Matthaei Parisiensis Chronica majora

A Church of England clergyman and fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, Henry Richards Luard (1825-91) edited a number of works in the Rolls Series, for which he was noted for the quality of his indexing and the depth of his commentary. This seven-volume work, first published between 1872 and 1883, has been hailed as one of the best editions in the series. It is a rich source for English history from the Creation to 1259, written by England’s greatest medieval historian. Matthew Paris (c.1200-59) became a monk at St Albans in 1217 and had access to a wide variety of documents as an acquaintance of such men as Bishop Robert Grosseteste and King Henry III, whom he knew well. Volume 2, covering 1067-1216, derives mainly from the work of Roger of Wendover, and is particularly fascinating in its discussion of the background to Magna Carta.