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Scribal Profile
Hand 1
 
Current Manuscript:England, Alnwick, Northumberland, Alnwick Castle, (Duke of Northumberland), MS 460 scientific texts including Chaucer's 'Astrolabe'.
Folios:182r-190r
Sampled Folios:182r
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
Image Rights:Reproduced with permission of the Duke of Northumberland. 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: and
single compartment secretary 'a' used throughout with little variation.
Usage: clymatis
Usage: Astrolabie
upper case 'A' used consistently for references to the Astrolabe, to Arabians and Arabic and also at the beginning of sense units.
Usage: A
upper compartment 'A' at the beginning of a line. Consistently shaped in this way.
 
D
Usage: dyvyded
the initial 'd' in this word. Most of the scribe's 'd' graphs have a pointed lobe as seen here.
Usage: divided
the final 'd' in this word. Where 'd' is the final graph it always has a descending tag.
Usage: occidental
'd' in the middle of a word. The shape is substantially the same.
Usage: wordes
a slightly modified 'd' in the middle of a word.
 
G
Usage: good
secretary 'g' in initial position.
Usage: descendyng
'g' in final position with extended horizontal head-stroke.
Usage: gen(er)all
secretary horned 'g' in initial position.
Usage: Grekes
upper case 'G'.
 
H
Usage: have
conventional 'h' in initial position.
Usage: crosseth
when 'h' follows 't' whether in the middle of a word or as here in final position, it is almost always crossed.
Usage: night
the 'gut' combination.
Usage: knowlech
in the red ink of the title in the formal hand of the scribe, 'h' following 'c' is also crossed.
 
R
Usage: reet
modern 'r' is used in all positions most of the time, although long 'r' and 'z'-shaped 'r' are also present.
Usage: her
'r' in final position almost always has a distinct upward flourish to finish.
Usage: for
distinctive curled descender from lower left of the graph always present.
Usage: Rome
upper case 'R'.
 
S
Usage: seith
long 's' in initial position. Also used medially.
Usage: conclusions
sigma 's' in final position is the most usual graph. However, see s3 for a variation.
Usage: Lowes
this 's' is used for words in final position for the first two lines of the folio. Thereafter sigma 's' is used in final position.
Usage: crosse
an example of the scribe's double 's'.
 
W
Usage: wrappith
most of the scribe's 'w's are variations on this pattern wherever they occur in the word. The left arm is invariably extended with left-ward sweep.
Usage: wt
the scribe's version of the abbreviation for 'with'.
Usage: thow
'w' in final position.
Usage: West
upper case 'W' totally unlike the lower case letter. Interestingly the scribe uses an upper case graph for the compass points for East and North.
 
Y
Usage: [L]Ytell
the first word of the text. The first 5-line initial 'L' is missing. The following 'Y' appears to be upper case.
Usage: by
the tail of 'y' varies in length and curvature.
Usage: prayers
Usage: dyvyded
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: Take
upper case 'T' in characteristic form.
Usage: Est
upper case 'E' for 'Est' to match the upper case 'W' in 'West'.
Usage: Northe
upper case 'N' for another compass point.
Usage: But
elaborate 'Z' (rater than 2)-shaped element to preced 'B'.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP