Gervase of TILBURY

Gervase of TILBURY, a historical writer, born probably at Tilbury in Essex about the middle of the 12th century, and often said, without any foundation, to have been a nephew of King Henry II. of England. He lectured on canon law at Bologna, and was, under the Emperor Otho IV., marshal of the kingdom of Arles, and lastly provost of the nunnery at Ebsdorf. He died about 1235. His chief work is his Otia Imperialia, composed about 1212 for the entertainment of his imperial patron; the first two books consisting of an abstract of geography and history, the third containing a collection of curious beliefs about the 'Veronica,' British sirens, the magnet, and the like. The non-historical portions of the work were edited by Felix Liebrecht (Hanover, 1856). The whole was printed admirably by Leibnitz in vol. i. of Scriptores Rerum Brunsvicensium. Many other works have been attributed erroneously to Gervase of Tilbury. A Liber Facetiarum, or book of anecdotes, he tells us he prepared for Henry II. of England.