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Manuscript Description
London, British Library MS Arundel 119
 
Title:Lydgate, Destruction of Thebes
Author:Lydgate
Contents:Destruction of Thebes
Language:English
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 9450; County: Essex
Pagination:Modernish pencil top right.
Quiring:8
Signatures:No a's visible. b, d, e, f, g, h, and upper case I, and k are all visible followed by roman numerals i-iiij.
Catchwords:Regularly present with elaborate boxing decorated in various ways with penwork.
Page Size:273 x 190
Frame:4 x vertical - a single then a space then a double thus creating a margin for glosses and headings. 4 x horizontal with each pair enclosing top and bottom lines. Pricking still visible in places. Ruled throughout in grey plummet or sometimes in fine black ink.
Writing Space:193 x 105
Incipits and Explicits:In red ink to introduce or conclude each part.
Marginal Headings:Both explanatory and summary glosses appear in the specially ruled marginal box in red ink by the scribe. Most are preceded by pen-flourished paraphs.
Running Titles:In red ink by the scribe denoting 'Prima pars, secunda pars, tercia pars'.
Title by Scribe:The first folio begins with 'Incipit prologue' by the scribe in red ink above the four-sided border.
Borders:A 4-sided border for the opening folio. Two three-sided borders for the beginning of parts 2 and 3. Red, pink, blue, gold and green.
Historiated Initials:The opening folio has a 6-line historiated initial with a pilgrim on a horse dressed in black.
Illuminated Initials:A 6-line initial begins the second part, a 4-sided one begins the third part. Pink and blue on a gold ground and attached to the 3-sided border.
Paragraph Marks:Blue with red flourishing, gold with blue flourishing. They act as markers in the text and are also used in the margins to precede marginal headings or Explicits and Incipits.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP