Robert Fabyan

Robert Fabyan (died c. 1512) was a London draper, Sheriff and Alderman, and the author of The New Chronicles of England and of France, better known as the Chronicle of Fabyan.

Quotes

The New Chronicles of England and of France (1516)

King Henry [I] being in Normandy, after some writers, fell from or with his horse, whereof he caught his death; but Ranulph saith he took a surfeit by eating of a lamprey, and thereof died.

[Henry] passed other men in three things: in wit, in eloquence, and in fortune of battle; and others said he was overcome with three vices: with covetise, with cruelty, and with lust of lechery.

• Kynge Henry beynge in Normādy, after some wryters fell from, or with his horse, whereof he caughte his deth: but Ranulphe sayth, he toke a surfet by etynge of a lāprey, & therof dyed...Than the kynges bowellys were drawen out of his body, & than salted with moche salte, & for to auoyde the stēche which had enfected many men, the body was lastly closed in a bulles skynne, & yet it was not all stynted. He yͭ clēsed the hed, dyed of the stench of the brayne. Than lastly the body was brought in to Englonde, & buryed in the abbey of Redynge, yͭ he had before foūded. Than the fame of hym was blowen abrode as it is blowen of other prynses, & sayd yͭ he passed other men in iii thynges, in wytte, in eloquence, & in fortune of bateyll; & other sayde he was ouercomen with iii vyces, with couetyse, wͭ crueltye, and with luste of lechery.
  • King Henry being in Normandy, after [i.e. according to] some writers, fell from or with his horse, whereof he caught his death; but Ranulph saith, he took a surfeit by eating of a lamprey, and thereof died...Then the king's bowels were drawn out of his body, and then salted with much salt, and for to avoid the stench which had infected many men, the body was lastly closed in a bull's skin, and yet it was not all stinted. He that cleansed the head, died of the stench of the brain. Then lastly the body was brought into England and buried in the abbey of Reading, that he had before founded. Then the fame of him was blown abroad as it is blown of other princes, and [it was] said that he passed other men in three things: in wit, in eloquence, and in fortune of battle; and other[s] said he was overcome with three vices: with covetise, with cruelty, and with lust of lechery.
  • Pt. 1, ch. 229 (s.a. 1135)
  • Death of Henry I of England

The Duke of Clarence...then being a prisoner in the Tower, was secretly put to death and drowned in a barrel of Malmesey wine within the said Tower.

• The duke of Clarence and seconde brother to the kynge thanne beynge prysoner in the towre, was secretely put to deth and drowned in a barell of maluesye wythin the sayde towre.
  • The Duke of Clarence (and second brother to the king) then being a prisoner in the Tower [of London], was secretly put to death and drowned in a barrel of Malmesey [wine] within the said Tower.
  • Pt. 2 (s.a. 1478)
  • Death of George Plantagenet

About Fabyan

• Fabyan's own merits are little more than those of an industrious compiler, who strung together the accounts of his different authorities without any critical capacity. He says expressly that his work was "gaderyd without understandynge," and speaks of himself as "of cunnynge full destitute." Nevertheless he deserves the praise which he has received as an early worker, and for having made public information which through Hall and Holinshed has become the common property of later historians, and has only recently been otherwise accessible.
  • Charles Lethbridge Kingsford, "Fabyan, Robert", Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. (1911) vol. 10, p. 120

External links

• Henry Ellis (ed.) The New Chronicles of England and France, in Two Parts (London: Printed for F. C. & J. Rivington, et al., 1811) — "Reprinted from Pynson's edition of 1516. The first part collated with the editions of 1533, 1542, and 1559; the second with a manuscript of the author's own time, as well as the subsequent editions: including the different continuations."