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Manuscript Description
London, British Library MS Additional 22139
 
Title:Confessio Amantis
Author:Gower
Contents:Confessio Amantis + 4 Chaucerian Lyrics on f138r
Language:English and Latin
Date Range:1450-1475
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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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:1 marbled matches pastedown + 3 heavy paper flyleaves + 2 older, lighter paper flyleaves + 138 folios (not counting missing ones) + 3 heavy paper + 1 marbled
Pagination:Modern pencil, upper outer corners recto, not counting missing leaves so consecutive even though obviously missing.
Quiring:8s
Signatures:No signatures remain.
Catchwords:For ff1-71 by scribe A, the catchwords are either not by scribe or in a much less formal version of script--looks like different hand, see catchwords on f71vb 'how first sche might' has large distorted oval lower lobe of 'g
from f72 onward, by scribe B running up to right frame line, and sometimes but not always in elaborate scrolls with same pinkish decoration.
Page Size:355 x 255
Frame:4 x vertical enclosing two columns, 4 x horizontal enclosing top and bottom lines, ruled within columns, brown crayon(?) or ink, often very faint.
Writing Space:266 x 178 in two columns 80 + 15 + 83
Incipits and Explicits:Usual Confessio ending, identifying Gower.
Marginal Headings:Rubric headings in Latin, written in text block not in margins; all Latin in rubric and anglicana formata whereas text is ordinary anglicana; marginal glosses/commentary in same pinkish rubric, all by main scribe.
Borders:Bar borders of blue, gold and rose, sprays in upper and lower margins; other divisions gold letters on blue and rose grounds with sprays into margins up and down, trefoils and gold balls.
Illuminated Initials:Most of first leaf cut out (crest with coat of arms remains at bottom of page), also first leaf of Book 2; beginnings of books that remain have 2-4-line blue initials with white highlighting on gold grounds with rose inside.
Flourished Initials:One-line initials, several per column, alternating blue with red flourishing and gold with purple flourishing; some initials on top lines, especially toward end, are extended and some of these have strapwork, as for example on f137rb.
Other Names (not owners):First older paper flyleaf at front, with 22139 stamped at top edge, 'Purchased of Tho Kerslake of Bristol 12 Dec 1857
second older paper flyleaf at front, smaller piece of paper mounted to be read on both sides of folio, notes about the loss of leaves on front side, with title 'Acct of þe State of Gower's Confessio Amantis a fine Manuscript wretchedly abus'd; and verso side only partly because cut off (as if scrap used for the account on reverse), 'William Forbes Leith Esq / Younger of / Whitehaugh'.
Further Information:Re dating: The Additional catalogue says '1432' written in the shield on remains of f1; it looks more like 1733 and it is written over the original shield/coat of arms. That is, one can see there was an original shield with red border but this completely washed out, a new larger shield outlined in black over it, extending further into lower margin, with three smaller shields drawn inside it and a date written over, all in black ink and later than original MS decoration.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP