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Scribal Profile
Thomas Hoccleve
Profiles for this Scribe:
 
Current Manuscript:London, British Library MS Royal 17 D.XVIII
Folios:1-101
Sampled Folios:51v, 67v, 68r, 70r, 73v
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
Image Rights:Reproduced with permission of The British Library. 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: shal
secretary 'a' used exclusively in the text of the poem.
Usage: sua(m)
anglicana 'a' used for the headings which introduce certain sections. They are in the same hand but written slightly larger than the main text.
Usage: And
the scribe's most usual upper case 'A'.
Usage: And
upper case 'A' very reminiscent of the form used by Hoccleve.
 
D
Usage: doghter
'd' in initial position in a word may have a loop which sweeps back.
Usage: dredde
'd's which are less flamboyant.
Usage: sheeld
the scribe does not often add a tail to 'd' but here it may be seen followed by a virgule.
Usage: Demened
upper case letter at the beginning of a line.
 
G
Usage: grucchid
'g' in initial position. The formation of 'g' is distinctive with thick descending stroke which becomes finer as the tail loops round back to the lobe.
Usage: hogges
'g' almost always has a horizontal stroke at right angles to the descender which makes connection with the following graph.
Usage: kyng
'g' in final position and the extension to the right is still there although no letter follows.
Usage: Glotenye
upper case 'G' at the beginning of a line.
 
H
Usage: hem
'h' has an arched headstroke which is usually open.
Usage: manhode
sometimes the graph appears to lean to the right.
Usage: myghty
'h' in the combinations 'th', 'ch', 'gh' and 'ght' is always crossed. The horizontal is usually restricted to the 'h' and does not interfere with the other graphs.
Usage: Hem
'H' in the upper case position at the beginning of a line.
 
R
Usage: corrupciou(n)
typical modern 'r' graph used by the scribe. The 'elephant tail' arrangement is common throughout, with 'r' joining the next graph in a continuous movement. Modern 'r' is used exclusively on most folios, but occasionally, as on f51v, the scribe uses long 'r' several times.
Usage: for
'z'-shaped 'r' is used only after 'o'. The otiose stroke which curves below the graph is of almost the same thickness as the strokes of the graph itself. Here it appears almost as a circle.
Usage: to gider
flourishes on 'r' are hard to find but occasionally the scribe does add one when 'r' is in final position.
Usage: Restored
upper case 'R' at the beginning of a line.
 
S
Usage: mannes
final 's' is almost invariably a kidney-shaped 's'.
Usage: souffrance
long 's' used initially and medially. The head stroke may be rounded or, as in the next example, it may have a more pointed head.
Usage: blysse
Usage: Senek
upper case 'S'.
 
W
Usage: worthy
this graph varies little. The basic form of it may be seen here with a rounded left limb and a right limb which forms a sharp turn at its base with single lobe to the right.
Usage: with
Usage: swich
Usage: Whan
'W' in an upper case position.
 
Y
Usage: Prynce
the basic shape of this graph.
Usage: may
'y' is frequently dotted.
Usage: contynuance
another frequent variation is as here with the tail of 'y' taken up above the body of the graph and curved over the following letter.
Usage: Prynce
 
Thorn
Usage: þt
on the folios examined, thorn was only used for the abbreviation of 'that'.
Usage: þt
the graph is distinctive as the main descender always seems to be set at an angle.
Usage: þt
Usage: þt
this is the first word in the line but still to exactly the same formula.
 
Paraphs
Usage: The shape of the paraph which is placed at the beginning of stanzas. This one shows the simple form.
Usage: Serrated pen-work decoration is more usual than the simple shape in version 1.
Usage: A paraph in a different style for a gloss in the right margin of f70r.
Usage: A paraph for a gloss in the left margin of f67v.
 
Penwork and Catchwords
Usage: Red paraph with purple flourishing which extends down the left side of this folio.
Usage: A different example of red pen-work. The purple flourishing extends well into the left margin. A single purple line divides stanzas.
Usage: The elaborate pen-work initial 'N' with infill of blue and red ink and purple ink used for the flourishing.
Usage: Catchwords copied in lower margin below the middle of the text block. They are contained in a box of purple ink with looped corners.
 
e and p
Usage: hye
almost every final 'e' is formed with a tongue or protuberance at the right side of the graph.
Usage: corage
a more horned effect to this graph and the hooked extension curves to join the initial stroke.
Usage: peples
the hooked approach stroke to this graph makes it distinctive.
Usage: Principally
upper case graph formed in the same way but with vertical stroke through the lobe.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP