Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Chronicon Pontificum et Imperatorum by Martin Polonus is in Late Medieval Books.
In the year of our Lord 1264, a comet appeared so remarkable that no one then living had ever seen the like. For, rising in the east with great brightness, it drew a shining tail as far as the middle of the sky towards the west; and although it may perhaps have signified many things in different parts of the world, this one thing is certainly known, that since it lasted for more than three months, when it first appeared Pope Urban began to fall ill, and on the same night on which the pope died [2nd October 1264], the comet disappeared.
Anno Domini 1264. Cometes taın notabilis apparuit, qualem nullus tune vivens ante vidit. Ab oriente enim cum magno fulgore surgens, usque ad medium emisperii versus occidentem comam perlucidam protrahebat, et licet in diversis partibus mundi forte multa significaverit, hoc tamen unum pro certo conpertum est, ut cum plus quam per tres menses duraverit, ipso primo apparente papa Urbanus cepit infirmarı, et eadem nocte qua papa expiravit et cometes disparuit.