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Scribal Profile
Unknown
 
Current Manuscript:Cambridge, St. John's College MS L.1 (235)
Sampled Folios:1r, 41v, 119v
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
Image Rights:Reproduced by kind permission of the Master and Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge. 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: was
most of the scribe's 'a's have a small top compartment with hairline stroke at an angle across the top of the graph.
Usage: s(er)uantȝ
'a' with more rounded top.
Usage: And
upper case 'A' at the beginning of a line. There is no variation in the shape of this graph on the three folios sampled.
Usage: cause
a variation in the shape of 'a'.
 
D
Usage: dowble
the usual shape of 'd' with angular lobe and a neatly executed upper loop.
Usage: goddesse
Usage: deere
occasionally the lobe is oval in shape.
Usage: Defende
upper case 'D' with long curved lead stroke to the '2'-shaped extension in front of the graph.
 
G
Usage: lowynge
the lower lobe appears as almost triangular in shape. The scribe uses either this version or the more rounded example as seen in version 2.
Usage: waggynge
the two lobes of anglicana 'g' are rounded and of the same size.
Usage: kyng
it is difficult to tell whether the stroke which follows 'g' is intended to be a flourish on the letter. There are no more examples on the three folios sampled.
Usage: God
upper case 'G' at the beginning of a line.
 
H
Usage: That
'h', 'l' and 'b' frequently have graceful and well-proportioned triangular looped head strokes.
Usage: Remembreth
an example of a crossed 'h' after 't'. On this folio, where 'th' is in final position the 'h' is always crossed. The looped head-stroke bends over to the right.
Usage: han
in initial position it is possible to see the fine stroke from the end of the head stroke which just touches the top of the shoulder stroke and crosses the stem.
Usage: Help
it is just possible to see beneath the vertical bracketting, the looped extension to the stem of upper case 'H'.
 
R
Usage: rennyth
long 'r' is used in all positions. Here, in initial position the scribe has a long straight lead-in stroke to the graph.
Usage: hir
the fork of long 'r' is usually below the level of surrounding letters.
Usage: for
'z'-shaped 'r' used only after 'o'.
Usage: Remembreth
upper case example of 'R' at the beginning of a line. It is just possible to see the long curved approach stroke to the left of the graph beneath the double red line which borders the stanza on the left side. Stanzas are thus marked alternately in red and blue ink.
 
S
Usage: Troilus
kidney 's' almost always used in final position.
Usage: s(er)uant(yogh)
sigma 's' is used in initial position along with long 's'. It is also used occasionally in final position. Used here with the abbreviation for 'er' attached to its horizontal head-stroke.
Usage: schewe
long 's' at the beginning of a word. The approach stroke on the left of the shaft is also visible on the scribe's 'f's.
Usage: Swich
upper case letter at the beginning of a line.
 
W
Usage: sorowe
the left arm of the letter is frequently shorter than the middle arm and makes no contact at the lower end. It is usually straight.
Usage: wight
the left arm of 'w' sometimes has a slight curve with a turn at the foot.
Usage: wol
the central limb unusually stands well above the left arm.
Usage: Wt
'W' at the beginning of a line.
 
Y
Usage: ye
the formation of 'y' varies only in the treatment of the tail.
Usage: ye
occasionally the scribe leaves the tail of 'y' unturned.
Usage: lay
variation in 'y' on a different folio. On this folio (41v), most of the tails of the 'y' graphs turn at a much more acute angle. The ink is also much darker and this part of the manuscript may have been copied at a different time.
Usage: Yif
'Y' in upper case position at the beginning of a line. The curve of the tail can just be seen beneath the red lines which mark out the stanzas.
 
Thorn and Yogh
Usage: þt[superscript]
the shape of thorn is exactly the same as the shape of 'y'.
Usage: þt[superscript]
thorn is only used on this folio for the abbreviation of 'that', as here.
Usage: s(er)uantȝ
on this folio, yogh is only used for the 'z' sound of the plural.
Usage: ȝeles
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: Troilus
Usage: Priamus
Usage: In
Usage: Of
 
Ampersand
Usage: A few samples of the different ampersands used by this scribe.
Usage: There are two main types, one with and one without a covering stroke.
Usage:
Usage:
 
Display Script
Usage: Troili
upper case display letter 'T', which is very similar in formation to the scribe's upper case letter.
Usage: Explicit
the double parallel lines within this letter are not usually found in the scribe's normal repertoire of upper case letters. The formation of 'E' with hairline stroke at a 45 degree angle joining the upper and lower portions of the graph are similar to the formation of 'C' and 'O'.
Usage: libri
the last two letters of this word showing the scribe using some kind of fine, curved or looped stroke to dot 'i'. He uses this in his normal script but does not dot 'y'. The dot formed by the placement of the nib with the curving trail arching up and round is similar to the mark found after the 'g' in version 3 of that graph. It may be a particular mark used by this scribe.
Usage: Criseid
another graph with 45 degree stroke joining upper and lower strokes of this graph. The thick half descender which is scribed at right angles to the hairline makes a graph very reminiscent of several Guildhall scribes.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP