Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, Trinity Hall, MS 25

Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon

Introduction: Higden’s Polychronicon was one of the most popular English historical writings and it survives in more than a 120 manuscripts. Trinity Hall’s copy is the short form covering events to 1327. Ranulph Higden (d. 1364), was Benedictine monk of St Werburgh’s Abbey, Chester. His Polychronicon is a biblically based summary of history, compiled from earlier writers. The earliest version of it dates from 1327, but Higden regularly expanded and updated the text throughout his lifetime. The work is divided into seven books, to represent the seven days of creation in Genesis. The work covers a wide variety of topics including social customs, religion, geography, natural history and numerology. The book is organised as following: Book I is a geographical survey of the world; Book II covers the four Ages of the World from the Creation until the burning of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD; Book III covers the period from the Babylonian captivity to the Coming of Christ, and Book IV the period from the Incarnation to the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England. In Books V and VI he traces the history of England until the Norman invasion; and he continues it with English history until his own day in Book VII. The final page of the manuscript contains some verses written in a different hand to the main text. Trinity Hall’s manuscript was bequested to the College by Robert Hare (d. 1614).

1. 1r-192v

Polychronicon Ranulph Higden, d.1364

Language(s): Latin

Incipit: fol. 1r Intrabo in agros priscorum.

Explicit: 192v paruo post tempore superstites fera(?) morte interrierunt.

In seven books ending in 1327. This is a short form of the Polychronicon. The opening words occur in the course of the longer Prologue (Rolls Series, vol. 1, p. 12). They are given by Bale as the first words of the Chronicle of Roger of Chester from whom Ranulph was supposed to have been plagiarized. But doubt has been thrown on the existence of Roger.

2. 192v

Verses

Language(s): Latin

Desine do ueniam. dic culpam. retraho penam. / Cessa condono. pugna iuuo. uince corono. / Sors maris. ira fere. dolus anguis agunt, miserere. / Hanc fuge. pelle tere. certum dabo sin feriere.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Parchment HFFH

Extent: fol. 192

Dimensions (leaf): 245 × 177 mm.

Dimensions (written): 205 × 145 mm.

Foliation:

Modern pencil foliation at the top right hand corner

Collation

The manuscript consists of 16 quires, of 10-14 leaves each.

Catchwords are written in the lower right of the last verso of each quire, enclosed in a red box 1¹²; 2¹² 3¹⁰, 4¹²-15¹² 16¹⁴

Condition

The manuscript has been trimmed along the top edge. Otherwise, the manuscript is in good condition, with the text well preserved.

Layout

2 columns of 46 written lines 192 × 136 mm.

Hand(s)

Written in two clear but ugly hands

Decoration

Blue initials with red and blue penwork ornamentation.

Red paragraph marks for minor text divisions

Additions

Manicule on fol. 123r

Binding

Twentieth century, native dyed, red Nigerian goatskin over pasteboards by Cambridge Colleges Conservation Consortium.

History

Origin: 14th century ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Robert Hare (d. 1611) . At the top of fol. 1r partly cut off: 'Roberti Hare 1586'.

Additional Information

Record Sources

Description draws on M.R. James(1907). A descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the library of Trinity Hall.

Bibliography

Edwards, A. S. G. (1978) ‘Notes on the Polychronicon’, Notes and Queries, vol. 25, p. 2–3

Edwards, J.G., (1932) 'Ranulf, monk of Chester', English Historical Review, vol. 47, p. 94

Freeman, James. (2008) The Readership, Uses, and Historiographical Significance of the Polychronicon of Ranulph Higden. MPhil Thesis

James, M. R. (1907). A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 41.

Taylor, John, (1966) The Universal Chronicle of Ranulf Higden (Oxford University Press)

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, Trinity Hall, MS 25

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