| Summary: | Description: A COLLECTION of romance and English History, in Latin, made in or soon after 1422 by John Streeche, a canon of the Augustinian Priory of Kenilworth, co. Warwick, containing:-1. Poem on the fall of Troy, in leonine elegiacs, beg. "Pergama flere volo fato Danaum data solo." f 3. The first leaf very imperfect, containing, only seven lines on the first page and ten on the second. With marginal glosses. The same poem, on the whole, as the 128 "Versus Magistri Hildeberti" in Cotton MS. Cleop. A. viii. f. 56 (see Cat. of Romances, i. p. 30) and the 90-line poem "De excidio Trojæ" printed by B. Hauréau, Mélanges Poétiques d'Hildebert de Lavardin, 1882, p. 207. After the last line of Hauréau's text the present MS. has 46 additional lines, beg. "Viribus arte minis danaum troia data ruinis," and almost identical (but for the omission of ll. 187,188) with the lines numbered 153-200 in Leyser, Hist. Poet., pp. 404-5. They end "Victa reso traci . dempta dolis ytaci." f. 4 b. 2. Historia Trojana, by Guido delle Colonne. See Cat. of Romances, i. p. 40. In 37 books, with prologue and epilogue. The divisions of the text agree with Royal MS. 12 D. iii. (see Cat. of Rom. i. p. 49), but books 9, 10 and 27 are not numbered (ff. 50, 51, and 105 b or 106). Prologue headed, "Prologus operis sequentis," and beg. "Licet cotidie vetera recentibus obruantur." f. 6. The work itself headed, "Incipit liber De peleo rege inducente Jasonem ut iter arripiat ad aureum uellus habendum," and beg. " Ill regno thessalie de predicte scilicet pertinencijs romanie." f. 7. A leaf is wanting after f. 8. Lib. 37 is followed by the epitaphs on Hector and Achilles (f. 135 b), and by the epilogue (f. 136), headed "Conclusio operis" and beg. "Ego autem Guydo de columpna," and ending "ad presentis operis perfeccionem effiaciter laboraui. Factum est presens opus Anno dominice Incarnacionis Millesimo Ducentesimo Octuagesimo septimo. eiusdem prime Indiccionis feliciter et Anno Amen. Explicit historia troiana Scripta per manum Johannis Arton." Followed by the rubric "Explicit Bellum troianum et historia obsidionis eiusdem ciuitatis secundum Guuidonem (le columpna Et sequitur historia de Re-no Britonum," etc. "I. Streeche." fol. 136 b. 3. Historia Regum Britanniæ, by Geoffrey of Monmouth. See Cat. of Rom. i. p. 203. In eight books, lib. vii. answering to libb. vii. and viii. of Giles's ed., 1844, and lib. viii. to libb. ix.-xii. Heading: "Incipit historia Britonum. Et quomodo Brutus primus Rex Brutannie venit in istam insulam eum gente sua post troiam destructam," etc. f. 136 b. The prologue beg. "Cvm mecum multa," and the work "Britannia insularum optima." f. 137. Ends "Hoc modoin latinum sermonem transsferre curauj." Colophon: "Explicit historia libri Britonum que in octo libris continetur." f. 228 b. There are a few contemporary marginal notes. At the end of lib. v. cap. 4, after the words "Saxonice uero golabroe nuncupatus fuit," the gloss "id est colbrok in london" has been added in the text (f. 168 b). Artt. 2 and 3 are in the same hand, and both have the corrector's (? John Strccche's) note "cor" at the end of each quire. 4. History of England, with special reference to Kenilworth Priory, to the death of Henry V. Heading: "Incipit historia Regum omnium Anglorum ante monarchiam et post:' expulsis Britonibus; vsque ad tempus Regis Henrici post Conquestum sexti. Que in quinque libris continetur." f. 228 b. In five books, preceded by (i.) Brief history of Englandfrom Brutus to 827, beginning., Apud Britones inconcussa stetit insule istius Monarchia." f. 229;- (ii.) Albina and her sisters (see Cat,. of Rom. i. p. 198), headed "Hic incipit historia quomodo hec insula et ex quibus fuerat inhabitata ante aduentum Bruti primi Regis Britonum," and beg. "Hic vtique est notandum." f. 230. Lib. i. is; headed "Incipit historia de regno Saxonum in Anglia, quomodo primo regnare ceperunt ante Monarchiam Et quomodo quinque Reges de Saxonibus in Anglia fuerunt Sed primo de Regno Cantuariorum." It begins "In Britannia maiori Vortigerno Rege regnante." f. 233. Lib.ii. is headed "Incipit liber secundus de Regibus Saxonum post monarchiam regnantibus Et primo de Rege Elfredo siue Aluredo qui obtinuit primo in Anglia monarchiam." f. 239. Lib. iii., "Incipit hie liber tercius de regno Dacorum quomodo Kenutus Danicus inuasit coronam Anglie." f. 242 b. Lib. iv., "Incipit liber iiijus. de conquestii Normannorum." f. 247. Lib.v., "Incipit liber quintus huius operis De Rege Henrico quarto filio domini Johannis Gaunt Ducis quondam Lancastrie," etc. f. 262. The period treated most fully is the life of Henry V. (ff. 265- 279 b); the concluding chapter describes his death, and ends with sixteen verses (hexameters and elegiac couplets) in praise of him, beg. "Hic Rex Henricus in bellis semper apricus," and ending "Set fortunatus victor vbique stetit." f. 279 b. The compiler has interspersed short pieces of verse, by himself and others, throughout the chronicle. There are lacunæ after ff. 248, 252, 270. At the end of Lib. iii. (f. 246 b) is the following rubric: "Explicit liber iijus . . . . . . . . In quibus tribus libris nomen compilatoris huius operis continetur; in literis capitalibus capitulorum dictorum trium librorum immediate precedenciuin Incipiendo ab Hengisto," etc. This clue gives the compiler's name as "Johannes Streeche Canonicus"; and the continual notices of events in the history of Kenilworth make it clear that he was a canon of that house. His monogram IS appears at the head of art. 2 (f. 6) and almost fills f. 2 b, having there a couplet below, with the initial letters (in red) forming the name "Ion Streeche." At following 1 b, 5, are fragments of a Calendar. Vellum; following 280. xvth century (in or after 1422, see art. 4). Artt. 1 and 4 probably written by Streeche himself, artt. 2 and 3 written by John Aston, but apparently revised by Streeche (see art. 3 above). With headings in red, and initials in red and blue. At f. 6 is the name Thomas Morrow (16th century). Formerly Ashburnham Appendix 236 (sale-cat. 1899, lot 163). 10 1/8 X 6 7/8 inches.
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