In the text and the translation, square brackets are used to indicate authorial interventions and post-medieval annotations, and round brackets are used for editorial interventions.

In the chapters, quotations are given in English unless the original wording is relevant to the discussion.

FRENCH TEXT

Punctuation has been modernised, as also capitalisation of nations and their subjects, and of proper names, with apostrophes being used in relevant cases (as in, for example, d’O). The chronicle's spelling of first names has been retained: in some cases, therefore, we find ‘Guillaume’ and ‘William’ applied to both English and French. The spelling ‘Willam’ is used for some English and Scots.

All abbreviations have been extended. Contextual assumptions have been made on the extension of ‘sire’ and ‘seigneur’. The word for knight is commonly given in the text in abbreviated form: extension has deployed the common French spelling of the period, ‘chevalier’. Where the chronicle's use of ‘u’ rather than ‘v’ would lead to confusion, ‘v’ has been used, for instance in the name ‘Olivier’.

The scribe has sometimes left sizeable gaps between the sections of text. The dimensions of these gaps have not been noted in the transcription. Otherwise, however, there has been an effort to replicate the layout of the chronicle text, in order to emphasise the distinctive list layout.

TRANSLATION

Spellings have been modernised to the most common current usage. Where there is a widely accepted equivalent, French titles are given in English (i.e. ‘sire’ as lord; ‘comte’ as count; ‘duc’ as duke). Other French titles and offices such as vicomte, vidame and bailli have been left in French. The appellation ‘Sire’ given immediately before the first name has been given as ‘knight’ after the person's name.

Identification of places follows the French administrative arrangements at the date of publication of this edition.

Unidentified people and places are indicated in italics.

Translation is an art rather than a science. We have endeavoured to produce a translation which is close to the original but which is comprehensible and readable in a modern setting.