English MS 104

Brut Chronicle (1415 Continuation), end of 15th century

Size: 262 x 192 mm. ii + 133 folios.

An incomplete late fifteenth-century manuscript of the Brut Chronicle, from chapter 101 onwards and ending imperfectly in 1415. Several leaves are missing.

The Brut Chronicle, is the earliest prose chronicle in English and was the most popular history of England in the Middle Ages, with over 240 manuscript copies surviving, as well as thirteen editions printed before 1528. Many mythical elements are incorporated, such as the founding of Britain by Brutus of Troy (from which the title comes) and the King Arthur legend, though the narrative becomes more detailed and factual the nearer it gets to contemporary events.

There are numerous 3-line initials, alternating in burnished gold and blue ink, with penwork infill and flourishes in red and brown ink respectively. There are numerous 16th-century drawings in the margins, including two bearded figures resembling Henry VIII, and a squirrel.

Former owners may have included Thomas Rous of Rous Lench, Worcestershire, and his son John Rous (1516-1604), who married the daughter of Sir Edward Montagu, Chief Justice of King's Bench.

English MS 104

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