Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 What is Political Prophecy?
- 2 The Second Arthur: The King as hero c. 1135–1307
- 3 Expectation and Disappointment 1307–1340
- 4 Debate and Crusade 1340–1399
- 5 The Imperial Hero 1399–1440
- 6 Cadwallader and the Angelic Voice: The Rationalization of Chaos 1450–1485
- Postscript
- Handlist of Manuscripts
- Bibliography
- Index
- Title in the series
Postscript
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 What is Political Prophecy?
- 2 The Second Arthur: The King as hero c. 1135–1307
- 3 Expectation and Disappointment 1307–1340
- 4 Debate and Crusade 1340–1399
- 5 The Imperial Hero 1399–1440
- 6 Cadwallader and the Angelic Voice: The Rationalization of Chaos 1450–1485
- Postscript
- Handlist of Manuscripts
- Bibliography
- Index
- Title in the series
Summary
Political prophecy did not ‘die’ in 1485. Henry VII also owned a book containing political prophecy. The volume, BL MS Arundel 66, was made specifically for presentation to the king himself. This is a de luxe volume, which was made for presentation to Henry VII as king. On fol. 201r, a historiated initial, executed by three English artists in the fashionable Flemish style, shows two men presenting the book to the king. The king sits enthroned and crowned, whilst two men kneel before him with their hands upon the book. One is a finely-dressed layman, and the other, a scholar, is pointing to the stars, indicating his field of expertise. The book was made in London, as were other books which Henry VII is known to have owned, which contained works on similar subjects.
As it is a de luxe volume, and therefore very expensive, the book is highly unlikely to have been produced speculatively, without prior knowledge of King Henry's tastes. The manuscript's contents may be assumed, therefore, to be either what the king himself ordered, or what someone else was aware that he would like. They include astronomical works, including tables, and two works on geomancy, including that written for Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, youngest brother of Henry V. Alongside these are the ‘Prophecia Merlini’, ‘Bridlington’, ‘Anglia transmittet’, Book Four of Bridget's Revelaciones, and the ‘Prophecia aquile’. All of these prophecies originated in the fourteenth century or earlier; in the case of the first and last of them, in the twelfth century.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Prophecy and Public Affairs in Later Medieval England , pp. 235 - 238Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2000