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Manuscript Description
Oxford, Magdalen College MS Lat. 213
 
Title:Confessio Amantis
Author:Gower
Contents:Confessio Amantis (B version), pp. 1-3b (line 6), 5a-end
Language:English and Latin
Date Range:1450-1475; given to Magdalen by Hunnis in 1608.
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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Dialect:County; Gowerian/colourless
Material:Parchment
No of Folios:Two unnumbered parchment flyleaves at the front, + 377 numbered pages + 378-380 as unnumbered flyleaves at the back.
Pagination:Medieval pagination by the scribe in roman numerals in the top centre margins of both recto and verso pages, i-ccclxxvii.
Quiring:8s
Catchwords:By the scribe in very elaborate scrolls with foliage patterns extending from them. All are in brown ink with shading to make them look 3-dimensional.
Frame:4 x vertical enclosing two columns; 4 horizontal enclosing top and bottom lines. Ruling within columns in pale purple ink.
Writing Space:Two columns, comparable with other Gowers, with ca. 2 inches at the top and sides, 1 inch between columns, and 3 inches at the bottom.
Incipits and Explicits:Large black display script with document style decoration for explicits for the prologues and for each book.
Marginal Headings:Latin is written in red ink. No ruling or space for glosses.
Table of Contents:Table of Contents added on the flyleaves in a different hand which may still be 15th century or a very good imitation.
Borders:The illuminated letters are tied in to a solid border down the left side with sprays through top and bottom margins.
Illuminated Initials:On f1r and at the beginning of each book an 8-line blue and red parti-coloured initial with white cut-out on solid gold square ground with blue, green, pink and white foliage inside the letter.
Flourished Initials:2-3-line initials alternating blue and red penwork decoration and gold with blue penwork with large saw-tooth extenders and plain tendrils.
Other Names (not owners):On f i which is the first flyleaf is 'Hunnys', 'This is Marchadyn Hunnis his boke and he that steles this booke shal....'. 16th century. 'By me Richard Thomas Servaunt vnto Mayster [erased] streat [?]. 15th century and could conceivably be by the scribe though in a different script. On f ii(v) 'Glabys blamyth blechyndon'. On the unnumbered page (380) 'henricus octauus dei gratia' and verses written in document-style script and decoration with other decoration also of the 16th century. 'Alexander Samsoun' in 16th century writing. 'Thomas' in 15th century script. 'Wrauthe' in 15-16th century writing.Inside the back cover is 'John Morigan is a very knave (16th century).
Further Information:Coxe, Henry O., 'Catalogus Codicum Manuscriptorum qui in Collegiis Aulisque Oxoniensis Hodie Adservantur'. 2 vols. Oxford, University Press, 1852. p. 94.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP