Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 016I: Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora II

purl.stanford.edu/rb378fk5493

Title:

Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 016I: Matthew Paris OSB, Chronica maiora II

Alternate Title:

Matthaei Paris Chronica Maiora II

Language:

Latin and French, Middle (ca. 1400-1600)

Extent:

ff. 5 + 281

Dimensions:

358 Height (mm) and 244 Width (mm)

Approximate Date:

[ca. 1200 - 1299]

Provenance:

This volume appears to have been in the hands of Robert Talbot prebendary of Norwich (1547-1558) who has written a note on f. 245r. It afterwards belonged to Sir Henry Sidney, K.G., from whom Parker borrowed it.

Table of contents:

Chronica maiora II (preliminary matter)

Description:

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.