Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Maps
- Introduction
- 1 The M 9 chronicle and its authors
- 2 The format and content of the M 9 chronicle
- 3 The portrayal of war in the M 9 chronicle
- 4 French in fifteenth-century England: what linguistic choices?
- 5 The post-medieval history of the chronicle and its use by the heralds
- 6 The M 9 chronicle and the histories of the mid-Tudor period
- 7 ‘In the Mids of his Glory’: the M 9 chronicle, ‘A Mirror for Magistrates’, and the tragedy of English imperialism
- The Edition of College of Arms MS M 9 folios 31r–66r
- Appendix: Additional material by William Worcester bound into College of Arms MS M 9
- Bibliography
- Index to chapters and translation footnotes
- Index to text and translation
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Maps
- Introduction
- 1 The M 9 chronicle and its authors
- 2 The format and content of the M 9 chronicle
- 3 The portrayal of war in the M 9 chronicle
- 4 French in fifteenth-century England: what linguistic choices?
- 5 The post-medieval history of the chronicle and its use by the heralds
- 6 The M 9 chronicle and the histories of the mid-Tudor period
- 7 ‘In the Mids of his Glory’: the M 9 chronicle, ‘A Mirror for Magistrates’, and the tragedy of English imperialism
- The Edition of College of Arms MS M 9 folios 31r–66r
- Appendix: Additional material by William Worcester bound into College of Arms MS M 9
- Bibliography
- Index to chapters and translation footnotes
- Index to text and translation
Summary
Between folios 31r and 66v of College of Arms MS M 9 there is a chronicle, in French and on paper, covering the Hundred Years War from Henry V's invasion of 1415 to the arrival of Joan of Arc at the siege of Orléans in May 1429. The chronicle is only known to exist in this one copy. Its incipit at the top of the first folio, in the hand of William Worcester (1415–80/85), secretary of Sir John Fastolf (1380–1459), indicates that it was written for his master in the year of his death. At 18,217 words, the chronicle is relatively short, but it has several unique features. First, it is the only known English chronicle written in French in this period. Secondly, it is characterised by lengthy lists of people, French, English and Scottish, who participated in various battles and sieges, such names being presented in list format down the page, interspersed with narrative passages. Around 700 people are mentioned, along with around 230 places. Thirdly, the coverage of the English conquest of Maine from 1424 onwards, in which Fastolf was heavily involved, is much greater than that found in any contemporary chronicle, whether English or French.
The incipit offers an excellent starting point for the study of this fascinating chronicle but immediately raises questions since Worcester made several amendments to it. In his original version, he ascribed the work to only one author, Peter Basset, an English soldier, described as fighting under Henry V, Bedford and the later commanders in France in the reign of Henry VI. But in Worcester's revisions to the incipit, as indicated below by the italicised passages, a team of authors is indicated, which further marks out this chronicle as unusual. Those added are Christopher Hanson – who also appears twice in the narrative of the chronicle – who is described as a German who had previously served Thomas Beaufort, duke of Exeter (d. 1426), and Luket Nantron, a Parisian who was described as a clerk in the service of Fastolf. Worcester also ascribed to himself a supervisory role through the expression ‘per diligenciam’.
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- A Soldiers' Chronicle of the Hundred Years WarCollege of Arms Manuscript M9, pp. 1 - 8Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2022