Page:Chronicles of the Picts, chronicles of the Scots, and other early memorials of Scottish history.djvu/27

PEEFACE. XIX in the Colbertine MS., from which it has been printed. This MS. is of the fourteenth century, and has evidently been transcribed at York, by Eobert de Populton, as there appears in folio 211, " Ora pro Popilton qui me compilavit "Eboraci," and again at folios 213 and 262, " Ora "pro fratre Koberto de Populton."* He ajDpears to have transcribed it from another MS., and not always correctly.^ It contains five pieces relating to the early history of Scotland, all of which are printed in this collection ; and these pieces seem to have been known to Eanulph Higden, as he quotes from them in his " Polichronicon," while the preface, and a great part of his chronicle, down to the reign of Edward the Third, is contained in this MS., the last year mentioned being the year 1316. The Pictish Chronicle, which is the most im- portant piece in this MS., consists of three parts : first, a preface, containing passages extracted and adapted from the " Origines " of Isidore of SeAdlle ; secondly, a list of Pictish kings, from Cruithne, the eponymus of the race, to Bred, the last king ; and, thirdly, a chronicle of the kings 1 On 19th May 1334 the Arch- bishop o£ York mentions " Wil- " liam de Poijulton seneschal of " our hospice." ^ At page 6, line 35, he has " Nectonius in vita julie rtianens" which has no meaning, and has probably been incorrectly copied. On referring to the facsimile, a line seems to be omitted, the one ending with m, and the next be- ginning with liens. At page 9, line 5, he has " Ciri- " ciumfilium,'" omitting the name of the father, which, from the Irish editions, appears to have been Dungal.