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Manuscript Description
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Eng. poet D.4 (SC 30126)
 
Title:Tales of Jereslaus and of Jonathas
Author:Hoccleve
Contents:Hoccleve, Tales of Jereslaus missing 108 lines at end due to lost 2 folios; and of Jonathas with a prologue of 109 lines, missing 291 lines in various places after that; both from the series, both imperfect
Language:English
Datable:SC says 2nd half 15th century but perhaps 1st half, just sloppily written.
Date Range:1400-1450
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Material:Paper
No of Folios:3 blank paper flyleaves + 30 of text block + 10 blank paper flyleaves; covers are light thin cardboard: as follows: text begins f4r; blank leaves within text block are 6-7, 19-20, 24, and only fragments of ff23, 25; folios at end damaged by damp with some loss of text on ff29-30 only
Pagination:Older pencil foliation in centre lower margin rectos only , beginning ‘21’ on f4, ‘22’ on 5, ‘23’ on 8 through ‘33’ on 18, ‘34’ on 21 through ‘36’ on 23, ‘37’ on 25 through ‘42’ on 30; another set of pencil numbers in gutter of lower margins each page count number of lines per page that survive (eg ‘26’ on 22v but ‘5’ on 23)
Quiring:4-9 are a bifolium, catchword on 9v, also 5-8 bifolium, and two blanks inserted between them; 16-17 a centre bifolium, 20-21 a centre bifolium; only catchwords are on ff9v, 25v; last quire 26-30, all first half of bifolia, now attached to new flyleaves that follow f30 (31-35)
Catchwords:By scribe, lower margin, lined up with approx right margin of lines of text above
Page Size:268 x 193
Frame:Only a left margin is visible, drawn in rusty crayon/lead
Writing Space:c. 205 x 120
Marginal Headings:None really; ‘Translation’ and after 14 more lines ‘Explicit’ on f18r
Illuminated Initials:SC says a few ‘illuminated’ initials but only red and blue decorated
Flourished Initials:f4 (first of original MS), 3-line blue lombard initial with red penwork, postage stamp with an extra mound to left of letter, toothed extenders are sharp teeth on left and smaller scallops on right above and below letter, tendrils end in curls or bird head.
Other Names (not owners):On f18r lower margin, ‘g Georgie’ (or ‘Georgis’?) with further trials of ‘g’; lower margin f26v, same hand (16th c?) ‘syer geor suar for a payne thys wass yet when he whas [ ] the orders thayt sand he ha brokyne and for he the bane’; on top of f18v, ‘[ ]George suar for a payne thyt whas syet’ ‘s feof’
Further Information:SC 30126: SC entry says ‘Bought at the G.G.J. Mair sale on Jan. 30, 1890 (lot 693) for 16s.’ Added drawing of a lute (16th c) in right margin of 22v, also one on 18v.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP