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Worcester, Worcestershire: Old History Book (1854)

 

"The Chronicle of Florence of Worcester: With the Two Continuations; Comprising Annals of English History, from the Departure of the Romans to the Reign of Edward I."

by Florence (of Worcester), John (of Worcester), John de Taxster, translated by Thomas Forester, published by H.G. Bohn.

Published 1854


Extract -

Pages x-xi

With respect to the authorship of the first Continuation, independently of what may be gathered from a careful examination of the passage in Ordericus, there is internal evidence that it was compiled by a monk of Worcester named John, who was contemporary with the events which he records. One of these circumstances is sufficiently indicated by an entry under the year 1038, in which the writer says,
"Be JOHN corrected, if there aught occur
In which the reader finds his pages err."

That he was contemporary with the occurrences which he relates appears incidentally from his mode of speaking of King Stephen, where he says: "He was, nay is, at the present moment, desirous of peace." He mentions Henry de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, and Milo, Earl of Hereford, as living characters from whom he had received certain information, indicating that he had access to the highest sources of intelligence.

The most striking passage in the volume is, perhaps, that in which he paints, as an eyewitness, the fearful scenes which occurred during an assault on Worcester by the partisans of the Empress Maud, when an infuriated rabble burst into the abbey church while he and the rest of the monks were chanting primes in the choir.

Indeed, like his predecessor Florence, he is naturally more diffuse and circumstantial than other chroniclers regarding occurrences connected with Worcestershire, the neighboring counties, and the borders of Wales.

The first Continuation of Florence brings the annals down to the close of the year 1141, the period of Stephen's captivity after losing the battle of Lincoln. As several of the manuscripts, however, terminate with the year 1131, it has been supposed that the history of the last ten years was the work of another contemporary writer. But so far from there being internal evidence of any such change, the entry in which John, the monk of Worcester, introduces his own name, was inserted as late as 1138. While, therefore, there is no reason to doubt that the original Chronicle is the genuine production of Florence, the authorship of the first Continuation may be safely ascribed to John, the monk of Worcester, who was probably his disciple, and on whom his mantle worthily fell.
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Location: Worcester, UK

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