Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 139: Simeon of Durham OSB, Historia regum. Richard of Hexham OSA, De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii. John of Hexham OSA, Nennius

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Abstract/Contents

Summary: CCCC MS 139 is one of the most important post-Conquest chronicle manuscripts in the Parker Library. It contains a unique version of the Historia regum by Simeon of Durham OSB (fl. c. 1090-c. 1128) and its Continuation by John of Hexham OSA (d. before 1209), together with a number of other important texts relevant to the history of Durham, northern England and Scotland. Its production has variously been ascribed to the religious houses of Fountains, Hexham, Sawley and Durham, though by the sixteenth century it was almost certainly at Westminster Abbey, where it was seen by the historian John Bale (1495-1563).
Contents: Chronicon -- De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii -- Epistola ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboracensium -- De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Ucthredi comitis et de comitibus qui ei succeserunt -- Historia regum -- Continuation of Simeon of Durham OSB's Historia regum -- Descriptio de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae -- Carmen de morte Sumerledi -- Relatio de standardo -- Miraculum de quadam sanctimonali de Watton -- Historia fundationis abbatiae Sanctae Mariae Eboracensis -- Epistola de egressu monachorum Fontanensium -- Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) -- Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) -- Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) -- Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt) -- Estoire des Engleis (excerpt) -- Visio cuiusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi -- Historia Brittonum -- Vita Sancti Gildae

Description

Alternative title	Simeon Dunelmensis. Ricardus et Johannes de Hexham. Nennius
Type of resource	mixed material
Extent	ff. 182 + 2
Date created	[ca. 1100 - 1199]
Language	Latin
Material	Vellum, paper
Layout	double columns of 36 and 35 lines
Height (mm)	302
Width (mm)	217
Collation	a(2) I(10) (10 canc.) II(8) (2 canc.) III(8) IV(8) V(10) (4, 5, cut out and replaced by a sheet of two leaves: (8 canc.) VI(10) VII(8) (+ 1 leaf of cent. xvi inserted before 8) VIII(8)-XVI(8) (+1) XVII(8) XVIII(8) XIX(14) (1, 2 canc.) XX(8) (wants 5-8) \| XXI(10) (10 canc.) XXII(8) (wants 6, 7).
Writing	in another hand
Foliation	ff. a-d + i-ii + 1-180 + iii-vi
Provenance	Most editors assign the book to Hexham, Mommsen to Salley on account of its relation to University Library Ff. 1. 27, part of which is from Salley (see MS 66). I consider Hexham the more likely. It is clear from many (eleven) references in Bale's Index Scriptorum (s.v. Nennius, Ailred, Ric. Hagustaldensis, Chronicon p. 488, etc.) that in his time a book very similar to this in contents was at Westminster Abbey. This fact is recognized by the editors of the Index. When Joscelin wrote his Catalogue of British historians, it seems to have been in the hands of a prebendary of Westminster named Pekyns. But from the same catalogue we learn that Dr Nicholas Wotton, Dean of Canterbury, gave Parker a volume containing much of the same matter as this. The items specified by Joscelin are Simeon of Durham, John and Richard of Hexham, and articles 11, 12, 14 in this MS. It seems most likely therefore that the Westminster volume was a sister book to this, and has perished, and that MS 139 is the book given by Dean Wotton to Parker. Wotton was Dean of York as well as of Canterbury and so may have procured the volume from his northern home.
Additions	f. ir covered with paper: on f. iva xvth cent. sketch of the Virgin crowned and the Child. f. iir xvth cent. list of contents: In hoc libro continentur hec (15 items). f. iir 3 verses (xv) scribbled. Three extracts in a black hand of cent. xii: (a) Gennadius massiliensis in libro de illustribus uiris Jeronimus natus patre eusebio... Eusebius quoque cesaree palestine ep... Dexter uero pagatiani filius... (to the effect that all three wrote historia omnimoda) Hec in libris illustr. uirorum de omnimoda hysteria scripta sunt. (b) Titulus origenis super tumulum eius ab ipso compositus Ille ego origenes doctor uerissimus olim ... His mihi coniectum undique tela premunt. (From the verses composed by Isidore of Seville for his library.) (c) Pompeius trogus ciuis romanus fuit. cuius pater sub gaio cesare militauit ... cuius libris omnium seculorum regum nationum populorumque res geste continentur. Col. 2 has been written and carefully erased.

Bibliographic information

M.R. James Date	xii
Downloadable James Catalogue Record	Title https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:nk640gn1950/MS_139.pdf
Superseded Interim Catalogue Record	Title https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:rf424jn6099/139.pdf
Contains	Title Regino of Prüm, Chronicon. 17r-35v Nasmith Cronica abbatis Prumiensis monasterii a Christo nato ad annum 1002. 17r-35v Author Regino of Prüm Rubric (17r) Incipit cronica abbatis prumiensis monasterii ubi lotharius imperator ad conuersionem uenit Incipit (17r) Anno imperii Octouiani cesaris xl. ii. iesus Christus filius dei natus est Note Here begins a hand which has written the bulk of the volume (29r) Liber II Explicit (35v) ex quo uulnere eadem nocte extinguitur Rubric (35v) Explicit cronica abatis prumiensis ecclesiae Note Regino of Prum. MGH. Scriptores I 537. This MS. was not seen by the editors. It ends in 1002 (p. 609 MGH) Title Richard of Hexham OSA, De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii. 36r-46r Nasmith Historia piae memoriae Ricardi prioris Hagustaldensis ecclesiae de gestis regis Stephani et de bello Standardii. 36r-46r Author Richard of Hexham OSA Note Originally began on the same page (f. 35v) but a little more than half a column has been erased. The two next leaves were cut out and replaced by a sheet (still cent. xii) in at least three hands Rubric (36r) Incipit historia pie memorie prioris Ricardi Haugustaldensis ecclesiae De gestis regis Stephani et de bello standardii Incipit (36r) Anno uerbi incarnati m.c.xxxv Note Last printed in Chronicles of Stephen, Henry II, Richard I (Rolls) by R. Howlett: III p. lvi: 137. This is the only copy Ends Explicit (46r) defuncti sunt Rubric (46r) Explicit bellum standardii Title Simeon of Durham OSB, Epistola ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboracensium. 48v-90r Nasmith Epistola Simeonis monachi ecclesiae S. Cuthberti Dunelmi ad Hugonem decanum Eboracensem de archiepiscopis Eboraci. 48v-90r Author Simeon of Durham OSB Note (48v) Ed. Raine, Historians of the Church of York (Rolls) II xvii 252, principally from another MS. Twysden Scriptores, col. 75, gives our text Title Simeon of Durham OSB (attrib.), De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Ucthredi comitis et de comitibus qui ei succeserunt. 50r-51v Nasmith De obsessione Dunelmi et de probitate Uithredi comitis. 50r-51v Author Simeon of Durham OSB (attrib.) Note (50r) Arnold: Symeon of Durham (Rolls) I 315, Twysden, col. 79 Ends f. 51v Title Simeon of Durham OSB, Historia regum. 52r-129v Nasmith Historia sanctae et suavis memoriae Symeonis monachi et precentoris ecclesiae sancti Cuthberti Dunelmi de regibus Anglorum et Dacorum et creberrimis bellis et rapinis et incendiis eorum post obitum venerabilis Bedae presbiteri fere usque ad obitum Henrici filii Willelmi nothi. 52r-129v Author Simeon of Durham OSB Note The title (Incipit historia sancte et suauis etc.) is written on f. 51v at the bottom of col. 2. But f. 52r sqq. are in a different hand, with rubric in large letters at top Rubric (52r) Incipit passio sanctorum Ethelberti atque Ethelredi regie stirpis puerorum Note After four leaves the hand settles down into one like that of no. 1 which continues to f. 76r f. 59v, recto blank, is an insertion of cent. xvi with the Prologus Rogeri de Houedon in historiam suam (which imitates the lost prologue of Symeon) At the top of f. 60r is a xvith cent. note Historia Simeonis Dunelm. monachi. sed desunt folia nonnulla. debuerat posuisse immediate post titulum operis ante passionem Ethelberti et Ethelredi This is the only copy of the Historia Regum of Symeon: last printed by Arnold, Symeon of Durham II (Rolls: for his account of the MS. see p. x, etc.). Parts of the text occur in a xiith cent. MS. formerly Ashburnham, Appendix, no. 112 now Bibl. Nat. Nouv. acq. Lat. 692. A transcript of the C. C. C. MS. is in MS 100. 1 There are marginalia in various hands, notably one very tall one There seems to be a change of hand at f. 76r (Arnold, p. 95), Sequitur recapitulatio The hand which follows, on f. 77r, begins with a large red and green initial. It goes on for a long time Title John of Hexham OSA, Continuation of Simeon of Durham OSB's Historia regum. 129v-132v Nasmith Historia Ioannis prioris Hagustaldensis ecclesiae XXV annorum. 129v-132v Author John of Hexham OSA Note (129v) Printed by Arnold, Symeon of Durham II 284 On 134r is a rude late (?) sketch of a comet On 134v intervene, in the text of John of Hexham, between pp. 296 and 297 of Arnold's ed., nos. 9 (Carmen Serlonis), 9a (Carmen de morte Sumerledi), 10 (Ailred, Relatio de standardo) Another copy of 8 is in Bibliothèque Nationale Nouv. acq. Lat. 692 (see above on 7) Title Serlo of Fountains OCist, Descriptio de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae. 132v-133r Nasmith Descriptio Serlonis monachi fratris Radulphi abbatis de Parcho de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae. 132v-133r Author Serlo of Fountains OCist Note (132v) Carmen Serlonis. Twysden, col. 331. Raine, Lawrence of Durham, p. 74 Title William of Glasgow, Carmen de morte Sumerledi. 133r-133v Author William of Glasgow Note (133r) Carmen de morte Sumerledi. Arnold, l. c. II 385. Skene, Fordun I, Appendix V Raine, l. c. p. 78 Title Aelred of Rievaulx OCist, Relatio de standardo. 134r-138r Nasmith Descriptio venerabilis viri Aetheldredi abbatis Rievallis de bello inter regem Scotiae et barones Angliae apud Standardum juxta Alvertoniam. 134r-138r Author Aelred of Rievaulx OCist Note Aethelred de bello Standardi, Chronicles of Stephen etc. II, see p. lviii. Skene, Fordun I, Appendix IV 136 Begins with a large red and green initial. On ff. 136v, 137r are two marginal drawings of the Standard: the first is late (cent. xvi?), the other original. These or similar ones have been often reproduced On f. 140r the text of item 8 is resumed. Arnold p. 297 Rubric (138r) Explicit descriptio Aethelredi abbatis (138r) Incipit descriptio predicti prioris haugustaldensis ecclesie Note Ends f. 149r Title Aelred of Rievaulx OCist, Miraculum de quadam sanctimonali de Watton. 147r-149v Nasmith Quoddam miraculum mirabile descriptum a viro venerabili Aethelredo abbate Rievall. de quadam sanctimoniali femina de Wattun. 147r-149v Author Aelred of Rievaulx OCist Note Printed in Twysden, col. 415. Migne P. L. CXCV 789 (149v) At end a xvith cent. note referring to the Life of St Elizabeth in MS 138 item 10 Title Stephen of Whitby OSB, Historia fundationis abbatiae Sanctae Mariae Eboracensis. 150r-152v Nasmith Quo modo et a quibus cenobium Sanctae Mariae Eboraci fundatum sit, et quantas invidorum perturbationes impulsum sustinuerat, sed Dei protegente gratia magis ac magis auctum et multiplicatum fuerat; autore Stephano ejusdem cenobii abbate. 150r-152v Author Stephen of Whitby OSB Note Printed in Monasticon III 544 (150r) Begins with a green initial. These three leaves are in a fresh hand, upright and regular Title Thurstan archbishop of York, Epistola de egressu monachorum Fontanensium. 153r-158r Nasmith Epistola Thurstini archiepiscopi Eboraci ad Wilhelmum archiepiscopum Cantuariae de cenobio Sanctae Mariae Eboraci et observantia regulae Sancti Benedicti in eo. 153r-158r Author Thurstan archbishop of York Note (153r) See Memorials of the Abbey of St Mary of Fountains, ed. Walbran, Surtees Society 1863 The script is probably the same as that of item 11 etc. Title William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt). 158r-160r Nasmith De vita et conversatione Gereberti papae. 158r-160r Author William of Malmesbury OSB Note (158r) From William of Malmesbury Gesta Regum I 193-201 fallere Title William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt). 160r-161v Nasmith Visio Karoli imperatoris. 160r-161v Author William of Malmesbury OSB Note (160r) ibid. I 112 Title William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt). 161r-161r Nasmith Visio S. Maurilii. 161r-161r Author William of Malmesbury OSB Note (161r) ibid. II 327 Title William of Malmesbury OSB, Gesta regum Anglorum (excerpt). 161r-161v Nasmith De annulo statuae commendato. 161r-161v Author William of Malmesbury OSB Note (161r) ibid. I 256 Title Geffrei Gaimar, Estoire des Engleis (excerpt). 162r-165r Nasmith Narratio de uxore Ernulfi ab Aella rege Deirorum violata. 162r-165r Author Geffrei Gaimar Note Printed in Gaimar (Rolls) I 328; also in the Notes to Gaimar, Monumenta I 795 and in Wright's Caxton Society edition On a fresh quire and in a large regular hand Title Visio cuiusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi. 165v-165v Nasmith Visio cujusdam clerici de gloria regis Malcolmi. 165v-165v Rubric (165v) Visio Malcolmi cui ad singula interrogata super statu suo in hunc sensum respondit Incipit (165v) Cur sic care taces. pro me loquitur me(a) uita Note 14 lines ending (165v) quidque tuis mandans perpetuo ualeant Incipit (165v) Rex uero Malcolmus summe ingenuitatis titulus ueluti surculus ex dulcissima abscisus arbore Explicit (165v) lucidissima in celestes thesauros intulerunt mella Note Skene, Fordun I, Appendix VI, from a copy furnished by Mr Henry Bradshaw: Raine, l. c. p. 81 Title Nennius (attrib.), Historia Brittonum. 166r-176v Nasmith Eulogium brevissimum Britanniae insulae quod Ninnius Elvodugi discipulus congregavit. 166r-176v Author Nennius (attrib.) Note A new volume, double columns of 35 lines, hand very slightly sloping, plain red initials The first leaf was originally blank On the recto is a paragraph in a small hand of cent. xiii early, not beginning at the top of the page (166r) Gualenses nichilominus insistebant ius suum sibi concedi postulantes Quid enim inquiunt o rex formidas et tunicas illas ferreas quas eminus cernis nimium expauescis. Nobis certe sunt latera ferrea pectus ereum mens timoris uacua quorum nec pedes fugam nec unquam uulnus terga sensere. quid gallis apud cliderhou profuere lorice. Numquid non inermes isti ut dicunt illos et loricas proicere et negligere et scuta relinquere coegerunt. Uideat igitur o rex prudentia uestra quale sit in his habere fiduciam que in necessitate magis sunt oneri quam consolationi. Nos apud cliderhou de loricatis uictoriam reportauimus. Nos hodie et istos anime uirtute pro scuto utentes lanceis prosternemus. Hoc bellum factum est inter anglos et pictos et scottos apud cliderhou feria vi die vii [xii?] ante natiuitate sancti Johannis Baptistae anno predicto id est m. c. xxx viio Bellum apud Cliderhou ubi multi nobiles et ignobiles perierunt This is a quotation from Aelred de Bello Standardi (Chronicles of Stephen etc. II, p. 190) On f. 168v are various items enumerated by Mommsen in his prolegomena to Nennius, Mon. Germ. Hist. XIII 1 (Chronica Minora III 1), p. 125 On the margin (166v) Incipit apologia. Nemnii britonum historiografi and (166v) Incipit hystori[c]a ortografia mundi (not as Mommsen) Col. 1. Rubric (166v) Incipit eulogium breuissimum brittannie insule. quod Ninnius eluodugi discipulus congregauit Incipit (166v) Ego Ninnius eluodugi Explicit (166v) Cedo illi qui plus nouerit in ista pericia satis quam ego Rubric (166v) Explicit eulogium (166v) Item eiusdem quod scribi debet in fine libri (166v) De malis et peruersis naturis gen-ti-um Note (Chronica Minora II 389) Inuidia iudeorum This is written in two columns, with additions by the large hand which annotates the MS. throughout and also by a neater and smaller hand The original hand goes down to Ira brittonum then De bonis naturis gentium Prudencia hebreorum to Argutia hispanorum The large hand adds to col. 1 Libido sueuorum Duricia (uel superbia above) pictauorum The original hand already had Duricia pictorum It adds to col. 2 A line erased Communio normannorum Grecus irascitur ante causam Francus in causa Romanus propter causam Francus fortis Romanus grauis Affer semper uersipellis The second (smaller) hand adds to the Vices Spurcicia sclauorum Rapacitas normannorum Normanni nimis sunt animosi The large hand adds to the Virtues Sollercia egiptiorum Col. 2. At top, three lines erased, perhaps written by the large hand Despicientes deum viiio ab (hole in vellum) bates fuerunt Riccardus prior primus abbas de fontibus [1132] Riccardus sacrista se(cundus) abbas de fontibus [1139] Lower down are the additions to the list of Virtues and Vices Then in the original hand the two poems Adiutor benignus, and Fornifer Rubric (167r) Sancti spiritus assit nobis gratia. Incipit Res gesta a Nennio sapiente composita Note With marginal and interlinear additions in several hands including the large hand and the hand of f. 168v Ends Explicit (176v) finibus cosmi Note (Mommsen, p. 218): the section ending thus is placed by several other MSS. as well as this after that ending Luchechach (Mommsen, p. 219) which forms the end of M.'s text Title Caradog of Llancarfan, Vita Sancti Gildae. 176v-179r Nasmith Res gestae a Nennio sapiente compositae, Vita sanctissimi atque doctissimi viri Gildas autore Caradoco Nancarbanensi. 176v-179r Author Caradog of Llancarfan Note (176v) Vita Gildae Mommsen, p. 107 Capitula and rubric in the hand of f. 168v Ends 181r In another rough hand follow (a) Col. 1. The poem Fornifer (b) Col. 2. On the translation of St Benedict to Fleury Incipit (179v) Circa hec tempora cum in castro cassino Note (c) (De naturis gentium) Incipit (179v) Inuidia iudeorum Explicit (179v) Duritia uel superbia pictauorum Note This is copied in a confused order In the lower margin the name Aelsi On the verso and last leaf are many xvth cent. scribbles and a few earlier On the Kings of England On the same, in verse: Dux Normannorum Willelmus vi validorum (to Edward III) Willelmus rufus. versus Visibus humanis aulas ornatas inanisfecit fundare propter sua festa parareaulam maiorem construxit Londoniarumorbis terrarum non optinet utilioremIudicibus legis ac ad conuiuia regisregnum regnorum flos est domus illa domorum (Referring to Westminster Hall) Further notes on English Kings Drawings of two bearded men: one labelled Tome T.. ywalle A badly written name Arthur Harvy(?)
TJames	64
Stanley	F. 5
Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/qj220gv8417
Location	MS 139
Repository	UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library

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