RANULF HIGDEN'S POLYCHRONICON AND CONTINUATIONS: TEXTS AND MANUSCRIPTS

Ranulf Higden's Polychronicon was the most widely read Latin chronicle of late medieval England. It (and its later continuations) influenced the production of several major chronicles that are frequently employed by scholars of the period, such as the Eulogium historiarum, Henry Knighton's Chronicle, John of Reading's Chronicle, John of Tynemouth's Historia aurea, and Thomas Walsingham's Chronica maiora. The continuations to 1377 are particularly valuable for providing contemporary narratives on the latter years of Edward III's reign, a period which saw hardly any independent historical narrative. Despite this, knowledge of the Polychronicon and its continuations has remained rather opaque and spotty. This article provides an assessment of the texts and manuscripts of the Polychronicon and its continuations to 1377 and beyond and serves as a starting point for further study and the production of much-needed critical editions. It lays out clear details on the development of these texts, including dates of composition and textual relationships. It newly identifies three previously unknown continuations, Crowland (for 1339), Suffolk (1340–73), and Abingdon (1380–1400), and offers information on several little-known continuations past 1377. This article also corrects many errors in previously available knowledge on these texts. It concludes with a detailed list of 188 manuscripts, adding to and correcting the 162 manuscripts scattered across previous works in varying degrees of detail.