The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

Shelfmark R.5.32
Manuscript Title Brut Chronicle; Robert of Avesbury, Chronicle of Edward III
Alternative Title Brute. Robert of Avesbury.
James Number 723
Century 15th
Physical Description 41 lines to a page. Well written, with red and blue initials.
Provenance Given by Whitgift.
Donor Whitgift, John (1530/31?–1604), Archbishop of Canterbury, Master of Trinity
Folio 105 ff.
Material Parchment
Collation 18-138 (leaves gone here) 14? (1 left).
IIIF Manifest URL https://mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/R.5.32/manifest.json

Contents


1. f.1 The French Brute Chronicle
Cy poet homme sauoir quant et de quele gent graunt geauntz vindrent qi Engleterre primes tiendrent.
About f.40 there are several notes on the margins in French in a late hand cut by the binder.
Ends f.59:
Ceste desconfiture feust le meskerdy proschein deuant la feste de seint laurence.
2. f.59 Robert of Avesbury's Chronicle of Edward III
ed. for the Rolls Series by Sir Edward Maunde Thompson from the three extant MSS., Harley 200, Douce 128, and this.
Mirabilia gesta magnifici Regis Anglie domini Edwardi tercij post conquestum procerumque suorum tactis primitus quibusdam gestis de tempore patris sui dom. Edwardi secundi que in Regnis anglie Scocie et ffrancie ac in aquitannia et Britannia non humana sed dei potencia contigerunt per Robertum de Auesbury Curie Cantuar. Registri custodem compilata Anglorum memorie merito commendanda legi poterunt in hec verba.
Propter euidenciam de excellentissimo principe.
The last rubric is:
De transitu nobilis ducis lancastrie per medium normannorum ad remouendum obsidiones castrorum de Pountodemer (Pontaudemer) et Bricoil (Breteuil) Regis Nauarrie.
Text in French.
Two paragraphs in Latin follow f.103b relating to 1356.
Ending, et fabe incipiebant crescere et fuerunt satis alta et spissa et tamen edgrowe.
Then follow the names of those slain or captured at the battle of Poitiers and the other engagements about that time.
A paragraph in French
Sachons qen tribulacioun ne trouerons poynt damierte etc.
Proverbial sayings
Latens odium. Consilium Juvenum. Proprium lucrum. destruit Regnum.
Versus de regimine regis
O Rex si Rex es rege te vel eris sine re Rex
Et sine re regis te nisi rite regis,
Si Rex es regeris vel Rex non esse vereris
non satis est Regi quod regat absque regi.
In quatuor modis mulier prefertur homini, etc.
De prima pestilencia versus.
Mors prima communis m. c. ter. l. minus vno.
de IIda
S. mors m. ter. c. l. x. simul. l. nota per se
hoc anno maure tis luce fit impetus aure.
De IIIa.
Ter mors m. ter. c. decies sex ter tris habeto
Inter paruorum que boum fit pestis equorum
Et messis cara guerre pluuie uis amara
Sic bis in . x . nata contraunt hec tria fata.
De IIIIa morte.
De quarta quisque caueat quod sit bonus iste
Quis puer aut pater aut attauus aut quoque mater
Talia fers unquam vel tot respondeo nunquam.
De Ciuitate Romana versus.
Seruierant tibi Roma prius domini dominorum.
Serui seruorum nunc tibi sunt domini.
De Episcopis.
Pontifices primi do das dedi statuere.
4 lines.
Versus de papa Benedicto ximo qui fuit frater et sedit in apostolatu non plene per vnum annum sed absit quod diucius sedisset.
A re nomen habe benedic benefac benedicte
Aut rem peruerte maledic malefac maledicte.
Versus de fortuna.
O fortuna leuis cui vis das munera que uis.
4 lines.
Si canis applaudat, meretrix hilarem tibi vultum.
4 lines.
Gloria nulla tibi si te vagus histrio laudet
Nec dolor incutitur si lingua carpit iniqua.
Added later
De ciuitate london.
Turris campana pons flumen nemina lana.
Some leaves (probably two) are gone here, their contents probably corresponded to those of the last leaves of Harley 200, as enumerated by Sir E. M. Thompson.
On f.105a in a series of medallions is the descent of Edward III. from St Louis, and the other descendants of the same.
On f.105b Etates patrum antiquorum, a statement of the length of lives from Adam to Moses, and of the years from Adam to Christ.
All the above verses etc. and others lost here occur in the Harley MS. 200 which according to Sir E. Maunde Thompson is the archetype though not the direct parent of these and the other extant MS. of R. de Avesbury (MS. Douce 128).

Bibliography

Strongman, S., 'John Parker's Manuscripts: an Edition of the Lists in Lambeth Palace MS 737', Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society 7 (1977-80), 1-27, no. 6?Find this on the Trinity Library Catalogue
Tyson, D. B., 'Handlist of MSS containing the French Prose Brut Chronicle', Scriptorium 48 (1994), 333-44Find this on the Trinity Library Catalogue
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