Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 370: Historia Alexandri Magni (Gesta Alexandri magni). Epistolae Alexandri. Gesta Edwardi III
Gesta Alexandri. Iter in terram sanctam. Gesta Edwardi
mixed material
ff. 104
Vellum (and paper)
26 lines
230
160
1(12) (12 cancelled) 2(12) - 4(12) | 5(8) - 7(8) 8(10) 9(8) (+ 2 paper after 1) 10(6) (6 cancelled) | 11(?12) (wants 5-8).
several good hands
ff. i-ii + 1-105 + iii-iv
Probably from Norwich, to which no. 5 refers.
nectanabus
lat
CCCC MS 370 is another of those manuscripts that may have been intended as light reading matter for a monastic community, containing as it does the perennial favourites of material concerning Alexander the Great in both the version of Julius Valerius (3rd/4th century) and the Historia de Preliis, alongside the fictional exchange of letters between Alexander and various figures in the ancient world. In addition, this codex contains an account of the Black Prince's campaign during the siege of Rouen that has been much used by historians of the Hundred Years' War. The presence of Bishop William Bateman's (d. 1355) Injunctions that resulted from his visitation to the Benedictine Cathedral Priory of Holy Trinity, Norwich in 1347 has led some to conclude that this manuscript was once in the library of that institution, though it lacks a press mark or any other evidence to that effect.
xiv
Historia Alexandri Magni (Gesta Alexandri magni) -- Epistola Alexandri ad Aristotelem de situ Indiae (Gesta Alexandri magni) -- Epistolae inter Alexandrum magnum et Dindium regum -- Gesta Alexandri magni (Historia de Preliis) -- Injunctiones -- Chronica maiora (extracts: De calumnia et injuriis ... in monasterio sancti Edmundi) -- Itinerarium cuiusdam anglici terram sanctam, 1344 -- Gesta Edwardi III
1300
1399
322
9. 6
https://purl.stanford.edu/zx084gk1026
MS 370
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:xy147tn8536/MS_370.pdf
https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:sv628rr6605/370.pdf
Historia Alexandri Magni (Gesta Alexandri magni)
1r-25v
Historia Alexandri magni regis Macedonum, ortus vita et obitus
1r-25v
Gesta Alexandri
1r-25v
(1r) Incipit historia Alexandri magni regis Macedonum. ortus uita et obitus
(1r) Egyptii sapientes fati genere diuino primi feruntur
(25v) ueneno superatus atque extinctus occubuit
(25v) Explicit ortus uita et obitus Alexandri regis magni macedonum
Abridgement of Julius Valerius (ed. Zacher, Iulii Valerii Epitome, 1867): see H.L.D. Ward, British Museum Catalogue of Romances I 106
Epistola Alexandri ad Aristotelem de situ Indiae (Gesta Alexandri magni)
25v-38v
Epistola Alexandri regis magni Macedonum, quam ab India magistro suo Aristoteli misit
25v-38v
Alexandri
author
(25v) Incipit epistola Alexandri regis magni macedonum quam ab india magistro suo aristotili misit
(25v) Semper memor tui
(38v) optime aristotelis ponderaris
(38v) Finit epistola Alexandri regis magis macedonum missa ab india ad arist. preceptorum suum
Ed. Andr. Paulini, Giessen, 1706. Cockayne (Narratiunculae, 1861); A. Hilka, Breslau-program 1909, etc. Catalogue of Romances I 108
Epistolae inter Alexandrum magnum et Dindium regum
38v-47v
Epistolae inter Alexandrum magnum et Dindimum regem
38v-47v
(Alexander Dindimo)
(38v) Sepius ad aures
The following letters are
(39r) Desiderantem te alexander
(44v) Si hec ita sunt
(45r) Nos inquit dindimus
(45v) Tunc ideo beatum te
(47v) inuidie quodam meliora prestantur
Ed. Bysshe, Palladius de Gentibus Indiae et Bragmanibus, 1668. Cat. of Romances I 108
Gesta Alexandri magni (Historia de Preliis)
48r-80r
Gesta Alexandri magni imperatoris et regis Macedoniae
48r-80r
(48r) Hic incipit gesta Alexandri magni Imperatoris et Regis Macedonie
(48r) Sapientissimi egipcii scientes mensuram terre
Ending
(80r) Mense marcio fabricauit xii ciuitates que adhuc inhabitantur
(80r) Expliciunt gesta Alexandri magni quondam regis Macedonie qui totam mundi machinam suo imperio subiugauit
This is the Historia de Preliis. Cf. Cat. of Romances I 120
A riddle
(80r) Fili si uixisses quantum uixisti et iterum tantum et dimidium tanti dimidij centum compleuisses annos
(80r) Vixisset iuuenis annis bis terque uigenis
(80r) A summa luna primi coibente profundo
William Bateman, Injunctiones
80v-85r
Injunctiones datae priori et capitulo ecclesiae Norwicensis per Willelmum [Bateman] episcopum Norwicensem in visitatione sua
80v-85r
William Bateman
author
(80v) Willelmus permissione diuina Norwic. ep. ... Priori et capitulo ecclesie nostre Norwic. ... Ex debito pastoralis officii
(85r) modo simili custodiri. dat. in palacio nostro Norwicensi die v mensis maij. anno domini mill. cccmo quadragesimo septimo. Et consecracionis nostre iiij In cuius rei testimonium sigillum nostrum duximus apponendum
(85r) Hee sunt iniuncciones d. Will. de Norwico. Norwic. Ep.
The end is on f. 83r
Immediately before this are inserted two leaves of paper containing
Hic interseruntur duo folia chartacea seculo xvi scripta quibus continetur
Thomas Walsingham OSB, Chronica maiora (extracts: De calumnia et injuriis ... in monasterio sancti Edmundi)
83r-84v
De calumnia et injuriis per eundem episcopum in monasterio S. Edmundi illatis, et per merita S. Edmundi finitis, una cum gravaminibus ejusdem monasterii, ex historia aurea
83r-84v
Thomas Walsingham OSB
author
(83r) De calumnia et iniuriis per Willelmus Bateman ... in monasterio S. Edmundi illatus et per merita S. Edmundi finitis
(83r) Ex libro 22 histor. auree Johannis anglici cap. 49
(84r) Grauamina monasterij
(84v) Ex Thomas Walsingham in maiori hist.
Itinerarium cuiusdam anglici terram sanctam, 1344
85v-97v
Itinerarium cujusdam Anglici terram sanctam et alia loca sancta visitantis, anno 1344
85v-97v
In the former hand: no title
(85v) Arripiens quondam iter et pergere sum profectus ad sanctum sepulcrum. quia quanto hominis ingenium curiosius tanto uult perspicacius rimari que super terram et mare perspexi precordialiter impressi
The lower part of f. 94r is cut off
Ends
(95v) Et sic reposita est nobis corona iusticie quam reddet nobis in illa die iustus iudex
(95v) Explicit Itinerarium cuiusdam anglici terram sanctam et alia loca sancta uisitantis
ff. 95r - 96v blank
The travellers (three Englishmen) left Avignon on 3 October 1344 and reached home late in 1345
The description of Cyprus is interesting. I do not find that the narrative has been printed.
Gesta Edwardi III
98r-105v
Acta bellicosa Edwardi III. regis Angliae et Edwardi principis Walliae ejus filii in mari et regno Franciae
98r-105v
(98r) Hec sunt acta bellicosa illustrissimorum principum dominorum Edwardi d. g. regis ... et Edwardi eiusdem regis primogeniti ... a penultimo die mensis Junij anno domini mill. cccmo quadragesimo sexto ... et deinceps
(98r) Felix anglie regis Edwardi progressus ad littora procerum armatorum et plebis exercitum
After f. 100 is a lacuna of 4 leaves (probably) where the events of July 29 - Aug. 10 (part), 1346, were narrated.
Ends f. 103v (20 Aug. 1346)
(104v) Sagittariorum domesticorum et familiaris comitiua. quidam premissa faciebat licet sibi caucius alii ipmus
f. 104r is blank
On f. 104v is the same text as on f. 102v beginning
(105v) Rex anglorum illo die
and ending at a rather earlier point than f. 102v
(105v) poiastes ensi auoir
It was used by Joshua Barnes in his Life of Edward III, 1688, Bk II, chap. 2, and was printed in full by J. Moisant, S. J., Le Prince Noir en Aquitaine, etc., 1894, p. 157; also by Prof. Prentout of Caen.
Parker Manuscripts
https://purl.stanford.edu/dx969tv9730
Images courtesy of The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For higher resolution images suitable for scholarly or commercial publication, either in print or in an electronic format, please contact the Parker Library directly at parker-library@corpus.cam.ac.uk
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).