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Scribal Profile
Beryn scribe
Profiles for this Scribe:
2. England, Alnwick , Duke of Northumberland MS 455
 
Current Manuscript:Alnwick, Northumberland, Alnwick Castle, Collection of the Duke of Northumberland MS 455
Folios:1-287
Sampled Folios:71r, 160r, 179v, 180r, 189v, 235r, 237v
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
Image Rights:Collection of the Duke of Northumberland, with permission.. 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: talys
straight-sided 'a' divided by a cross-stroke.
Usage: And
the scribe has a variety of upper case 'A's. This version is quite unusual with square lobe and forked head.
Usage: And
Usage: And
 
D
Usage: lokid
'd' is mainly the looped version though there are variations.
Usage: leyd
tagged 'd' in final position.
Usage: degree
although not in an upper case position, this may be the scribe's version of upper case 'D'.
Usage: doith
occasional use of the secretary form of 'd'.
 
G
Usage: begyn
anglicana 'g' with lower lobe larger than the upper one.
Usage: grete
tailed secretary 'g' with horned head. The tail loops round and provides the cross-stroke at the head of the graph.
Usage: grene
reverse flick of the tail-stroke in this example.
Usage: God
a vertical line bisects this upper case 'G'.
 
H
Usage: hir
arched head to this graph.
Usage: here
sometimes the scribe flicks back the tail-stroke to join to the next letter.
Usage: His
'H' at the beginning of a line and probably the scribe's upper case letter.
Usage: Here
the opening word of the explicit to the Summoner's Tale.
 
R
Usage: berith
long 'r' is used mainly in final position.
Usage: watir
modern 'r' with separate shoulder-stroke is also used.
Usage: vertuouse
'z'-shaped 'r' is also used, mainly after 'o' and 'e'.
Usage: Raby
 
S
Usage: teris
sigma 's' used most frequently in final position.
Usage: lustis
kidney-shaped 's' is also used in final position.
Usage: syn
sigma 's' is also used as well as long 's' in initial position.
Usage: Stoon
this word is not at the beginning of a line and one would expect a lower case letter. However the scribe occasionally introduces an upper case letter for a word in what seems to be an arbitrary fashion.
 
W
Usage: wild
the scribe has several forms of 'w'. In this example there is a long approach stroke to the left limb and a single looped element to the right.
Usage: town
the left limb of this graph is entirely separate from the rest of the graph. There is now a 'B'-shaped element to the right and the left limb is extended above the level of the preceding graph.
Usage: felawe
a greatly extended left limb with loop at the head.
Usage: yee woot
very exaggerated left limb because of the position of the word on the top line.
 
Y
Usage: yff
Usage: hym
Usage: Yee
the scribe's 'y's vary little whether upper or lower case.
  
 
e
Usage: broþ(er)e
the scribe often leaves evidence of the beginning of the second stroke for 'e' as a horned protuberance above the letter.
Usage: man(er)e
Usage: time
Usage: nedis
on some folios the scribe uses mainly round 'e'.
 
Thorn and Yogh
Usage: þat
thorn has a drooping lead-in stroke.
Usage: þen
Usage: ȝit
the tail of yogh is long and gently curved.
Usage: siȝte
 
v
Usage: nevir
the formation of the lead-in stroke of 'v' varies considerably as seen in these four examples.
Usage: have
Usage: every
flamboyant presentation on the top line.
Usage: vertu
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP