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Manuscript Description
Cambridge, St. John's College MS L.1 (235)
 
MS Appellation:M. R. James catalogue 235
Title:Troilus and Criseyde
Author:Chaucer
Contents:Troilus and Criseyde; Testament of Criseide (Henryson) in 17th century hand
Language:English
Date Range:1425-1450
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Material:Parchment
No of Folios:3 paper flyleaves + i parchment flyleaf + 1-128 + 3 paper flyleaves.
Pagination:Originally foliated in pencil on first page of each quire; now has continuous pencil foliation.
Quiring:12
Signatures:Quire signatures in pencil on first leaf of every quire in the hand of M. R. James.
Catchwords:In Troilus and Criseyde section only, scribal catchwords in red ink box.
Page Size:255 x 170
Frame:1 x vertical, 1 x horizontal; occasionally 2 verticals.
Writing Space:235 x 150
Incipits and Explicits:On f119v 'Expl. liber Troili et Criseidis'.
Marginal Headings:Latin glosses
Paragraph Marks:Blue and red extended paraphs to mark stanza divisions similar to lay-out of MS. Additional 12044 (first hand).
Flourished Initials:4-line blue initials with red flourishing mark prohem and book divisions.
Other Names (not owners):Also on f120, the names 'Thomas' 'Wylliam' 'John' 'Margaret basett' Anna bassett'.
Further Information:MS. acquired by St. John's College in 1683. Beadle, R. and J. Griffiths (eds), St John's College, Cambridge, Manuscript L. 1: a facsimile (Woodbridge, 1983). Boffey, J. 'Annotation in some manuscripts of Troilus and Criseyde', English manuscript studies 1100-1700 5 (1995), 3, 12. Butterfield, A. 'Mise-en-page in the Troilus manuscripts: Chaucer and French manuscript culture', Huntingdon Library Quarterly 58 (1995), 49-80. James, M.R. Descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of St John's College, Cambridge. Seymour, M. C. A Catalogue of Chaucer Manuscripts, vol. 1, Works Before 'The Canterbury Tales', pp. 67-68, Aldershot, Hants: Scolar Press, 1995. Windeatt, B.A. (ed.), Geoffrey Chaucer, Troilus & Criseyde: a new edition of 'The Book of Troilus' (London and New York, 1984), 110-113.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP