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Manuscript Description
London, British Library, Harley 3954
 
Title:Piers Plowman, A version
Author:Langland
Contents:Prose text of Mandeville's travels, illustrated, ff1-69v; verse texts on ff70-88; blank 2 unnumbered leaves and one blank numbered 89 because drawing on recto of head; Piers Plowman on ff90-123v incomplete(?) (AB splice).
Language:English and Latin
Date Range:15th century
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 : 4103; County : S Norfolk
Material:Parchment
No of Folios:2 paper flyleaves, the first marbled + parchment text pages ff1-123 + parchment flyleaf blank except started to draw cross with text around on recto, verso is dirty as if originally exposed + 2 paper flyleaves, the second marbled.
Pagination:Modern pencil foliation in upper outer corners recto, 1-124.
Quiring:8s but shaped like holster book.
Signatures:No signatures visible.
Catchwords:By scribe, several words starting about middle beneath verso text column and not running up to frame line, no decoration.
Page Size:290 x 145
Frame:Square frame with top line inside frame, ruled within in very faint fine grey lines, pricking survives on outer edges of a few leaves, eg f119.
Writing Space:(Piers) 212 x 95 ruled for, most lines shorter.
Incipits and Explicits:On f123v, rubric, 'Explicit tractus de perys plowman quod herun'.
Marginal Headings:Rubric marginal glosses; Latin lines are rubric; headings of passus which are called 'parte's of 'þis boke', eg f101r 'Thys is þe thryede part of þis book ho þe kyng concelye mede to be maryid'.
Title by Scribe:On the top of f92 by sribe, rubric 'Perys Plowman'.
Flourished Initials:Mandeville's Travels is illustrated; same red initials as in Piers.
Other Names (not owners):The scribe's name 'Herun' on f123v, 'Explicit tractus de perys plowman quod herun' written by scribe's hand in rubric, followed by black ink next line 'Qui cum patre & spiritu sancto viuit & regnat per omnia secula seculorum Amen'.
Miscellaneous Info:The last lines are: 'With a pater noster to þe paleys of heuene With outyn penauns at hys partyng to comyn to blys'.
Further Information:Harley Catalogue. It looks as though this may have been originally two booklets with 3 blanks after f88 marking the break, 'Piers' separate; but same scribe writes all of this MS.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP