Manuscript Description USA, Cambridge, MA, Harvard, Houghton Library, Eng. 920 | |
Title: | Treatise on the 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: | 1420's? |
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, eg 'a 2' on f4r |
Catchwords: | By scribe in same script and ink, running up close to right frame line with fine ink box around |
Page Size: | 130 x 80 |
Frame: | Drawn in ink and ruled |
Writing Space: | 85 x 55 |
Marginal Headings: | Red glosses in margins (fairly rare). |
Title by Scribe: | f3r 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' |
Paragraph Marks: | Fine red double slash mark as punctuation |
Flourished Initials: | 6-line red initial on f3r 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 fi 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: | Harvard catalogue on-line |