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Manuscript Description
Cambridge, Trinity College MS R. 3. 3 (532)
 
MS Appellation:Tc1
Title:Canterbury Tales
Author:Chaucer
Contents:Canterbury Tales (ends incomplete in Parson's Tale).
Language:English
Date Range:1450's by Manly and Rickert; James dates 'Cent. xv (after 1450), in a good rather current hand'. (2.50).
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Dialect:Hooked g scribe
Material:Parchment
No of Folios:130 plus newer paper flyleaves at beginning and end
Pagination:Semi-modern foliation in ink on upper outer corners recto.
Quiring:8s
Signatures:No signatures survive. Modern signatures, just lower-case letters in pencil on the first folio of each quire.
Catchwords:Yes, by the scribe, closer to the text than to the lower edge of the page. They begin in the space ruled for between the columns and extend into the space under the second column. The descenders are extended and criss-cross each other.
Page Size:350 x 246
Frame:4 x vertical enclosing 2 columns, 4 x horizontal enclosing top and bottom lines, ruled inside columns in fine purple lines. One or two folios towards back show pricking at edge.
Writing Space:240 x 160 or 240 x 73 for each column with space between
Incipits and Explicits:In red by scribe at the ends of prologues and tales.
Marginal Headings:Red by the scribe as for example on f77va 'Here endeth the Tale of the Shipman And hiere beginneth a Prolog of the Pardoner with his tale folwing'.
Borders:Bar border on first folio with blue, pink-red, green foliage; sprays in green and gold; sprays along top and bottom, green, gold, pink-red, blue and green.
Illuminated Initials:4-line initial to General Prologue in pink-red, white highlights, gold ground, blue, green
Paragraph Marks:Red highlights of first initial of each line and upper case letters elsewhere.
Flourished Initials:6-line, black with red highlights and tall elongated display script following for first line of a prologue or tale.
Other Names (not owners):Given to Library by Dr. John Fortho (newer front flyleaf).
Further Information:A Catalogue of the Manuscripts Preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge. 5 vols. Vol. 2.50, Cambridge: University Press, 1856-67. Manly, John M. and Rickert, E. The Text of the Canterbury Tales, 8 vols, vol. I, 522-526, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1940. Seymour, M. C. A Catalogue of Chaucer Manuscripts, The Canterbury Tales, vol. 2, pp. 66-69. Aldershot, Hants: Scolar Press, 1997.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP