ENGLISH HISTORICAL LITERATURE IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY BY CHARLES LETHBRIDGE KINGSFORD, M. A. WITH AN APPENDIX OF CHRONICLES AND HISTORICAL PIECES HITHERTO FOR THE MOST PART UNPRINTED BXTRT FEANKLIN BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND REFERENCE SERIES No. 87 BURT FRANKLIN New York 25, N. Y. Published by BURT FRANKLIN 514 West Street New York 25, N. Y. PUBLISHED I OXFORD AX TME CLA. R. ESTOON i PRESS 1913 in. the United State of . America. Yoric I, N. Y. PREFACE THE purpose and scope of this volume which is founded on a course of lectures delivered at Oxford in 1910 are explained sufficiently in the introductory chapter. I have added an appendix of short chronicles and historical pieces, which, with some partial exceptions, have not hitherto been printed. Their primary object is to illustrate the text thus the interest of some of them is mainly textual or literary but others, as notably the Northern Chronicle and the Sherborne Annals, have an intrinsic value of their own. They are all too short to have obtained independent publication their usefulness will, I hope, be increased by their collection in the same place. I have to thank Mr. E. H. Dring for directing my attention to The Great Chronicle of London, and for the courtesy with which he allowed me to make such free use of the manuscript Dr. William Hunt for his kindness in reading part of my manuscript and for some useful criticism Mr. W. A. Lindsay, K. C., Windsor Herald, for the opportunity to consult manuscripts at the College of Arms Mr. D. T. Baird Wood and his colleagues in the Students Room at the British Museum for assistance always readily given and Mr. R. L. Poole and Messrs. Longmans, Green Co. for permission to make use of two articleson The Early Biographies of Henry V and The First Version of Hardyngs Chronicle, which I contributed to the English Historical Review. C. L. K. January 23, 1913. CONTENTS PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY I. PRINTED EDITIONS OF ORIGINAL AUTHORITIES . . . viii II. LIST OF MANUSCRIPTS DESCRIBED OR NOTICED IN THIS VOLUME ....... . . Xli CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY Political characteristics of the fifteenth century. Their reflection in histori cal material. The literary development beginnings of the Literary Renaissance educational and intellectual ferment. The changes in historical literature. Scope of the proposed inquiry. Summary of the lines on which it proceeds. pp. t-i I CHAPTER II THOMAS WALSINGHAM AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES Walsingham his Historia Anglicana the Ypodigma Neustriae. The Annales Henrici Quarti. Thomas Otterbourne. The Vita Ricardi by the Monk of Evesham. Giless Chronicle of Henry IV. The Continua tion of the Eulogium Historiarum. A Southern Chronicle Adam Usk. A Northern Chronicle. Continuations of Higden. Minor monastic annals. Clement Maidstone. John Capgrave. John Strecche General characteristics. pp. 12-44 CHAPTER III THE BIOGRAPHIES OF HENRY V Thomas Elmham the Gesta Henrici Quinti the Liber Metricus minor works. Tito Livio his Vita. The. Pseudo-Elmham his Vita et Gesta the Latin abridgement the English version. The Translator of Livius and the Earl of Ormonde. John Basset, Robert Redmayne. Illustra tion of literary development, pp. 45-6 CHAPTER IV THE CHRONICLES OF LONDON General characteristics system of chronology their development their classification. Versions of 1430-2. Version of 1440. Version of 1445. Short version of 1446. The Continuations of S. Miscellaneous CONTENTS v RobertBales Chronicle Gregorys Chronicle Short Chronicle, 1461-83. The Main City Chronicle, 1440-85. Robert Fabyan. The Grey friars Chronicle. Richard Arnolds Customs of London. John Stows Summary. Sources and historical value of the London Chronicles. Use made of them by other - writers. Minor Town Chronicles. pp...