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Alternative title

Chronique de Reims

Type of resource

mixed material

Extent

ff. 3 + 116

Date created

[ca. 1275-1299]

Language

French, Old (ca. 842-1400), Latin

Material

Vellum

Layout

24 lines to a page

Height (mm)

199

Width (mm)

141

Collation

a(4) (wants 4) 1(8)-13(8) 14(12).

Writing

in a good clear hand

Foliation

ff. a-d + i-iii + 1-116 + e-h

Research

The MS. is mentioned in Archives de l'orient Latin I 255.

Additions

The first 3 leaves are written by Skelton in a large Gothic hand. f. ir pasted over. On f. iv: Quamuis annosa est apice et sulcata vetusto Pagina trita tamen fremit horrida prelia Martis Digna legi. Skelton Loyall.

On f. iir: Bien men souien.

On ff. iiv-iiiv, verses: I liber, et propera, regem tu pronus adora; Me sibi commendes humilem Skeltonida vatem: Ante suam majestatem (per cetera passim) Inclita bella refer, gessit que maximus heros Anglorum, primus nostra de gente Ricardus, Hector ut intrepidus, contra validissima castra Gentis Agarrene; memora quos ille labores, Quos tulit angores, qualesque recepit honores. Sed, Cronica Francorum validis inimica Britannis Saepe solent celebres Britonum compescere laudes. Followed by the title: Policronitudo Basileos.

Margin (f. 3v): patet infra a candido ad nigram.

2 fo.

mon seignour

Summary

CCCC MS 432 contains a late thirteenth-century copy of the Chronique de Reims (or Rains) a history of the third crusade written in French. This copy, whose illustrations have suffered a great deal of damage, bears a versified inscription by John Skelton (d. 1529), written on the occasion of the manuscript's presentation to Henry VIII, Skelton's pupil. Presumably it came into Parker's possession as a result of his contact either with the Henrician or Elizabethan court, but the manuscript's exact route from the royal collection into Parker's is unknown. The book contains eleven illuminated miniatures and two historiated initials, all much damaged.

Contents

Chronique de Reims

M.R. James Date

xiii late

Downloadable James Catalogue Record

https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:hf729vj6766/MS_432.pdf

Superseded Interim Catalogue Record

https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:fg573pt6483/432.pdf

Contains

• Chronique de Reims. 1r-116v

  Nasmith

  Polichronitudo basileos sive historia belli quod Ricardus I. gessit contra Sarracenos. 1r-116v

  James

  Chronique de Reims. 1r-116v

  Note

  f. 1r has a picture at top, and historiated initial, both on gold ground and much worn. The picture shows a city (?) on R. and perhaps a figure by it, then to L. a king pointing three followers to the city. In the initial is a single figure
  Text

  Incipit

  (1r) Des puis cele heure qe godefroiz de buillon et la royne de france orent conquise antioiche et iherusalem

  Note

  On f. 6r a picture. City or church on L.: three men: king on R. Single figure in initial. Rough work: gold ground
  There are various marginalia in Latin verse by Skelton
  On f. 24v picture: king seated on L. holding a paper (?). Before him a man. Another on R. holds book or charter. Figure in initial
  On f. 32r a battle scene
  On f. 39v another battle scene
  On f. 51v a horse about to have its R. forefoot cut off with an axe. A man in bed on R. Saladin, ill, had demanded the foot of the best horse of the Master of the Hospitallers, and his request was granted
  On f. 67r the king throned on L. Before him the Counts Gautier de S. Pol and Renaud de Boulogne struggle. Three other men
  On f. 83v Louis (kneeling) crowned by a mitred (archbishop) in short robe. Two men on L. The queen and another woman on R. Kneeling king in initial
  On f. 91r two shipfuls of men: a king in each. Figures and deer in border
  On f. 99r (much defaced). A wolf (R.) and goat (L.) on hindlegs conversing. Two kids (?) on L. Illustrates a fable told in the text. Angel in border
  On f. 114r the queen (?) seated on R. The Archbishop of Rheims gives her a letter and a fleur-de-lys. Two men on L. Initial. Kneeling king and head of God above. The text relates to a dispute as to jurisdiction of Rheims. In border a figure with inscribed scroll: Li arceuesques respondi et dist oyl. Lors. (l. 1 of text of 114r.) Also kneeling woman with book inscribed: domine in te (?)
  Text ends

  Explicit

  (116r) et li arceuesques len mercia. et li fist liurer quanque mestier fu. et sen ala a rome et demoura grant piece

  Note

  f. 116v pasted over
  See Hardy II 489, Hist. Litt. XXI 711
  The text is known as the Chronique de Rains (Reims). Edited in 1837 by Louis Paris

TJames

80

Stanley

G. 9

Repository

UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library

Location

MS 432

Use and reproduction:

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License:

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