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Scribal Profile
John Shirley
Profiles for this Scribe:
2. London, British Library MS Additional 16165
 
Current Manuscript:London, British Library MS Additional 16165
Folios:3 + 4-258
Sampled Folios:57r
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A
Usage: tyraunt
simple single compartment 'a'.
Usage: and
'a' with more angular compartment.
Usage: as
Shirley's 'a's have a number of extravagant forms one of which is seen here.
Usage: And
an individual upper case 'A'.
 
D
Usage: stadye
'd' is looped and generally rounded.
Usage: meed
the final 'd' in a word almost always has a descending tag.
Usage: goode
where 'e' follows 'd' it is ligatured and configured as in this version.
  
 
G
Usage: gode
tailed 'g' with tail which turns first clockwise and then changes direction to form a loop at the bottom of the tail.
Usage: furlong
'g' in final position with horizontal slash with descending tag attached.
Usage: right
Usage: igitur
horned 'g' in the Latin heading to Prosa 3.
 
H
Usage: him
'h' is mostly regularly formed as here with neat and contained limb and tail-stroke.
Usage: forþwith
crossed 'h' in this combination, but Shirley does not always cross the 'h' in 'th'.
Usage: right
in the combination 'ght', the 'h' is almost always crossed.
Usage: lordshipes
very occasionally the tail-stroke flicks to the right.
 
R
Usage: shrewes
the shape of 'r' varies little. On this folio no other form of 'r' is used.
Usage: right
Usage: igitur
'r' from the rubric, perhaps in the display hand of Shirley.
Usage: Chaucier
from the heading at the top of the folio. 'r' with decorative flourish.
 
S
Usage: vices
always used in final position.
Usage: as
Usage: cleernesse
long 's' is used in initial and medial positions. There are two types of headstroke for long 's' which are employed by Shirley and both are demonstrated in this example. The first with angled head is often found preceding 'h' where it angles down and joins the looped head of 'h'.
Usage: so
the rounded head-stroke is not usually attached to the following graph.
 
W
Usage: wicked
the formation of 'w' does not vary a great deal.
Usage: forþwith
Usage: wight
although in the middle of a sentence, this word occurs at the beginning of a line, hence the rather exuberant treatment of the first letter by Shirley.
  
 
Y
Usage: tyraunt
the tail of 'y' varies in length and spread.
Usage: many
Usage: tirannyes
  
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: And
Usage: Prosa
the opening of the title for the Prosa.
Usage: SEest
the opening of the text with initial decorated in penwork in the ink of the text.
Usage: Videsne
 
Thorn
Usage: þer
Shirley makes frequent use of thorn. Used for definite article, adjectives, pronouns and verb endings.
Usage: lackeþe
generally formed in this way with longish descender which tapers and appears slightly curved.
Usage: forþwith
Usage: lyþe
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP