Digital Index of Middle English Verse: No. 727

DIMEV 727

IMEV 444

NIMEV 444

At Westminster William I-crowned was

Verses on the kings of England, from William the Conqueror to Henry VI — in couplets

Note: Ringler Jr. (1992)

XRingler Jr., William A. Bibliography and Index of English Verse in Manuscript 1501-1558. London: Mansell, 1992; prepared and completed by Michael Rudick and Susan J. Ringler

; TM 224; see also 1472, 5731

Subjects: kings of England

Versification: — two-line — aa

Manuscript Witnesses:

1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Addit. E.7 (SC 29284), roll

First Lines:

The mighty William Duk of Normandy
By Iust tale and by his Cheualry
As olde Bokys to vs makyn mensioun
Made kyng by conquest of brutis of Albioun…

Last Lines:

…Now lord him sende suche gouernaunce
Long to reioise and Regne in his Right

Note: A roll: 192 lines in couplets except last stanza, which uses alternate rhyme (abab); names of the kings appear before each entry

Editions:

MacCracken, Henry Noble, ed. John Lydgate: The Minor Poems, Vol. II: Secular Poems. EETS o.s. 192 (1934); repr. 1961: 717-22.

2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Ashmole Rolls 21 (SC 7081), roll

First Lines:

At Westmyster William icrowned was
The furst day day of Cristemas
A gret thyng after he dude þanne
Made the kyng of Skottys his legeman…

Last Lines:

…And þe x ȝere by and by
He was crowned at Westmyster Parise trywly
He weddid þe kynges douȝter of sisssile margret
The whuch wold to yngland neuer good ne profet

Note: A roll, number 25 in Black (1845)

XBlack, William Henry. Catalogi Codicum Manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Bodleianae…Pars X, A…Catalogue of the Manuscripts bequeathed…by Elias Ashmole. Oxford: Clarendon, 1845

; last two lines added, and followed by further prose notes of the reign

3.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Bodley 131 (SC 1999), ff. 140v-144

First Lines:

Þis myghtty William duke of Northmandy
Þat by iuste tytill And also by chyualery
Conquered this land And kyng bycome
And þe kyng of Scotts he made his legeman…

Last Lines:

…Now lord send hym siche gouernaunce
long to reioyse & reigne in his ryght

Note: 194 lines; variant first three lines influenced by Lydgate’s ‘Kings’ (5731)

4.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Digby 186 (SC 1787), ff. 49v-63v

First Lines:

At Westmynster William he crownnyd was
The fyrste day of Crystynmes
A grete thynge after dyd he þanne
Made þe kynge of Scotland his hegmann…

Last Lines:

…Att Westmynster he had his beryinge
xxxvi ȝere he reigned kynge

Note: Alternating with 5731 up to Edward I, scattered in a prose chronicle

5.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Douce g.2 (SC 22005), roll

First Lines:

This myghty William duke of Normandy
By iuste titel and by chyuelery
Conquerid englond and kynge bycome
And [ ] kynge of Scotts made his legemon…

Last Lines:

…Of vertues lyfe & chosen hym for his knyght
Longe to reioyse in his right

Note: A roll; borrowing lines from 5731 at beginning and end

6.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Rawlinson C.86 (SC 11951), ff. 187-189

First Lines:

The myghte William Duke of Normandy
hat be ryght tytle & be chevalry
Conqueryd Inglond & was kyng euyn
and also the lond g of scottes he wane certen…

Last Lines:

…he raynyd kyng xxxviij ye & more
& is buryed att Wyndesore

Note: Variant beginning echoing 5731; King’s names as headings to each stanza; followed by prose ‘Title of France’

7.Source: London, British Library Cotton Julius D.VIII, ff. 27-31v

First Lines:

[ ]t Westminster Willyam I crovnyd was
The first day of Cristemas…

Last Lines:

…And the x ȝere by and by
At Parysh he was crouned tryly

8.Source: London, British Library Cotton Julius E.IV, ff. 2-9

First Lines:

The miȝti William duke of Normandy
As bokis old makith mension
Bi iuste titill & bi his chivalri
Was king bi conquest of brutes albion…

Last Lines:

…And the x yere by and by
At Parise he was crownid truli

Note: 224 lines; first ten based on 5731

9.Source: London, British Library Harley 78, ff. 69v-72

First Lines:

att Westmynster William Crownyd was
The ffurst daye of Cristemasse…

Last Lines:

…In the x yere by and by
he was Crownyn in parys Trowly

Note: Names of kings at head of each stanza, beginning, ‘William Conquerowr’ f. 69v, and prose notes in margins

10.Source: London, British Library Harley 4205, ff. 1-8

First Lines:

at Westmynster William i crowned was
The fyrste day of Crystemas…

Last Lines:

…And the xe yere by and by
At parys he was crouned truly

Note: 217 lines, with elaborate paintings of kings

11.Source: London, British Library Sloane 1986, ff. 103-110v

First Lines:

At Westmynster William i crownyd was
The furst day then of Crystemas…

Last Lines:

…And in ȝe regne of the xix ȝere verament
þe duke of york whas made of france regent

Note: Additional eight lines at end on reign of Henry VI

12.Source: Aylesford, Earl of Aylesford Kings of England roll

Note: Photocopies in Warwickshire, Warwickshire Record Office Z 155[L], and Coventry, Coventry Archives Acc. 351; heading for Edward IV but no text

13.Source: Hertford, Hertford County Record Office Ref. no. 15857 A (ex box C6)

First Lines:

…[ ] king of s[ ]
Also of [ ]y h[ ]
[ ]glond he [ ]
[ ] regned here [ ]
Be [ ]nd [ ] see he [ ]…

Last Lines:

…And the x yere by and by
Att Paris he was crovnyd truly

Note: A roll; top damaged so that text illegible; first legible words from usual line 4 of the text

14.Source: London, College of Arms, HDN 58 58 [olim Arundel 58], ff. 335v-342v

First Lines:

At Westmynster William I Crovned was…

Last Lines:

…And the x yere by and by
At Parys he was crouned truly

Note: Concluding interpolation in 1193; post-medieval transcription is Cambridge UK, Magdalene College Pepys 2833, ff. 519-526

Editions:

Hearne, Thomas, ed. Robert of Gloucester’s Chronicle. Oxford: at the Theatre, 1724; repr. 1810: 585-95.

15.Source: New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Library Osborn a14, roll

First Lines:

This [ ] William Duk of Normandy
That by Iust tytell And Also by chyualry
Conquered this lond And kynge bycome
And the kynge of scottes made his lechman…

Last Lines:

…And in ȝe regne of the xix ȝere verament
…The vi herry Brougth forth in vertu
By Iuste tytell born by enherytance
Afore provyded by grace of criste Ihesu
To were ii crounes in Englond & ffraunse
Crowned at Westmester þe viii ȝyer of his reigne
And in his x ȝyer a parys in substaunce
Ryally Resseyuyd for lord and souereyn
As rightfull kyng of Englond and ffraunse
To whom oure lord hath gyff suffisaunce
Of wertuous lyfe and chose hym for his kneyte
Now lord hym send such gouernaunce
longe to reigne reioyse and reigne in his reght

Note: Followed by note, ‘Phelop the kyng of ffraunse had Isew in sonnus which iii sonnus deyd with oute Isew, And þen he had a douȝter þat higte Isabell þe wich was Maryed to kyng Edward off Carnaruerne By whom sche had Isew kyng Edward of Wyndesore and after the deth of þis iii sonnus Phelyp þe son off Charlys of Valays was made kyng wich Charlys was Broder to þe forseyd kyng Phelype fadur to Isabell and þus wrongfully dysheryth þe seyd Edward of Wyndesore which was rigfull eyer to Eynglond and ffraunse’ (end of roll); second word illegible due to wear

16.Source: New York, New York Public Library Spencer 193 [olim Sotheby’s 21 November 1972, lot 556], roll

First Lines:

At Westmynster William crowned was
þe first day of Cristenmas…
…After hym reygned his sone full ryȝt
Herry þe v þat ȝonge knycht
[ ] with good [ ]
Was his vncle a[ ]
nyst þe [ ]
& iij þe [ ]…

Last Lines:

…After hym reygnd his sone full ryȝt
þe vj Herry þat noble knyght…

Note: A roll; at end, text partly damaged by damp or wear, and partly lost through loss of last vellum piece

17.Source: New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya Deposit 35 [Sotheby’s, 5 December, lot 40], roll

First Lines:

Edwarde þe first renyde trwly
And sonne he was to kynge herry
He conqueryde than all scottland
And tok Irelande in to his hand…

Last Lines:

…And þe tente yere by and by
At parys he was crownyde truly

Note: Begins with Edward I; roll covers earlier kings, but only in Latin prose; ends in reign of Henry VI.

18.Source: New Haven, Yale University, Beinecke Library, Takamiya Deposit 52, roll

First Lines:

[ ] by ȝonde þe [ ]
In Normandy h[ ]d a hame
And ys buryid in þe toune of Came…

Last Lines:

…And in the x-th ȝere by and by
At parys he was cronyd truly

Note: Damaged at top of first membrane, so part of text at beginning is lost.