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Manuscript Description
Cambridge, Sidney Sussex College MS 63
 
MS Appellation:former shelfmark [delta].4.1
Title:Confessio Amantis
Author:Gower
Contents:Gower, Confessio Amantis, ff2-202va; Parvus Cato ff202vb-208rb
Language:English and Latin
Date Range:1425-1450
Scribal Hands:
Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms.
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Dialect:LP 219; County: Ely
Material:Paper
No of Folios:4 new paper flyleaves, blank + 2-211 + 4 new flyleaves blank
Pagination:Modern pencil upper outer corners recto foliating 2-211; no medieval foliation.
Quiring:12s
Signatures:Signatures in far lower outer corner of rectos, Roman numbers first followed by letter for the quire, so eg f49 is 'j e' and f54 is 'vj e'., continues to 'vj p' on f198.
Catchwords:By the scribe, under second column of last leaf verso each quire, running up to right frame line, no embellishment.
Page Size:295 x 215
Frame:4 x vertical, 2 x horizontal above and below text, fine grey lines; not ruled within so depends on chain lines.
Writing Space:233 x 180 (ruled for 2 cols 82 + 15 + 83)
Incipits and Explicits:Explicit liber ___ Incipit liber ___ written in space of two lines allowed between books, in the top line of these two with second line left blank, slightly larger and bolder script by scribe.
Marginal Headings:Amans and Confessor written directly to right of text, inside frame lines; most Latin written into text block but some glosses squeezed into space to right of text within the ruled column, eg f7v.
Running Titles:Running titles in upper margin; on f8 'liber' above column a and the number spelled out above column b, then changing for rest of volume to the usual 'liber' on verso and number on recto, by scribe, same ink and script as text.
Table of Contents:In later hand a list of contents of which second listed as 'Catonis disticha cum explicatione anglice'.
Title by Scribe:Title in 15th century script on parchment front flyleaf now removed from the volume and kept in plastic sleeve in same box as manuscript, 'Confessio Amantis / iohis gower' and 'Confessio amantis / iohis gower' (twice) in 15th c. script.
Paragraph Marks:Alternating red and black paraphs.
Flourished Initials:Plain 2-line red lombard initials; some initials washed with yellow; curving lines in same ink as text to connect ends of lines of couplets.
Other Names (not owners):Given by Dr Samuel Ward in 1643.
Further Information:James, 'A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge' (Camb: CUP, 1895), p. 45.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP