In a brief epilogue, the apostle justifies himself for having thus addressed the Roman Christians.
It is also an opinion largely held that the prophetic epilogue in xvi.
The latter part of this work, covering the years 1199-1209, is perhaps an attempt to redeem the promise, which he had made in the epilogue to the Chronica, of a continuation dealing with the reign of John.
These were rhymed but also alliterative, in regular form, with prologue or mansong (often the prettiest part of the whole), main portion telling the tale (mostly derived in early days from the French romances of the Carlovingian, Arthurian or Alexandrian cycles, or from the mythic or skriik-segur), and epilogue.
It is preceded by a prologue, and followed by a humorous epilogue, in Latin adapted to subjects of the moment.