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Manuscript Description
Cambridge, Cambridge University Library MS Ff.5.35
 
Title:Piers Plowman, C version
Author:Langland
Contents:ff1-49r The Book of John Maundeuyle Kny3t of Seynt Albones (so-called in colophon on f49), prose version whose text is the same as in Dd.1.17, according to Luard); ff49v-152r Piers Plowman, C version.
Language:English and Latin
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:LP : 6860; County : Oxon
Material:Parchment
No of Folios:2 new paper flyleaves + old parchment flyleaf, hymns with notation, stained recto from original boards and tanned leather over them, numbered 'i' + old paper flyleaf with signature Martinus Celarius, possibly 16-17 cc. + text folios 1-152 + paper flyleaf with ? stamp of hand with star on pole extending from third finger (copying a watermark), in red ink + old parchment flyleaf taken from another book, hyms with notation + 2 new paper flyleaves
Pagination:Modern foliation in pencil, upper outer corners recto, modern hand has written cross in lower margin of fifth leaf each quire, since catchwords indicate quire breaks already.
Quiring:8s
Catchwords:By the scribe, centred in lower margin of last leaf verso each quire, several words, with elaborate frames around, sometimes like scrolls that become leafy/foliage at places where curl at ends, some just foliage patterns similar to those used in flourishing of initials.
Page Size:240 x 165
Frame:Square to edges, ruled within, fine grey lines, pricking survives on outer edges of a few leaves (eg f113) but none in top or bottom margins to mark vertical lines.
Writing Space:Mandeville 187 x 118; Piers 187 x 114 ruled for.
Incipits and Explicits:Explicits and incipits both on a single line in space left for, only slightly larger and bolder than text but same ink and same hand.
Title by Scribe:Colophon for Mandeville on f49r, 'Here endith the book of Jon Maundeuyle kny3t of Seynt Albones'.
Paragraph Marks:Red paraphs at new portions of Mandeville, at paragraph breaks, and in Piers preceding marginal headings ('nota' or names of sins like 'superbia') in margins; some initials touched with red in Mandeville, otherwise no red ink; elaborate foliage patterns in fine ink lines around the catchwords, and sometimes also decorating descenders of last line on page (eg f65v), often looking very similar to leaf patterns of decorated initials.
Flourished Initials:At start of texts, 4-line blue lombard initials with red flourishing, foliage inside letter and flourishing following shape of letter, not a box, tendrils with birds' heads at ends; smaller 2-line versions of same at lesser breaks as between passus of Piers.
Other Names (not owners):Note on f152 at bottom of page in hand of ?16th-17th c?, 'Joh. Maluerne e sociis Collegii Orialensis apud Oxon. Visiones Petri Aratoris, hoc anno, i.e. 1342, finivit. Stow Chron.'. For more on this, see Dd.1.17 Signed by former owner(?) at end of Piers on f152r, 'Thomas Jakes' (Luard reads his monogram like symbol after his name as a macron so transcribes this 'Jakeson') continuing from end of last line which is 'Explicit passus secundus de Dobest'. On paper flyleaf at front, fol. ii, 'Martinus Celarius
parchment leaves from another MS one each at front and back of volume contain hymns, including 'Salue mater misericordie' and the Ter Sanctus', with musical notes. (These identifications of hymns from Luard page 496).
Miscellaneous Info:Almost certainly produced in same workshop as Wycliffite bibles produced in London. Same script, similar treatment of catchwords.
Further Information:Luard, vol. 2, pp. 495-6.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP