СНАР. III. Mr. Freeman's Historical Essays (2nd series), is one of especial value. The Life of St. Hugh of Lincoln, by canon G. G. Perry, is a very instructive study, founded upon original materials, of the Church history of these times. The Biographia Britannica Litteraria (Anglo- Wright's Norman Period, 1842), by Mr. Wright, supplies a series Biographia. of sketches of the chief literary characters of the period arranged in chronological order. The 21st and 22nd chapters of SISMONDI'S Histoire des Français, detailing Sismondi. the history of the third Crusade and the results by which it was attended, will be found to supply a good illustration of Richard the First's real character. Cox's Stubbs's For the Crusades generally the volume by Sir G. W. Cox supplies a graphic though brief account; while Crusades. professor Stubbs's Early Plantagenets, a volume in the Plantage same series, supplies an outline of the greater part of the nets. present and of the following periods, which will be found useful both by teacher and student.1 1 The Crusades, by G. W. Cox; The Early Plantagenets, by William volumes in Epochs of Modern History.' Longmans and Co. 1874 and 1876. Stubbs; 270 СНАР. The IV. 'Chronicle' and the Historical CHAPTER IV. FROM THE ACCESSION OF KING JOHN TO THE DEATH (A.) Contemporary Writers.-A marked advance in historical composition is one of the distinguishing features of the thirteenth century when compared with the We find the mere Chronicle now giving preceding era. 'History.' place in the treatment of abler writers to the History, that is to say a simple arrangement of events in chronological sequence is expanded into a narrative which aims at exhibiting the relations of cause and effect, and events are pourtrayed as incidents of a coherent drama and in Advance in their supposed moral and political significance. This Composi- important advance presents itself in connexion with a new Historic School. The great Northern school culminated and ended with Hoveden, and was now succeeded by the no less remarkable school of the South associated with the monastery of St. Alban's. A very slight acquaintance with the historical literature of this ancient house, which owed its foundation to king Offa and had once been ruled by Anselm, is sufficient to disprove the representations of those who would have us look upon this period as one when history had lapsed into the hands only of ignorant, credulous, and prejudiced writers.' tion. 1 See, for example, the very unjust representations of Buckle in the sixth chapter of his History of Civilisation. СНАР. of St. Paris. The town of St. Albans, the halting-place at the close of the first day's journey northwards from London, was the scene of continuous traffic and excitement, and its The School monastery afforded shelter and hospitality to travellers Alban's. of all classes.1 Nor was it only a great centre of intelligence, it was also a great depository of documents; and hence the works of its members, such as those of Matthew Paris, Rishanger, John de Cella, Roger Wendover, and John de Trokelowe are among the most authoritative contemporary records of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.2 Pre-eminent among their number is MAT- Matthew THEW PARIS, the historian, the traveller, the politician, d. 1259. the monk, and the courtier, and a comparison of his Historia Major with the Chronica of Hoveden affords decisive proof of the advance above described in this species of composition. Instead of an almost colourless narrative, we are presented with a series of brilliant historical criticisms, and although the change may in some measure be due, as professor Stubbs suggests, to the altered policy of the clergy, who found themselves compelled to abandon their former position of political neutrality for one of active partisanship, it is also undoubtedly to be regarded as one of the manifestations of that new spirit infused into the age. 1 Matthew Paris states that in the stables of the abbey set apart for the use of guests and strangers, there were stalls for nearly 300 horses. Chron. Maj. ann. 1252. 2 Chronica Monasterii S. Albani. Edited by H. T. Riley. II vols. R. S. 1863-76. It may here be worth while to caution students against the misapprehension that a Chronicle associated with the name of a particular religious house is exclusively concerned with its special history. Sometimes, like the Annales Monastici, they incorporate documents of great national importance which had been sent to the monastery to be transcribed. See on this point the Preface to the third volume of Hardy's Descriptive Catalogue, &c. p. xx. ; and also, for some interesting observations and facts relating to the character and 'mechanical structure' of our earlier chronicles, professor Earle's Preface to his Parallel Chronicles, pp. CHAP. IV. His Historia Major. John de Cella and The Historia Major of Matthew Paris,―of the latter part of which his Historia Anglorum (or Historia Minor) is chiefly an abridgment, though containing some additional facts,-extends from the Creation to the year 1259. The much controverted question, as to the relative claims of Matthew and Roger of Wendover to be considered the original author, has been finally set at rest by the valuable Prefaces of Mr. Luard to his edition of the larger work. He concludes that the Historia Major up to the year 1189 was the work of John de Cella, abbat of St. Alban's during the years 1195 to 1214; that it was then continued by ROGER OF WENDOVER on the same plan and from the same sources to the year 1235, the whole work up to this date subsequently passing, for a long time, as the production of the latter writer exclusively, and being known as the Flores Historiarum; that it was then transcribed by Matthew Paris, who, however, made numerous corrections and additions, but, in the opinion of professor Stubbs, 'interpreted' rather than interpolated;' that it was then continued by the same writer, and is, from 1235 to the year 1259, exclusively his work. In style, in vividness of narration, and in descriptive power, Matthew greatly surpasses his two predecessors. He has also received the praise, very generally, of being a warm advocate of English rights and liberties, and a sturdy opponent alike of regal and 2 Matthæi Parisiensis Monachi Sancti Albani, Chronica Majora. Edited by H. R. Luard. R. S. 1872-80. [Vol. i., the Creation to A.D. 1066; vol. ii. A.D. 1066-1216; vol. iii. 1217-1239; vol. iv. 1240-1247; vol. v. 1248-1259]. Matthæi Parisiensis Historia Anglorum, sive, ut vulgo dicitur, Historia Minor. A.D. 1067-1253. Edited by Sir Frederic Madden. 3 vols. R. S. 1866-69. [The Chronica Majora are often designated the Historia Major.] 2 This work has also been edited by Mr. H. O. Coxe for the English Historical Society. He considers that for the period A. D. 1200-1235 Wendover may be looked upon as an original writer, and that here his character as an historian is unimpeachable. papal tyranny: in fact, the national sentiment may be said first to receive adequate expression in his pages. His History, moreover, is not only the best source of information with respect to events in England, but is also an authority as regards continental affairs, especially those of France and the Empire. CHAP. IV. Trivet. The Chronica of WILLIAM RISHANGER,' also a monk William Rishanger. of St. Alban's, was formerly known as his continuation of Matthew Paris. It embraces the period A.D. 12591306, and is in many respects identical with the Annales of NICHOLAS TRIVET, a history of the Angevin dynasty Nicholas in England, both authors having evidently drawn to a great extent from the same sources.3 Trivet was a Dominican friar who had been educated at Oxford and at Paris, at which latter university he collected many of his materials for his history. He assigns as his motive for undertaking the work, the comparative neglect with which, after the death of John, historical writers had treated English affairs. For the reign of Edward I., Trivet's Annals are a contemporary record. The work is one of high merit, whether regarded as a literary production or simply as a clear and accurate narrative of events. For the reign of John, besides the Historia Major, we Walter de have a very valuable contribution in the Memoriale of Coventry. WALTER DE COVENTRY, a compilation made in one of the fen monasteries, probably Crowland or Peterborough. 1 Willelmi Rishanger Chronica et Annales, forming vol. iii. of the Chronica Monasterii S. Albani. Edited by Mr. Riley. R. S. 2 Annales sex Regum Angliae qui a comitibus Andegavensibus originem traxerunt. Edited by Mr. Hog. E. H. S. 1845. It is to be noted that Trivet makes up the number 'six' by including Geoffrey of Anjou, the husband of Matilda, and the original wearer of the planta genista. He speaks of Henry II. as 'primus eorum regum qui a comitibus Andegavensibus duxerunt originem secundum lineam masculinam' (p. 31). 3 Mr. Gairdner (Early Chronicles, p. 265) seems, however, to have clearly established the conclusion that Rishanger's work is borrowed, for the above period, almost entirely from that of Trivet. T |