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Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 171A

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Source
Parker Library On the Web (Cambridge)
Library
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Shelfmark
  • MS 171A
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1400 - 1499
Language
  • Latin
  • Middle English
Title
  • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 171A: Scotichronicon (Volume 1)
  • Chronologies. Lists of kings, popes and emperors
  • Scotichronicon (Volume 1) || Scotichronicon (the History of Fordun with the continuation of Walter Bower or Bowmakar, Abbot of Inchcolm, who died in 1449)
Description

  • Summary: CCCC MS 171, divided into two parts, A and B, since James' description in 1912, contains the Scotichronicon by Walter Bower (1385-1449), a history of the kingdom of Scotland beginning with its foundation on the arrival of Scota, daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh. This chronicle was a continuation and expansion of the Chronica gentis Scotorum by John Fordun (d. after 1363). The manuscript was written c. 1447-9 at the Augustinian abbey of Inchcolm in Fife and was amended under the direction of Bower himself, abbot of Inchcolm (d. 1449). It is considered to be one of the most important texts of late medieval Scottish historical writing in existence and was used as the basis for the nine-volume edition of the text published under the general editorship of D. E. R. Watt. There are a few coloured full and half-page drawings of major narrative events such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Coronation and funeral of Alexander III. It is not known how this manuscript came to be in Parker's collection.


    Contents :


    iv-xxv - Chronologies. Lists of kings, popes and emperors

    Note: The earlier leaves of the first quire are much mutilated

    Note: (ir) blank

    Note: (iv) Part of inner column left: rhyming lines

    incipit: (iv) amτm corporis ... / ... leuero maxi labo ... / ... ocie volensattemptar(e) / ... duum opus compilare / etc.

    Note: Ends

    explicit: (iv) deficiens vita sibi detur / ... queso quilibet ut sic sit precetur

    rubric: (iv) Sequitur liber qui dicitur Scoticronicon

    Note: (iv) Distich over coloured drawing of shield of France in lower margin

    incipit: (iv) Inclita progenies dono liliata supernoSub carolo tu clara vale, sis leta triumphis

    Note: (iv) In lower margin on L. of the shield is a fragment of a finely executed grisaille drawing, part of a figure of a scribe at a desk remains

    Note: (iir) Most of one column

    Note: (iir) Anno mo cc xcvito bellum de spot s ...

    incipit: (iir) Sunt tria que miserum fi ...

    Note: (iir) List of dates of battles

    Note: (iir) Prophecy in verse begins in larger script

    incipit: (iir) Albion in terris rex primus germine scotus. Jllorum ... Fergusius fuluo ferchard rugientes in arm ... etc.

    Note: (iiv) Genealogical table with shield of Scotland impaled with that of Edward Confessor

    Note: (iiir) Heading

    rubric: (iiir) lib(er)

    incipit: (iiir) Quoniam huius sequ... / quorum memorie labilitas ... / que inibi scripta sunt

    Note: (On the ages of the world)

    Note: Ends

    explicit: (iiir) In principio .s. erit corporum resu(rrectio)

    Note: 3v. sqq. in double columns

    Note: Verse chronicle continuing to 6r (Edward III)

    Note: (viv) Single lines

    Note: (viv) ... infrascripto Scoticronicon libro succinctius perstrinximus / ... verantur. Genealogiam regis nostri moderni Jacobi secundi

    Note: (viiv) Ends with descent of James II from Adam

    Note: (viiir) List of Popes from Peter to Eugenius IV. Nicholas V is perhaps original. Other hands continue to Julius II

    Note: (ixr) List of Emperors, with prose prologue, to Sigismund, continued by other hands to Maximilian

    Note: (xv) Provinciale, five columns to page

    Note: (xiiir) Tabula monasteriorum Scocie, 3 columns

    Note: Ends with houses of nuns

    Note: (xivr) List of vicecomitatus Scocie

    Note: 14v-20v blank

    Note: (xviir) A fragment

    Note: (xixr) A half leaf, on it is written (xv-xvi)

    Note: (xixr) I schreu hiȝ hert and al ye harnis in hiȝ heed / yt this lef outschar bot gif it be ane / of ye chanouns of the Inche of saint / Columbe

    Note: On verso

    Note: (xixv) I schreu hiȝ hert and al ye harnis in hiȝ heed / yt tuk out yis half lef gif it weȝ dun in / my keping qd gilbert ye hayes


    1r-150v - Scotichronicon (Volume 1) || Scotichronicon (the History of Fordun with the continuation of Walter Bower or Bowmakar, Abbot of Inchcolm, who died in 1449)

    incipit: (1r) Ne scribam vanum due pia uirgo manumdue manum rege cor uirgo maria precor

    rubric: (1r) Incipit liber I

    incipit: (1r) Debitor sum fateor non necessitate sed caritate compulsus. ... Reddere igitur necesse est quod promisi et ad satisfaci(endum) importunis generosae probitatis militis

    incipit: (1r) Domini Dauid Stewar(t) / de Rossiffe (Rossythe) peticionibus acquieui vidz. ad transcribendum sequens inclitum opus historicum per ven. oratorem d. Johannem ffordon. etc.

    Note: Ends

    explicit: (1r) inceptum per se deducere ad perfectum

    rubric: (1r) Explicit prologus

    rubric: (1r) Incipiunt capitula

    Note: (1v) Capitula (36 or 37)

    rubric: (1v) B. Compilatus incipit liber Scoticronicon. A. per sacre bone memorie Johannem de fforedon

    rubric: (1v) Vsque sextum codicem laus sua conualuit. Hinc ad finem operis alter onus subiit

    Note: (1v) Acrostic on Fordun's name. Incipiens opus etc., Skene I 3

    rubric: (2r) Prefatiuncula operis

    incipit: (2r) Sicut scribit Euodius ticinensis episcopus. Superflua scribere res iactancie est

    explicit: (2r) et quotquot tedio afifecti lectura eius leticie condonentur

    Note: (2r) Cap. I

    rubric: (2r) De mundo sensibili etc.

    Note: (Skene I 4)

    incipit: (2r) Ex variis quippe veterum

    Note: At top in large letters is

    rubric: (4r) Sancti columbe patet emonie liber iste

    Note: This is the name of the Abbey of Inchcolm, to which the Donibristle MS. also belonged, Skene I xvi

    Note: (14r) Liber II, capitula

    Note: (14v) On lower margin a finely stippled coloured drawing of a shipful of people, mostly armed men: over the principal figure is written gathelos, a woman Scota is in the stern, a sailor is hoisting the sail. Reproduced Nat. MSS. of Scotland II 83

    Note: (15r) Text

    Note: (39v) Liber III, capitula

    Note: (40v) blank

    Note: (41r) Text

    Note: (65v) Liber IV, capitula

    Note: (66v) Text

    Note: (87v) Liber V, capitula

    Note: (88v) Text

    Note: (88r) The lower half has a coloured drawing: de rege malcolmo kenremor et thano de fiffe. The king is seated, in red robe with vandyked sleeves. The thane, a larger figure in front on L. takes his hand. The scene is an interior

    Note: (109v) Liber VI, capitula

    Note: (111r) Text

    Note: On f. 110r is an addition

    Note: (110r) Anno domini mo co vii Eadgarus scotorum rex ... obiit

    Note: Followed by

    Note: (110r) Copia littere manumissionis populi anglorum facta per matildem

    Note: (117v) A break, at 1067, end of VI 23, and in large letters these lines (Skene I xiii)

    Note: (117v) Actenus actorem de fordon sume JohannemHinc opus auctoris et scriptoris superextatAbreuiatiue scriptor nonnulla prioriImmiscit parti protractu marginis apteIntitulata tamen. quos christus protegat amen

    Note: (118r) continues (De episcopis kilreymonth etc.)

    Note: (126v) blank

    Note: (130v) Liber VII, capitula

    Note: (131v) Text

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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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