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Manuscript Description
Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Ii.5.41
 
Title:De Proprietatibus Rerum
Author:Trevisa's translation of Bartholomeus
Contents:Bartholomeus De proprietatibus Rerum translated into English by Trevisa; and Liber Arismetice demonstratiue Jordani
Language:English
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Dialect:LP 461; County: Hunts
Material:Paper
No of Folios:2 stubs and two leaves of newer paper as flyleaves + 1 folio parchment title page + 343 paper folios of Bartholomeus + folios 345-368 parchment 14th century arithmetical text +2 folios plus 2 stubs of newer paper for flyleaves.
Pagination:Modern pencil foliation in upper outer corners recto; modern pencil counting and numbering of quires lower outer corner recto of first folio of each quire (Bartholomeus 1-44, 14th century text 45-46) and pencil cross on folio after centre.
Quiring:Usually 8s but sometimes 12
Signatures:Signatures confused, apparently some written by rubricator before writing completed and underestimating how many quires it would take to finish portions of text, some have no letter, just romans i to iiij (especially when no letter to go since rubric quire signatures did this), and letters begin again with 'a' at f182.
Catchwords:By main scribe except folios he did not write (325-336), more than half way across second column in lower margin, unembellished; on f332 scribe D (of ff 325-333va) writes up against right frame line under column b, with stylised scroll around it traced over in red.
Page Size:290 x 215
Frame:4 x vertical and 2 x horizontal creating two columns, not ruled, prick marks for frames at tops, bottoms and sides very fine grey-brown lines.
Writing Space:Varies, ruled for ca. 232 x 75 + 12 + 75 = 232 x 162
Marginal Headings:Rubric chapter headings ('de Rubo') with chapter numbers written in black ink of text in the margins beside them. 14th-century book, 345-68, completely different headings: rubric, apparently not by scribe though writing is similar, in often too little space left for them.
Table of Contents:Contents of Bartholomeus by main scribe, ff. 2-9ra.
Paragraph Marks:Red paraphs, red underlining; yellow wash first few quires only.
Flourished Initials:Unembellished red lombard initials 2-3 lines high.
Other Names (not owners):Title page signed 'SR' but not scribe's handwriting.
Further Information:Handwritten modern note inside front cover says other copies of De Proprietatibus trans. to English in Harl. 614 and Harl 4789. NB: this is the MS of De Proprietatibus Rerum with beginning of Canterbury Tales: see f9rb 'Whanne Aprill with his his' by a hand that appears nowhere else in the MS. Also see Luard catalogue, 3.494.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP