Abstract
A vivid, anonymous eyewitness account of events in Palestine leading to the Third Crusade, usually referred to by the tide Chronicon ierrae sanciae, tells of the sufferings of the Christians which took place before the fall of Jerusalem in 1 1 87. Beginning with the death of Baldwin V, King of Jerusalem, in August 1 1 86, it recounts in rhetorical style the renewal of hostilities by Saladin against the Latin states, leading to the capture of the Holy Cross at the Battle of Hattin and ultimately the capture of Jerusalem. The exploits of the military orders of the Knights Templar and Hospitaller are prominent in the account. The Chronicon was edited most accessibly by Joseph Stevenson for the Rolls Series in 1875 (under the editorial tide Ubellus de expugnatione ierrae sanciae per Saladinum}} It is transmitted by four manuscripts, three of them also containing the chronicle compiled by Ralph, abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Coggeshall from 1207 until his retirement in izi8.2 It was on the basis of this association that John Bale (£.1495- 1 563) attributed the Cbronicon ierrae sanctae to Ralph, and it entered the bibliographical tradition under the abbot's name and with that tide.3 William Stubbs was clear that die work could not have come from Ralph's pen.4 But die image of die spent crusader retiring to die cloister to take up die writing of history is an appealing one, and die false attribution has been repeated even quite recendy.5 In fact, as Stubbs made clear (followed by Stevenson), die account of events in die Holy Land that can be found in Ralph's chronicle and die account given by die Chronicon ierrae sanciae bear no relation to each other either stylistically or in tone, and they tell much of die same story in very different ways and with reference to different, and sometimes inconsistent, details.6 Instead of die normally neutral, annaustic voice used by Ralph, who drew his information at second hand, the author of die Chronicon terrae sanciae employs a rhetorical mode in a work which aims at die quality of memoir.One of die purposes of dus article is to enlarge upon die few details which have been assembled towards die question of authorship. Stevenson noted dial die military orders feature prominendy throughout die text and receive much praise, allowing die speculation that 'die writer may possibly have been connected with one or both of diese great military Orders'.7 Of die two, die Templars always receive priority in die account. He also noted that die author's interest in Essex affairs was shown by die several laudatory notices given to Ralph de Alta Ripa, archdeacon of Colchester, first for his taking die cross, then in recounting his death in the Holy Land.8 While the identity of the author of the Cbronicon terme sanctae must remain unknown, it may be possible to put Stevenson's insights on a firmer footing. The larger purpose of this article is to demonstrate how Abbot Ralph and the monks of Coggeshall have a pivotal role in the text's transmission: they may be seen at work not only in respect of the manuscript witnesses but also with regard to an intervention in the text itself. The matter of the transmission of the Chronicon ierrae sanctae helps to open an unexpected window on to the historiographical ambitions of Ralph and his community.9The identification of Coggeshall as the centre of the text's early transmission is a matter in which the manuscript evidence plays strongly, and I will turn to this question in the main part of this article. First, it is necessary to examine a curious feature of the text itself, for it is the case that the narrative appears to be the work of two separate personalities. From the declamatory opening apostrophe, modelled on the opening formula of letters from the Christians of Palestine to the princes of the West ('Quantis pressuris et calamitatibus oppressa sit et contrita Orientaus ecclesia a pagaras'), to the grandiloquent narrative of events leading to the spoliation of the Holy Sepulchre, the authorial voice is coherent. …
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call