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Manuscript Description
USA, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University, Houghton Library MS Eng. 920
 
Title:Astrolabe
Author:Chaucer
Contents:Chaucer, Treatise on the Astrolabe on ff3-37; Summa chiromantia, ff37v-60v, including drawings of hands on ff59v-60v.
Language:English
Date Range:1475-1500
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Material:Parchment
No of Folios:1 blank flyleaf + 2 blank leaves numbered 1-2 + 58 text block numbered 3-60 + 1 blank flyleaf
Pagination:Modern pencil 1-60 arabic numbers in upper outer corners recto.
Quiring:1-4(8), 5-6(6), 7-8(8)
Signatures:Signatures faint crayon(?) in lower outer corner of rectos first 4 (or 3) leaves each quire, e.g. 'a 2' on f4
Catchwords:By the scribe in same script and ink, running up to close to right frame line with fine ink box around.
Page Size:130 x 80
Frame:Ruled in ink. Pricking visible on the fore-edge of many folios.
Writing Space:85 x 55
Incipits and Explicits:Summary divisions of the text in red ink. On f3 at top, rubric heading by scribe beginning with blue initial, 'Heere begynneth þe tretryce (or tretyyce) of þe decla / racioun vp on þe conclusiouns of þe astrelabie'.
Marginal Headings:Red glosses in margins (fairly rare).
Paragraph Marks:Fine red double slash mark as punctuation.
Flourished Initials:Red and blue initials with no flourishing define the different sections of the text. 6-line red initial on page 3 with red in centre (with white foliage patterns) and red ground (with white patterns); plain blue Lombard initials before rubric headings, alternating plain 2-line red and blue initials at beginnings of sections; plain blue before red headings; stroke of red in initials of new sentences.
Other Names (not owners):On fol. i added by later hands 'John Gowr' and 'F Fox' and 'Oct 11 1788 / pr. GD.; otherwise, just Harvard/Houghton bookplates inside front and back covers. Houghton bought from William Dawson & Son after 1953 as the gift of David P. Wheatland.
Further Information:Houghton Library Link http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/7400889 ; Seymour I: 113-114.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP