Advanced Search   *   Manuscripts   *   Scribes   *   Authors   *   Letters
Home   *   About the Project   *   Bibliography
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council
Find What? Search by
Manuscript Description
Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Dd.12.51, part 1
 
Title:Astrolabe
Author:Chaucer
Contents:Astrolabe; Liber lapidum; Latin herbal
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:3 modern paper flyleaves + 1 paper pastedown (numbered i) + 3 older paper flyleaves (ii-iv) + 1 older pastedown (numbered iv) + 66 parchment leaves (64-66 blank).
Pagination:Modern pencil in upper outer corner recto; 1-66
Quiring:12 = 1-5(12) + 6(6)
Signatures:Some early signatures in the ink of the text, thus ai-aiiii; where the folios have been trimmed, other early signatures have been added; modern pencil supplies them on some folios.
Catchwords:12v, 24v, 36v, 48v, 60v.
Page Size:144 x 102 but much cropped in places thus variable page size.
Frame:Square ruled in grey plummet.
Writing Space:105 x 70
Marginal Headings:Headings for some sections in what may be the scribe's display script in the ink of the text; some marginal notes, usually very smudged, in red ink.
Title by Scribe:'Astrolobia' in a slightly darker ink and later than the original work.
Paragraph Marks:Red paraphs precede each heading; much bleeding of ink.
Flourished Initials:Red initials with no flourishing; some of 3 lines in depth, other smaller Lombard capitals; all undecorated.
Other Names (not owners):No evidence of ownership.
Miscellaneous Info:A small manuscript; handy for reference or for carrying around. No diagrams for this Astrolabe text.
Further Information:Seymour, M. C. A Catalogue of Chaucer Manuscripts, vol. 1, Works Before 'The Canterbury Tales', p. 113. Aldershot, Hants: Scolar Press, 1995.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP