The Black Book of Paisley, and Other Manuscripts of the Scotichronicon; With a Note Upon John de Burdeus or John de Burgundia, Otherwise Sir John Mandeville, and the Pestilence (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ISfcuft ISoofc of What It is. In the Royal Collection, in the British Museum, there is preserved a Manuscript, 13 E. X., known as " The Black Book Of Paisley." It is a large, stout vellum folio written in double columns, but so far as colour goes it now belies its name, as it is bound in red. The bookbinder has lettered it " Scoti Chronicon Per Johan. De Fordun Et Walter. Bower. Black Book Of Paisley." A note upon the fly-leaf says: ? " Scoticronicon inceptum per Johem de Fordun Aberden. Caplanum et completum per Walterum Bower St Columbe Abbatem 1447. Quinque Libros Fordon undenos Bower arabat." These two inscriptions correctly describe the volume, which, as was long since' pointed out, is a transcript of John of Fordun's Chronicle, as continued and enlarged by Bower. Our information regarding John of Fordun2 is very meagre, and his ' Nicolson, Scottish Historical Library, p. 26, (3rd Edit., Lond., 1736), originally published in 1702; Innes' Critical Essay, pp. xxiv. 201, 210, (Lond., 1729). 3 In the Register of Moray, mention is made both of the Church and a Chapel of Fordun; and in the Register of Arbroath, we find Symon, Chaplain and Vicar of Fordun, circa 1221 and 1241. (Liber S. Thome de Aberbrothoc, Vol. I., pp. 179, 185.) During the period in which the historian flourished, there was a William de Fordun, who occupied a somewhat prominent position. In 1328 and 1329, he is mentioned as being in receipt from the Chamberlain of Scotland of ten merks a year, until some more lucrative promotion is found for him, which happened in the latter year. (Exchequer Rolls, I., pp. 114, 208, Lord Clerk Register Series). The office to which he was appointed was that of Depute-Clerk of the Audit, (U, contemporaries had little more. Of his personality we have ...