Vita Sancti Gildae || Res gestae a Nennio sapiente compositae, Vita sanctissimi atque doctissimi viri Gildas autore Caradoco Nancarbanensi
    • see more
Agent
Description

  • Summary: CCCC MS 139 is one of the most important post-Conquest chronicle manuscripts in the Parker Library. It contains a unique version of the Historia regum by Simeon of Durham OSB (fl. c. 1090-c. 1128) and its Continuation by John of Hexham OSA (d. before 1209), together with a number of other important texts relevant to the history of Durham, northern England and Scotland. Its production has variously been ascribed to the religious houses of Fountains, Hexham, Sawley and Durham, though by the sixteenth century it was almost certainly at Westminster Abbey, where it was seen by the historian John Bale (1495-1563).


    Contents :


    17r-35v - Regino of Prüm, Chronicon || Cronica abbatis Prumiensis monasterii a Christo nato ad annum 1002

    rubric: (17r) Incipit cronica abbatis prumiensis monasterii ubi lotharius imperator ad conuersionem uenit

    incipit: (17r) Anno imperii Octouiani cesaris xl. ii. iesus Christus filius dei natus est

    Note: Here begins a hand which has written the bulk of the volume

    Note: (29r) Liber II

    explicit: (35v) ex quo uulnere eadem nocte extinguitur

    rubric: (35v) Explicit cronica abatis prumiensis ecclesiae

    Note: Regino of Prum. MGH. Scriptores I 537. This MS. was not seen by the editors. It ends in 1002 (p. 609 MGH)


    36r-46r - Richard of Hexham OSA, De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii || Historia piae memoriae Ricardi prioris Hagustaldensis ecclesiae de gestis regis Stephani et de bello Standardii

    Note: Originally began on the same page (f. 35v) but a little more than half a column has been erased. The two next leaves were cut out and replaced by a sheet (still cent. xii) in at least three hands

    rubric: (36r) Incipit historia pie memorie prioris Ricardi Haugustaldensis ecclesiae De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii

    incipit: (36r) Anno uerbi incarnati m.c.xxxv

    Note: Last printed in Chronicles of Stephen, Henry II, Richard I (Rolls) by R. Howlett: III p. lvi: 137. This is the only copy

    Note: Ends

    explicit: (46r) defuncti sunt

    rubric: (46r) Explicit bellum standardii


    48v-90r - Simeon of Durham OSB, Epistola ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboracensium || Epistola Simeonis monachi ecclesiae S. Cuthberti Dunelmi ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboraci

    Note: (48v) Ed. Raine, Historians of the Church of York (Rolls) II xvii 252, principally from another MS. Twysden Scriptores, col. 75, gives our text


    50r-51v - Simeon of Durham OSB (attrib.), De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Ucthredi comitis et de comitibus qui ei succeserunt || De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Uithredi comitis

    Note: (50r) Arnold: Symeon of Durham (Rolls) I 315, Twysden, col. 79

    Note: Ends f. 51v


    52r-129v - Simeon of Durham OSB, Historia regum || Historia sanctae et suavis memoriae Symeonis monachi et precentoris ecclesiae sancti Cuthberti Dunelmi de regibus Anglorum et Dacorum et creberrimis bellis et rapinis et incendiis eorum post obitum venerabilis Bedae presbiteri fere usque ad obitum Henrici filii Willelmi nothi

    Note: The title (Incipit historia sancte et suauis etc.) is written on f. 51v at the bottom of col. 2. But f. 52r sqq. are in a different hand, with rubric in large letters at top

    rubric: (52r) Incipit passio sanctorum Ethelberti atque Ethelredi regie stirpis puerorum

    Note: After four leaves the hand settles down into one like that of no. 1 which continues to f. 76r

    Note: f. 59v, recto blank, is an insertion of cent. xvi with the Prologus Rogeri de Houedon in historiam suam (which imitates the lost prologue of Symeon)

    Note: At the top of f. 60r is a xvith cent. note

    Note: Historia Simeonis Dunelm. monachi. sed desunt folia nonnulla. debuerat posuisse immediate post titulum operis ante passionem Ethelberti et Ethelredi

    Note: This is the only copy of the Historia Regum of Symeon: last printed by Arnold, Symeon of Durham II (Rolls: for his account of the MS. see p. x, etc.). Parts of the text occur in a xiith cent. MS. formerly Ashburnham, Appendix, no. 112 now Bibl. Nat. Nouv. acq. Lat. 692. A transcript of the C. C. C. MS. is in MS 100. 1

    Note: There are marginalia in various hands, notably one very tall one

    Note: There seems to be a change of hand at f. 76r (Arnold, p. 95), Sequitur recapitulatio

    Note: The hand which follows, on f. 77r, begins with a large red and green initial. It goes on for a long time


    129v-132v - John of Hexham OSA, Continuation of Simeon of Durham OSB's Historia regum || Historia Ioannis prioris Hagustaldensis ecclesiae XXV annorum

    Note: (129v) Printed by Arnold, Symeon of Durham II 284

    Note: On 134r is a rude late (?) sketch of a comet

    Note: On 134v intervene, in the text of John of Hexham, between pp. 296 and 297 of Arnold's ed., nos. 9 (Carmen Serlonis), 9a (Carmen de morte Sumerledi), 10 (Ailred, Relatio de standardo)

    Note: Another copy of 8 is in Bibliothèque Nationale Nouv. acq. Lat. 692 (see above on 7)


    132v-133r - Serlo of Fountains OCist, Descriptio de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae || Descriptio Serlonis monachi fratris Radulphi abbatis de Parcho de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae

    Note: (132v) Carmen Serlonis. Twysden, col. 331. Raine, Lawrence of Durham, p. 74


    133r-133v - William of Glasgow, Carmen de morte Sumerledi

    Note: (133r) Carmen de morte Sumerledi. Arnold, l. c. II 385. Skene, Fordun I, Appendix V Raine, l. c. p. 78


    134r-138r - Aelred of Rievaulx OCist, Relatio de standardo || Descriptio venerabilis viri Aetheldredi abbatis Rievallis de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae apud Standardum juxta Alvertoniam

    Note: Aethelred de bello Standardi, Chronicles of Stephen etc. II, see p. lviii. Skene, Fordun I, Appendix IV 136

    Note: Begins with a large red and green initial. On ff. 136v, 137r are two marginal drawings of the Standard: the first is late (cent. xvi?), the other original. These or similar ones have been often reproduced

    Note: On f. 140r the text of item 8 is resumed. Arnold p. 297

    rubric: (138r) Explicit descriptio Aethelredi abbatis

    rubric: (138r) Incipit descriptio predicti prioris haugustaldensis ecclesie

    Note: Ends f. 149r


    147r-149v - Aelred of Rievaulx OCist, Miraculum de quadam sanctimonali de Watton || Quoddam miraculum mirabile descriptum a viro venerabili Aethelredo abbate Rievall. de quadam sanctimoniali femina de Wattun

    Note: Printed in Twysden, col. 415. Migne P. L. CXCV 789

    Note: (149v) At end a xvith cent. note referring to the Life of St Elizabeth in MS 138 item 10


    150r-152v - Stephen of Whitby OSB, Historia fundationis abbatiae Sanctae Mariae Eboracensis || Quo modo et a quibus cenobium Sanctae Mariae Eboraci fundatum sit, et quantas invidorum perturbationes impulsum sustinuerat, sed Dei protegente gratia magis ac magis auctum et multiplicatum fuerat; autore Stephano ejusdem cenobii abbate

    Note: Printed in Monasticon III 544

    Note: (150r) Begins with a green initial. These three leaves are in a fresh hand, upright and regular


    153r-158r - Thurstan archbishop of York, Epistola de egressu monachorum Fontanensium || Epistola Thurstini archiepiscopi Eboraci ad Wilhelmum archiepiscopum Cantuariae de cenobio Sanctae Mariae Eboraci et observantia regulae Sancti Benedicti in eo

    Note: (153r) See Memorials of the Abbey of St Mary of Fountains, ed. Walbran, Surtees Society 1863

    Note: The script is probably the same as that of item 11 etc.


    158r-160r - William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || De vita et conversatione Gereberti papae

    Note: (158r) From William of Malmesbury Gesta Regum I 193-201 fallere


    160r-161v - William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || Visio Karoli imperatoris

    Note: (160r) ibid. I 112


    161r-161r - William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || Visio S. Maurilii

    Note: (161r) ibid. II 327


    161r-161v - William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) || De annulo statuae commendato

    Note: (161r) ibid. I 256


    162r-165r - Geffrei Gaimar, Estoire des Engleis (excerpt) || Narratio de uxore Ernulfi ab Aella rege Deirorum violata

    Note: Printed in Gaimar (Rolls) I 328; also in the Notes to Gaimar, Monumenta I 795 and in Wright's Caxton Society edition

    Note: On a fresh quire and in a large regular hand


    165v-165v - Visio cuiusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi || Visio cujusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi

    rubric: (165v) Visio Malcolmi cui ad singula interrogata super statu suo in hunc sensum respondit

    incipit: (165v) Cur sic care taces. pro me loquitur me(a) uita

    Note: 14 lines ending

    Note: (165v) quidque tuis mandans perpetuo ualeant

    incipit: (165v) Rex uero Malcolmus summe ingenuitatis titulus ueluti surculus ex dulcissima abscisus arbore

    explicit: (165v) lucidissima in celestes thesauros intulerunt mella

    Note: Skene, Fordun I, Appendix VI, from a copy furnished by Mr Henry Bradshaw: Raine, l. c. p. 81


    166r-176v - Nennius (attrib.), Historia Brittonum || Eulogium brevissimum Britanniae insulae quod Ninnius Elvodugi discipulus congregavit

    Note: A new volume, double columns of 35 lines, hand very slightly sloping, plain red initials

    Note: The first leaf was originally blank

    Note: On the recto is a paragraph in a small hand of cent. xiii early, not beginning at the top of the page

    Note: (166r) Gualenses nichilominus insistebant ius suum sibi concedi postulantes

    Note: Quid enim inquiunt o rex formidas et tunicas illas ferreas quas eminus cernis nimium expauescis. Nobis certe sunt latera ferrea pectus ereum mens timoris uacua quorum nec pedes fugam nec unquam uulnus terga sensere. quid gallis apud cliderhou profuere lorice. Numquid non inermes isti ut dicunt illos et loricas proicere et negligere et scuta relinquere coegerunt. Uideat igitur o rex prudentia uestra quale sit in his habere fiduciam que in necessitate magis sunt oneri quam consolationi. Nos apud cliderhou de loricatis uictoriam reportauimus. Nos hodie et istos anime uirtute pro scuto utentes lanceis prosternemus. Hoc bellum factum est inter anglos et pictos et scottos apud cliderhou feria vi die vii [xii?] ante natiuitate sancti Johannis Baptistae anno predicto id est m. c. xxx viio

    Note: Bellum apud Cliderhou ubi multi nobiles et ignobiles perierunt

    Note: This is a quotation from Aelred de Bello Standardi (Chronicles of Stephen etc. II, p. 190)

    Note: On f. 168v are various items enumerated by Mommsen in his prolegomena to Nennius, Mon. Germ. Hist. XIII 1 (Chronica Minora III 1), p. 125

    Note: On the margin

    Note: (166v) Incipit apologia. Nemnii britonum historiografi

    Note: and

    Note: (166v) Incipit hystori[c]a ortografia mundi

    Note: (not as Mommsen)

    Note: Col. 1.

    rubric: (166v) Incipit eulogium breuissimum brittannie insule. quod Ninnius eluodugi discipulus congregauit

    incipit: (166v) Ego Ninnius eluodugi

    explicit: (166v) Cedo illi qui plus nouerit in ista pericia satis quam ego

    rubric: (166v) Explicit eulogium

    rubric: (166v) Item eiusdem quod scribi debet in fine libri

    rubric: (166v) De malis et peruersis naturis gen-ti-um

    Note: (Chronica Minora II 389)

    Note: Inuidia iudeorum

    Note: This is written in two columns, with additions by the large hand which annotates the MS. throughout and also by a neater and smaller hand

    Note: The original hand goes down to

    Note: Ira brittonum

    Note: then

    Note: De bonis naturis gentium

    Note: Prudencia hebreorum to Argutia hispanorum

    Note: The large hand adds to col. 1

    Note: Libido sueuorum

    Note: Duricia (uel superbia above) pictauorum The original hand already had Duricia pictorum

    Note: It adds to col. 2

    Note: A line erased

    Note: Communio normannorum

    Note: Grecus irascitur ante causam

    Note: Francus in causa

    Note: Romanus propter causam

    Note: Francus fortis

    Note: Romanus grauis

    Note: Affer semper uersipellis

    Note: The second (smaller) hand adds to the Vices

    Note: Spurcicia sclauorum

    Note: Rapacitas normannorum

    Note: Normanni nimis sunt animosi

    Note: The large hand adds to the Virtues

    Note: Sollercia egiptiorum

    Note: Col. 2. At top, three lines erased, perhaps written by the large hand

    Note: Despicientes deum viiio ab (hole in vellum) bates fuerunt

    Note: Riccardus prior primus abbas de fontibus [1132]

    Note: Riccardus sacrista se(cundus) abbas de fontibus [1139]

    Note: Lower down are the additions to the list of Virtues and Vices

    Note: Then in the original hand the two poems Adiutor benignus, and Fornifer

    rubric: (167r) Sancti spiritus assit nobis gratia. Incipit Res gesta a Nennio sapiente composita

    Note: With marginal and interlinear additions in several hands including the large hand and the hand of f. 168v

    Note: Ends

    explicit: (176v) finibus cosmi

    Note: (Mommsen, p. 218): the section ending thus is placed by several other MSS. as well as this after that ending Luchechach (Mommsen, p. 219) which forms the end of M.'s text


    176v-179r - Caradog of Llancarfan, Vita Sancti Gildae || Res gestae a Nennio sapiente compositae, Vita sanctissimi atque doctissimi viri Gildas autore Caradoco Nancarbanensi

    Note: (176v) Vita Gildae

    Note: Mommsen, p. 107

    Note: Capitula and rubric in the hand of f. 168v

    Note: Ends 181r

    Note: In another rough hand follow

    Note: (a) Col. 1. The poem Fornifer

    Note: (b) Col. 2. On the translation of St Benedict to Fleury

    incipit: (179v) Circa hec tempora cum in castro cassino

    Note: (c) (De naturis gentium)

    incipit: (179v) Inuidia iudeorum

    explicit: (179v) Duritia uel superbia pictauorum

    Note: This is copied in a confused order

    Note: In the lower margin the name Aelsi

    Note: On the verso and last leaf are many xvth cent. scribbles and a few earlier

    Note: On the Kings of England

    Note: On the same, in verse: Dux Normannorum Willelmus vi validorum (to Edward III)

    Note: Willelmus rufus. versus

    Note: Visibus humanis aulas ornatas inanisfecit fundare propter sua festa parareaulam maiorem construxit Londoniarumorbis terrarum non optinet utilioremIudicibus legis ac ad conuiuia regisregnum regnorum flos est domus illa domorum

    Note: (Referring to Westminster Hall)

    Note: Further notes on English Kings

    Note: Drawings of two bearded men: one labelled Tome T.. ywalle

    Note: A badly written name Arthur Harvy(?)

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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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