Earliest representation of St Francis preaching to birds. The Chronica Majora has long been considered a contemporary attempt to present a universal history of the world. The Chronica is the seminal work of Matthew Paris, a member of the English Benedictine community of St Albans and long-celebrated historian. The work begins with Creation and contains annals up until the year of Paris's death, 1259. The Chronica is one of the most important surviving documents for the history of Latin Europe. (cropped and cleaned)