Part 17

[76] From the authority of Tanner and Oldys, we gather that there was formerly a volume in the library of the College of Arms, bearing the following title: "Liber de Actis Armorum et Conquestus Regni Franciae, ducatus Normanniae, ducatus Alenconiae, ducatus Andegaviae et Cenomanniae, &c. Compilatus fuit ad nobilem virum Johannem Fastolff, baronem de Cyllye guillem vel Cylly quotem, &c. 1459, per Pet. Basset armig." (Tanner, Bibliotheca Britannica, 1748, p. 79; Oldys, Biographia Britannica, 1750, iii. 1903, again, p. 1906; and 2nd edit. 1793, v. 701.) Both Tanner and Oldys describe this book as being in the Heralds' Office at London, but it is not now to be found there; and is certainly not a part of the Arundel MS. XLVIII. the contents of which curious and valuable volume are minutely described in the Catalogue of the collection by Mr. W. H. Black, F.S.A.

[77] Bale (Scriptores Brytanniae, vii. 80, Folio, 1557, p. 568,) describes Peter Basset as an esquire of noble family, and an attendant upon Henry the Fifth in his bedchamber throughout that monarch's career. Bale states that this faithful esquire wrote the memoirs of his royal master, very fully, from his cradle to his grave, in the English language; and we find that the work was known to the chronicler Hall, who quotes Basset in regard to the disease of which the king died. It is remarkable, however, that this work, like that formerly in the College of Arms, mentioned in the preceding note (if it were not the same), has now disappeared; and the name of Basset has been unknown to Mr. Benjamin Williams and Mr. Charles Augustus Cole, the editors of recent collections on the reign of Henry the Fifth for the English Historical Society and the series of the present Master of the Rolls, (1850 and 1858,) as also to Sir N. Harris Nicolas, the historian of the Battle of Agincourt, and the Rev. J. Endell Tyler, the biographer of King Henry of Monmouth (2 vols. 8vo. 1838).

[78] Its real author is supposed to have been AEgidius Romanus, or De Columna, who was bishop of Berri, and died in 1316. See Les Manuscrits Francois de la Bibliotheque du Roi, par M. Paulin Paris, 1836, i. 224. It was printed at Rome in 1482, and at Venice in 1598: see Cave, Historia Literaria, vol. ii. p. 340. Thomas Occleve, the contemporary of Chaucer, wrote a poem _De Regimine Principum_, founded, to a certain extent, upon the work of AEgidius, but applied to the events of his own time, and specially directed to the instruction of the prince of Wales, afterwards King Henry V. The Roxburghe Club has recently committed the editorship of this work to Mr. Thomas Wright, F.S.A.

[79] Preface to The Buke of the Order of Knyghthede (Abbotsford Club, 1847,) p. xxiii.

[80] Ames's Typographical Antiquities, by Dibdin, iii. 198. Moule (Bibliotheca Heraldica, 1822, p. 12,) conjectures that this may have been the same with "A Treatise of Nobility," by John Clerke, mentioned by Wood, in his Athenae Oxonienses, as being also a translation from the French; this was printed in 12mo, 1543. (Ath. Oxon. edit. Bliss, i. 205.) In that case the name of _Larke_ is an error of Ames.

[81] Wyer also printed "The Boke of Knowledge," a work on prognostics in physic, and on astronomy (Dibdin's Ames, iii. 199, 200), and "The Book of Wysdome, spekyng of vyces and vertues, 1532." (ibid. p. 175.)

[82] Typographical Antiquities, first edition, iii. 1527.

[83] Mr. B. B. Woodward, F.S.A. the author of a History of Hampshire now in progress, kindly undertook for me to search the records of the city of Winchester in order to discover, if possible, any information in elucidation of this document; but he found them in so great confusion, that at present it is impossible to pursue such an inquiry with any hope of success.

[84] _Here is written above the line, in a later hand_, yn yo^r most noble persone and

[85] _In MS._ whiche whan

[86] _MS._ of

[87] _These words are inserted by a second hand._

[88] _Inserted above the line by a second hand._

[89] _sc._ weight

[90] _MS._ infinitee

[91] _MS._ to

[92] _MS._ if it

[93] _MS._ defoule

[94] _MS._ be that

[95] _MS._ they

[96] _MS._ it is

[97] _The words_ thowsands and _are inserted above the line._

[98] _Added by second hand._

[99] _Altered by second hand to_ youre

[100] _Inserted above the line by a second hand._

[101] _qu._? yet

[102] _Inserted by second hand._

[103] _Added by second hand._

[104] _This passage is inserted by the second hand._

[105] _Added by second hand._

[106] _The Hague._

[107] _So the MS._

[108] _Inserted by second hand._

[109] _Inserted by second hand._

[110] _MS._ cons.

[111] _Inserted by the second hand._

[112] _The word_ king _has been erased, and altered to_ prince.

[113] _The insertion occupying the ensuing page is written by the second hand in the margin._

[114] _Inserted by the second hand._

[115] overthrow _in MS._

[116] _Inserted by second hand._

[117] _Inserted by second hand._

[118] _Inserted by second hand._

[119] _Added in the margin by second hand._

[120] _Added by second hand in the margin._

[121] _Inserted by second hand._

[122] _Inserted by second hand._

[123] _Inserted by second hand._

[124] _So in MS._

[125] _Inserted by third hand._

[126] _Inserted by second hand._

[127] _Inserted by the second hand._

[128] _Inserted by second hand._

[129] ? all.

[130] _Inserted by second hand._

[131] _Inserted by second hand._

[132] _The word_ innocent _is written by some Lancastrian over an erasure_.

[133] _Inserted by second hand._

[134] _Added by second hand._

[135] _Inserted by second hand._

[136] _So in the MS._

[137] _Inserted by second hand._

[138] _So in MS._

[139] _Inserted by second hand._

[140] _Inserted by second hand._

[141] _Inserted by second hand._

[142] _Inserted by second hand._

[143] _So in the MS._

[144] _MS._ youre.

[145] _MS._ of.

[146] _MS._ they owre.

[147] of _in MS._

[148] _Added by second hand._

[149] _Inserted by second hand._

[150] _Inserted by second hand._

[151] _In the margin is here placed the following note respecting Dame Christina of Passy:--_ "Notandum est quod Cristina [fuit] domina praeclara natu et moribus, et manebat in domo religiosarum dominarum apud Passye prope Parys; et ita virtuosa fuit quod ipsa exhibuit plures clericos studentes in universitate Parisiensi, et compilare fecit plures libros virtuosos, utpote _Liber Arboris Bellorum_, et doctores racione eorum exhibicionis attribuerunt nomen autoris Christinae, sed aliquando nomen autoris clerici studentis imponitur in diversis libris; et vixit circa annum Christi 1430, sed floruit ab anno Christi 1400."

[152] _Inserted by second hand in the margin._

[153] _Inserted by second hand._

[154] _MS._ goodis.

[155] _Inserted by second hand._

[156] _MS._ startees.

[157] _So in MS._

[158] Sir John Fastolfe.

[159] _This word has been in the MS. by error altered to_ stode, _which belongs to the next line_.

[160] _So. in MS._

[161] _MS._ wounding.

[162] _This word is written on an erasure._

[163] _So in the MS._

[164] _Inserted by second hand._

[165] _Inserted by second hand._

[166] _Written over an erasure._

[167] _MS._ nede or of.

[168] _Written on an erasure._

[169] _Inserted by second hand._

[170] _So in the MS._

[171] _Inserted by second hand._

[172] _Inserted by second hand._

[173] _MS._ youre.

[174] _Inserted by second hand._

[175] _MS._ Gentiles.

[176] _Written on an erasure._

[177] _Inserted by second hand._

[178] _Written on an erasure._

[179] _Inserted by second hand._

[180] _MS._ excersing.

[181] _Inserted by second hand._

[182] _Inserted by second hand._

[183] _So in MS. sc._ stir?

[184] _So in MS._

[185] _MS._ where.

* * * * *

Corrections made to printed original.

Page xxxvi. "the gate should be delivered up": 'he delivered' in original.

Page 38. "the seneschalcie of Pierregort": 'of of' (across line break) in original.