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Scribal Profile
Lichfield Scribe
Profiles for this Scribe:
1. England, Lichfield, Cathedral Library MS 29
 
Current Manuscript:England, Lichfield, Lichfield Cathedral Library MS 29
Folios:2-196r
Sampled Folios:70v
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
Image Rights:Reproduced by kind permission of the Chapter of Lichfield Cathedral. All images on this website are reproduced with permission of the Libraries, Archives, and Owners of the manuscripts. Manuscript images that appear on this website remain in the copyright of the libraries where the manuscripts are held. Use of these images for any purpose other than private study without written permission of those libraries is prohibited by law.
 
A
Usage: a
the scribe alternates his anglicana lower case 'a' with the more angular form of version 2.
Usage: shal
Usage: And
the scribe's upper case 'A's are usually variations on this angular theme.
Usage: As
 
D
Usage: douteles
d' with angular lower chamber. The hand is very consistent. There is almost no variation at all in the way in which the scribe forms his graphs.
Usage: word
'd' with tail.
Usage: daungerous
a single graph on the two folios sampled which has a slight variation where the top loop does not quite make connection.
  
 
G
Usage: begge
as with 'd', the scribe's formation of graphs is regular and controlled. There is thus very little variation in any of his letter forms.
Usage: dwellyng
'g' in final position.
Usage: neighbore
where 'h' follows 'g', the 'h' is crossed.
  
 
H
Usage: Methamorphoseos
the first 'h' in this word. The graph has a short neat limb.
Usage: Methamorphoseos
the second 'h' in the word showing that the tail of 'h' may end with a reverse flick.
Usage: He
upper case 'H' showing exactly the same formation of the graph as for the lower case letter.
Usage: sleighte
the scribe does have this slightly different graph with no foot on the stem. The Petworth scribe uses 'h' both with and without a foot.
 
R
Usage: recche
modern 'r' used in all positions and varies little.
Usage: extorcions
'z'-shaped 'r' used only after 'o' and some consonants. There is no otiose tag attached to this scribe's 'z'-shaped 'r' unlike his companion on this manuscript, the Petworth scribe.
Usage: Rymes
Usage: verray
 
S
Usage: douteles
8-shaped 's' used almost exclusively in final position.
Usage: sys
an odd occurrence using sigma 's' at the beginning of the word and kidney 's' at the end. These two graphs are elsewhere little represented.
Usage: see
long 's' used in initial and medial positions. The graph bisects the ruled line with just a tiny part of the tail below.
Usage: Syn
an individual upper case 'S' at the beginning of a line.
 
W
Usage: wounde
the 'w' graph has little variation. The left arm is either spikey as here and in version 3, or smooth as in version 2.
Usage: while
the formation is slightly different but the proportions of the graph are mainly the same.
Usage: What
upper case letter formed in the same way.
Usage: wilt
in this example, 'w' is a little more like the 'w' of the Petworth scribe.
 
Y
Usage: Parfey
Usage: synfully
the final 'y' in this word which has attracted a dot above.
Usage: My
very occasionally there is no return on the tail of 'y'.
  
 
Thorn and Yogh
Usage: þi
thorn is used for pronouns, demonstrative adjectives, adverbs, and the definite article. Thorn is also used in the rubrics.
Usage: þis
Usage: march(a)untȝ
yogh used as representative of the 'tz' sound of the plural.
Usage: nouȝt
the yogh graph is used quite frequently. Also used for 'ȝif', 'ȝit', 'ȝe', and 'ȝoure'.
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: Now
these upper case letters have been deliberately selcted to compare with those of the Petworth scribe in this manuscript.
Usage: That
Usage: I
like the Petworth scribe, the Lichfield scribe has two graphs for 'I' which differ in the headstroke.
Usage: I
there is usually a protuberance on the left side of the vertical in all 'I's of the Lichfield scribe. On some folios, the shadow stroke only accompanies the 'I' where it is at the beginning of a line.
 
p
Usage: prose
there is no spike above the graph in the Lichfield scribe's 'p's.
Usage: p(ro)loge
the descender is shorter and squatter than in the Petworth scribe's 'p'.
Usage: Parfey
  
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP