Higden, Ranulf, -1364, scribe Higden, Ranulf, -1364. Five ages of the world Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872, former owner Jones, Herschel V. (Herschel Vespasian), 1861-1928, former owner Morris, William, 1834-1896, associated name St. Werburgh's Abbey (Chester, England), former owner Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Manuscript. HM 132
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Description
ff. 1-281. [Ranulph Higden]. [Polychronicon]. Incipit: Ex senatus consultu censuit Iulius cesar. Explicit: utrimque discessum est. Rubric: De orbis dimensione. Priscianus in cosmografia. Latin. C. Babington and J. R. Lumby, eds., Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden monachi cestrensis. Rolls Series 41 in 9 volumes (London 1865-86) through 8:336 line 15. This manuscript in Ranulf Higden's hand represents his final recension of the Polychronicon, and is essentially what was printed as the E text; see V. H. Galbraith, "An Autograph Manuscript of Ranulph Higden's Polychronicon," Huntington Library Quarterly 23 (1959-60) 1-18 with plate of f. 281 and other small portions, J. Taylor, The Universal Chronicle of Ranulf Higden (Oxford 1966) esp. 92-96, and A. Gransden, Historical Writing in England (London 1982) 2:44-45 and pl. 2. The text is preceded by four prefaces; on f. 4v, there is a map of the world. On f. 281r-v, additions to the Polychronicon, 1340-48, evidently in Higden's hand with variations in ink color suggesting that they were not copied continuously, and with the final entry for 1352; ff. 282-283v, ruled, but blank; ff. 284-293v, alphabetical subject index referring to book and chapter. f. 294; ff. 294v-309v blank. Five Ages of the World. Incipit: Prima etas ab adam. Explicit: secundum verissimam [sic, but traced over the original script] vc xc vi. Latin. Note by Higden on the 5 ages of the world. Title from printed catalog. Support: Parchment. Script: Anglicana. Layout: i⁴(1 is pastedown) 1¹⁴(-1, 10 through 13, ff. 9-12, replaced) 2¹⁴(-10 and 11, f. 23, replaced) 3-7¹² 8¹²(-6 after f. 92) 9-23¹² 24⁴(+ 2, f. 279 and + 4, f. 281) 25¹⁰(+ 1) 26¹⁰ 27⁶(6 is pastedown); catchwords in red frames. 33-38 long lines, frame ruled in lead, pricking in slash form at the 4 corners of the written space. Decoration: On f. 4v, a colored, but rather faded oval map of the world with Jerusalem at the center, the ocean encircling the outer edge, and Adam and Eve at the top with the serpent in the tree; also at the top, 2 grotesque heads, possibly added, in the position of wind-heads. In the lower margin of f. 48, 2 elevations of the Ark, in red ink, according to Augustine and to "others." Other Decoration: 4- to 1-line plain red initials; sources cited, including the author himself as "R," in red; red paragraph marks. From the beginning of quire 5, 2 vertical columns in the outer margins ruled in red ink for dates of the calendar and the regnal year. Written by Ranulph Higden at St. Werburg, Chester, between 1299 and his death in 1363-64. Assigned Date: s. XIVmed. Input into Digital Scriptorium by: C. W. Dutschke, 7/14/2012. Cataloged from existing description: C. W. Dutschke with the assistance of R. H. Rouse et al., Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library (San Marino, 1989). Bound, towards the middle or end of the 15th century, probably at St. Werburg, in doeskin stained pink over bevelled oak boards; sewn on 5 bands; remains of 2 fore edge straps closing to pins on the back cover; on the rear pastedown, a note on the cost of the binding: "In leddur hongre ii d; In whyte threde ii d; ii new bordes i d; ii skynys of parchement viii d; A skyn of redlather ii d; In blac sylke and greyne i d ob; In glw ob; ii claspys ii d; summa totalis xix d"; see G. Pollard, "Describing Medieval Bookbindings," in Medieval Learning and Literature: Essays presented to Richard William Hunt, ed. J. J. G. Alexander and M. T. Gibson (Oxford 1976) 51-52, n. 2. HM 132. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
World history--Early works to 1800 Geography, Medieval Maps 14th century. (rbgenr) Manuscripts (documents) (aat)
Source
Manuscripts, Huntington Digital Library
Provenance
Belonged to the Benedictine house of St. Werburg's in Chester; Ker, MLGB, p. 50; bottom of f. 294, which may have contained an ex libris, is cut away. On f. 294v an erased valuation, s. XIV/XV, "10 l, xix s, iiii d." On f. 183, s. XV or later, "Ricardus abbas monasterii Sancte Werburge," referring to Richard Seynesbury, abbot 1349-63. On f. i, heavily cancelled, "Liber E__?___ Richford [?]." On the rear pastedown, from the middle or end of the 16th century, "Iste liber pertinet beare it well in mynde/ Ad me Georgium Savagium Boothe curteyes and kynde/ A penis inferni Iehesu him bringe/ Ad gaudia celestia to everlastinge ioye. Amen" (Hanna, "Addenda," n. 25), and again, "By me George Savage." George Savage was appointed chancellor of the cathedral of Chester in 1541, a year after St. Werburg's was dissolved. Owned by Sir Thomas Phillipps, his MS 20712 (slip with number on spine; stamp and number on f. i). Phillipps sale, 5 June 1899, lot 698. Acquired in July 1900 by George Dunn (1865-1912) of Woolley Hall with his bookplate and pencilled note on front pastedown; his sale, Sotheby's, 11 February 1913, lot 512 with plate of the map on f. 4v, to Edwards. A typewritten description of this manuscript attributed to William Morris retained in Library files, but there is no indication that the manuscript ever belonged to him. Acquired February 1918 from Herschel V. Jones (1861-1928) of Minneapolis by Henry E. Huntington.
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