Manuscript Description London, British Library, Harley 3954 | |
Title: | Piers Plowman, A version |
Author: | Langland |
Contents: | Prose text of Mandeville's travels, illustrated, ff1-69v; verse texts on ff70-88; blank 2 unnumbered leaves and one blank numbered 89 because drawing on recto of head; Piers Plowman on ff90-123v incomplete(?) (AB splice). |
Language: | English and Latin |
Date Range: | 15th century |
Scribal Hands: | Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms. |
Dialect: | LP : 4103; County : S Norfolk |
Material: | Parchment |
No of Folios: | 2 paper flyleaves, the first marbled + parchment text pages ff1-123 + parchment flyleaf blank except started to draw cross with text around on recto, verso is dirty as if originally exposed + 2 paper flyleaves, the second marbled. |
Pagination: | Modern pencil foliation in upper outer corners recto, 1-124. |
Quiring: | 8s but shaped like holster book. |
Signatures: | No signatures visible. |
Catchwords: | By scribe, several words starting about middle beneath verso text column and not running up to frame line, no decoration. |
Page Size: | 290 x 145 |
Frame: | Square frame with top line inside frame, ruled within in very faint fine grey lines, pricking survives on outer edges of a few leaves, eg f119. |
Writing Space: | (Piers) 212 x 95 ruled for, most lines shorter. |
Incipits and Explicits: | On f123v, rubric, 'Explicit tractus de perys plowman quod herun'. |
Marginal Headings: | Rubric marginal glosses; Latin lines are rubric; headings of passus which are called 'parte's of 'þis boke', eg f101r 'Thys is þe thryede part of þis book ho þe kyng concelye mede to be maryid'. |
Title by Scribe: | On the top of f92 by sribe, rubric 'Perys Plowman'. |
Flourished Initials: | Mandeville's Travels is illustrated; same red initials as in Piers. |
Other Names (not owners): | The scribe's name 'Herun' on f123v, 'Explicit tractus de perys plowman quod herun' written by scribe's hand in rubric, followed by black ink next line 'Qui cum patre & spiritu sancto viuit & regnat per omnia secula seculorum Amen'. |
Miscellaneous Info: | The last lines are: 'With a pater noster to þe paleys of heuene With outyn penauns at hys partyng to comyn to blys'. |
Further Information: | Harley Catalogue. It looks as though this may have been originally two booklets with 3 blanks after f88 marking the break, 'Piers' separate; but same scribe writes all of this MS. |