Scribal Profile Hand 1 | |
| Current Manuscript: | Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 686 |
| Sampled Folios: | 98v |
| Example Page: | Display a full page showing this scribe's hand |
| Image Rights: | Reproduced by permission of The Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. All images on this website are reproduced with permission of the Libraries, Archives, and Owners of the manuscripts. Manuscript images that appear on this website remain in the copyright of the libraries where the manuscripts are held. Use of these images for any purpose other than private study without written permission of those libraries is prohibited by law. |
| A | |||
 | Usage: manere straight sided single compartment 'a' used throughout. |  | Usage: hardyly the two sides are joined by hairline strokes. |
 | Usage: And the basic shape of upper case 'A' is of two triangles one on top of the other. It varies only in the size of the upper compartment. |  | Usage: And letter 'A' from the rubric. |
| D | |||
 | Usage: sadly looped 'd' varies little. |  | Usage: de(ser)ued 'd' with flourish for the final letter of this word which comes at the end of a line. |
 | Usage: hedde |  | Usage: Oxenforddes unlooped 'dd' from the rubric introducing the Clerk's Tale. |
| G | |||
 | Usage: grete the scribe uses various different tails for his tailed 'g's. Here the tail turns to the right. |  | Usage: vsage the tail of 'g' in this example is neatly tucked away clockwise. |
 | Usage: þing the word is on the bottom line allowing the scribe more space to extend the tail. |  | Usage: tought 'ght' combination. |
| H | |||
 | Usage: his as with 'g', sometimes the tail of 'h' is neatly contained beneath the graph. The head is usually open. |  | Usage: vouchesafe sometimes the tail-stroke ends with a small flick to the right. |
 | Usage: vpright |  | Usage: He little visible difference in formation between upper and lower case 'h'. |
| R | |||
 | Usage: confessour modern 'r' used in every position. |  | Usage: vpright 'z'-shaped 'r' used in every position except as initial letter on this folio. Note the slight horn on the top stroke which is not always present but may be an identifying feature. |
 | Usage: frere both 'r's used in this word. The slight upturn on 'z'-shaped 'r' is still present. | ||
| S | |||
 | Usage: his kidney-shaped 's' used in final position. |  | Usage: Save upper case 'S' at the beginning of a line. |
 | Usage: spake the scribe has a more conventional long 's' as in this example. However, the top is sometimes more sharply angled and the stem may be split as in version 4. |  | Usage: demonstratyfe this particular long 's' sometimes with split stem, and sometimes more sharply angled at the top is often used in the 'st' combination. |
| W | |||
 | Usage: with the scribe has a number of variations mainly of the left limb. Here the head-stroke forms a closed loop. |  | Usage: whele here the head-loop is left open. The middle limb and single lobe to the right are the same. |
 | Usage: worthi both limbs have angled feet in this example. |  | Usage: worthi |
| Y | |||
 | Usage: perylle as with 'g' and 'h', the tail of 'y' varies from short to longer, seemingly at random. |  | Usage: lyfe here the tail of 'y' connects with the next letter. |
 | Usage: Youre 'Y' in upper case position at the beginning of a line and tipped with yellow paint. |  | Usage: y sey 'y' used for first person singular pronoun. |
| Long s | |||
 | Usage: first a further example of the 'st' combination. |  | Usage: speke another example of the split stem of 's'. |
 | Usage: host |  | Usage: sophyme |
| Upper Case Letters | |||
 | Usage: Cart |  | Usage: But at least twice on this folio, upper case 'B' has a small loop at the head of the letter. |
 | Usage: Iankyn | ||
| Thorn | |||
 | Usage: þer |  | Usage: þen thorn used as the first letter of the line and filled with yellow paint. |
 | Usage: þe again thorn is used as initial letter of the line. |  | Usage: þei the stem of thorn is usually tapered. |