Editing Matthew Paris (section)

{{Short description|13th-century English monk, historian, and illustrator}}
{{For|the British newspaper columnist and former MP|Matthew Parris}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Matthew Paris
| image              = File:BritLibRoyal14CVIIFol006rMattParisSelfPort.jpg
| caption            = Self-portrait of Matthew Paris from the original manuscript of his ''Historia Anglorum'' (London, [[British Library]], MS Royal 14.C.VII, folio 6r
| birth_date         = {{circa}}&nbsp;1200
| birth_place        = possibly [[Hildersham]], [[Cambridgeshire]], England
| death_date         = 1259 (aged {{circa}} 59)
| death_place        = [[St. Albans]], [[Hertfordshire]], England
| occupation         = Historian<br/>Author<br/>Cartographer<br/>Painter
| notable_works      = {{Lang|la|[[Chronica Majora]]}}<br/>''[[Flores Historiarum]]''
}}
'''Matthew Paris''', also known as '''Matthew of Paris''' ({{langx|la|Matthæus Parisiensis|lit=Matthew the Parisian}};<ref>[[John Allen Giles]] (translator), ''Matthew Paris' English history, from 1235 to 1273'', Publ. 1852. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=6DwIAAAAQAAJ&q=matthew+paris&pg=PR5 page v])</ref> {{circa}}&nbsp;1200 – 1259), was an [[English people|English]] [[Benedictine]] monk, [[English historians in the Middle Ages|chronicler]], artist in [[illuminated manuscript]]s, and cartographer who was based at [[St Albans Cathedral|St Albans Abbey]] in [[Hertfordshire]]. He authored a number of historical works, many of which he scribed and illuminated himself, typically in drawings partly coloured with watercolour washes, sometimes called "tinted drawings". Some were written in Latin, others in [[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-Norman]] or [[Old French|French]] verse. He is sometimes confused with the nonexistent [[Matthew of Westminster]].

His {{Lang|la|[[Chronica Majora]]}} is a renowned Medieval work, in many cases being a key source for mid-13th century Europe, partially due to his verbose insertion of personal opinions into his narrative and his use of sources such as records, letters, and conversations with witnesses to events including the English king [[Henry III of England|Henry III]], earl [[Richard of Cornwall]], the Norwegian king [[Haakon IV]], a number of English bishops, and many others. Modern historians recognise Paris's biases. He often tended to glorify Holy Roman Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] and denigrate the pope,<ref>Peter Jackson, ''Mongols and the West'', p. 58</ref> expressing strong criticism of centralised church authority and at times royal power. However, in his ''Historia Anglorum'', Paris displays a highly negative view of Frederick, going as far as to describe him as a "tyrant" who "committed disgraceful crimes".<ref>Matthew Paris, 'Matthew Paris on Staufer Italy'. In Jessalyn Bird, Edward Peters, and James M. Powell, ''Crusade and Christendom: Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre, 1187–1291'', p.405</ref>