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. |
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. |