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Scribal Profile
Antiquaries 134 Scribe
Profiles for this Scribe:
1. London, British Library MS Harley 1758
 
Current Manuscript:London, British Library MS Harley 1758
Identification:The hand is very variable; Manly and Rickert say 3 hands.
Folios:1*-231
Sampled Folios:56v, 84r
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
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A
Usage: a
there is little variation in the formation of lower case 'a'.
Usage: And
this scribe has several versions of upper case 'A' and uses each version several times on these two folios.
Usage: And
the scribe also has a version of this 'A' without the bar in the lobe and without the two lines crossing the arc.
Usage: And
 
D
Usage: And
the formation of 'd' is fairly consistent throughout with squarish lobe and an ascender which closes the lobe at a forty-five degree angle at the head.
Usage: destenye
on the top line hence perhaps the slightly wider angle for the diagonal ascender.
Usage: Damyan
upper case 'D'.
Usage: Damyan
many of the upper case letters have decorative parallel lines within the letter. Versions 3 and 4 show two slightly different versions within the same letter.
 
G
Usage: thynge
the upper compartment of 'g' is elongated with the result that the letter looks out of proportion.
Usage: nought
quite often the letter 'g' has a backward slant and the lower compartment has a triangular aspect.
Usage: Prolog
'g' with final tag.
  
 
H
Usage: he
many of the scribe's 'h's are formed with this rather angular aspect.
Usage: that
a slightly less angular letter form.
Usage: Herken
the beginning of a line and the scribe's upper case 'H'. The two parallel lines are found as decoration within many upper case letters.
Usage: fresch
a very angular form of crossed 'h' after 'c'.
 
R
Usage: rymes
modern 'r' used usually, but not exclusively, in initial and final positions.
Usage: prose
'z'-shaped 'r' used after 'e', 'o' and consonants.
Usage: letter
where 'r' is in final position it is almost always followed by an otiose vertical tag which continues from the shoulder stroke of 'r'. The scribe almost always uses such vertical tags on 's' and 'f' and occasionally on 't' and 'g'.
Usage: Right
 
S
Usage: allas
the typical form of 's' which is used exclusively at the ends of words and almost always with the tag as seen. This scribe puts a punctus at the end of each line on this folio.
Usage: spicerye
long 's' used in initial position and always medially.
Usage: Satyn
the scribe's upper case 'S' used for a noun. Note the extra decorative lines within the letter characteristic of many of the upper case letters of this scribe.
  
 
W
Usage: with
the classic shape for 'w' which varies hardly at all.
Usage: Whan
'When' used as the first letter of the line, so presumably an upper case letter, the first stroke is taller than the rest of the letter.
Usage: Where
another upper case letter at the beginning of a line. The scribe usually uses a lead-in stroke when the letter is the first in the line.
  
 
Y
Usage: begynneth
little variation in 'y' graph.
Usage: Yf
'y' in initial position in the line. No noticeable difference between upper and lower case letters.
    
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: I
upper case 'I' with shadow line and two blobs on the left side of the stem.
Usage: Or
upper case 'O' with double decorative lines within the letter.
Usage: Parfay
the same double decorative lines within upper case 'P'. The descender of 'P' extends down alongside the letter on the line below.
Usage: But
again the double line decorative feature.
 
Footed letters
Usage: debaat
the foot which is almost always present at the bottom of the stem of 'h' is sometimes present on other letters also. Here it can be seen on 'b'.
Usage: tales
here the 'foot' is on 'l'.
Usage: Neer
an idiosychratic upper case 'N'.
Usage: clerkis
the angular foot seen here on 'k'.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP