Editing Roger of Howden (section)

==Historical works==
There are two chronicle texts associated with Roger, and though they are clearly related there has been a long academic debate as to whether he authored both. The earlier is the ''Gesta Henrici II et Gesta Regis Ricardi'' (Deeds of Henry II and King Richard). It runs from 1169 to 1192 and much of its content is repeated and revised in the ''Chronica magistri Rogeri de Hoveden'' (Chronicles of Master Roger of Howden) which offers the story of England before Henry II's reign as well as continuing on until 1201. The earlier text was formerly ascribed to [[Benedictus Abbas|Benedict of Peterborough]] but the only connection with him is that the abbot was sent by Roger a draft of the work up until 1177 apparently for his comment.<ref>M. Staunton, ''The Historians of Angevin England'' (Oxford: OUP, 2017), 53–54,</ref> Opinion is now that both works were by Roger and represent different stages of the evolution of the chronicle. It began in 1169 as a journal that he commenced when he joined the royal court. By 1177 Roger had developed ambitions for it and was reframing his ''Gesta'' as a more general chronicle of Angevin England. On his return to England in 1191 he decided that it would form the core of an English history, and he began the major revision that produced the ''Chronica''. For English history before 1148 Roger used the text known as the ''Historia Saxonum sive Anglorum post obitum Bedae'' (History of the Saxons or English, following on from the death of Bede) which was drafted at Durham cathedral priory using the works of Henry of Huntingdon and Symeon of Durham.<ref>M, Twomey, 'Historia Saxonum sive Anglorum post obitum Bedae' in, ''Encyclopedia of the Medieval Chronicle'', ed. G. Dunphy and C. Bratu. consulted 20 January 2021 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2213-2139_emc_SIM_000362]. It remains unedited and is [[British Library]] Royal MS 13 A VI.  See British Library Archives and Manuscripts catalogue: [http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?docId=IAMS040-002106818 Royal MS 13 A VI].</ref> From 1148 to 1170 Roger used the ''[[Melrose Chronicle]]'' (edited for the [[Bannatyne Club]] in 1835 by [[Joseph Stevenson]]) and a collection of letters bearing upon the [[Thomas Becket]] controversy. He also employed material from his journal of the [[Third Crusade]] for the period 1190–1. As an author Howden is usually impersonal, and makes no pretence to literary style, quotes documents in full and adheres to the annalistic method. His chronology is tolerably exact.{{sfn|Davis|1911|p=455}} On foreign affairs and on questions of domestic policy he is very well informed. He abstracted himself entirely from his narrative even when he is known to have been present at what he was recording, as in the mission of 1190 to Marseille. This was clearly his idea as to how the author of a public history should conduct himself. Roger was not without prejudices, however. He disliked King Philip II of France, the enemy of his Angevin masters. He could not bring himself to say anything complimentary of Bishop Hugh du Puiset, whom he had reason to resent. He was outraged at and contemptuous of the impossible conduct of Archbishop [[Geoffrey (archbishop of York)|Geoffrey of York]], his diocesan bishop.