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. 140
v-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. 49
v-63
v
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’
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. 69
v-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. 103-110
v
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
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. 335
v-342
v
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