John Hardyng, Chronicle : Edited from British Library MS Lansdowne 204: Volume 1

One of the few texts written in the twilight years of Henry VI’s reign, John Hardyng’s first Chronicle, completed in 1457, offers the observations, hopes, and anxieties of a gentleman soldier who participated in the key events that defined his era. Born in Northumbria, Hardyng was a royal spy sent to investigate Scotland’s unrest. He later incorporated his extensive knowledge of Scottish politics into his Middle English Chronicle, documenting the history of British kings, including mythological figures like Lear and Arthur. His text advises the English crown on themes like the body politic, war, lawlessness, justice, and self-governance in the troubled period preceding and during the War of the Roses. Volume 1 contains the Prologue and first three books. Transcribed from MS Lansdowne 204, this edition presents not only the first complete edition of the Chronicle but also offers insight into the material conditions of its composition, discovered during the British Library’s multispectral imaging.