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Scribal Profile
Hand 1
 
Current Manuscript:Oxford, Christ Church MS 152
Folios:1r-228v, 232r-276v, 282r-end
Sampled Folios:96r
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Image Rights:Reproduced with permission: (c) The Governing Body of Christ CHurch, Oxford. 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: ensample
the flat-headed upper lobe of 'a' often appears squashed.
Usage: and
'a' in initial position in the word. The scribe frequently has a hairline lead-in stroke to the head-stroke of 'a'.
Usage: and
occasional use of a squarish secretary 'a'.
Usage: And
upper case letter at the beginning of a line.
 
D
Usage: dyuersly
the 'd' graph is made up of an oval lower lobe sometimes with pointed end and an upper loop which again is oval in shape.
Usage: drynken
Usage: wedded
the 'd' graph is not very different from the circular 'e'.
Usage: fasted
'd' in final position sometimes has a downward tag but there are no examples on this folio. Here the loop of 'd' continues on an upward curve.
 
G
Usage: guerdon
on the folio sampled, the scribe only uses two-compartment 'g'. However, the scribe also has secretary 'g' in his repertoire whose descenders emulate the sweeping descenders of 'h' and 'y'.
Usage: fastyng
tagged 'g' in final position. As with the previous example, the lower compartment has a triangular aspect.
Usage: rightwysnesse
Usage: goode
occasionally it is possible to see the slight curved tag to the right of the lower lobe. The horizontal extension to the right of the upper lobe leaves the lobe at mid-point.
 
H
Usage: had
here 'h' is in initial position and has a curving approach stroke to the head-loop. The scribe's usual 'h' is characterised by a tail which sweeps to the left often under a number of other letters. These sweeping strokes are a dominant feature in the aspect of the folio.
Usage: rightwysnesse
here the tail-stroke extends below the two previous graphs.
Usage: high
although barely visible in this example, 'h' is occasionally crossed when following 'g'.
Usage: He
there is no difference between lower and upper case 'h'. This word occurs at the beginning of a line where all other graphs which begin the lines on this folio are upper case versions of their graphs.
 
R
Usage: writte
long 'r' is used almost all the time but the scribe does have a modern version of the letter in his repertoire.
Usage: crist
the only example of modern 'r' on this folio occurs in 'crist', a word which had been omitted and is now added above the line of verse with caret mark. It is possible that this is another hand, but since the scribe uses modern 'r' elsewhere, it may just be that it was added at a different time by the scribe himself.
Usage: nomore
'z'-shaped 'r' used after 'o'.
Usage: Receyued
upper case 'R' at the beginning of a line.
 
S
Usage: is oure
sigma 's' is used in initial and final positions. When in final position, the scribe lengthens the head stroke horizontally frequently covering the space between words.
Usage: say
sigma 's' in initial position.
Usage: clennesse
long 's' is used in both initial and medial positions.
Usage: Spake
upper case 'S' at the beginning of a line.
 
W
Usage: wordlis
the scribe's 'w's are surprisingly consistent in form.
Usage: whiche
in almost every example, the middle limb stands higher than the left limb and curves round to join the 'B'shaped element at the right.
Usage: War
the same formation for 'W' in an upper case position at the beginning of a line.
Usage: We
 
Y
Usage: they
the exaggerated length and curve of the tail of 'y' is also a dominant feature of the hand.
Usage: may ye
Usage: myght
image to show the effect of the tail of 'y' and the trailing shoulder stroke of 'h'. In terms of aspect, the two letters combine to give an impression of many sweeping strokes.
Usage: Yaf
there is no difference in formation between lower and upper case 'y's.
 
Yogh and Ampersand
Usage: mendenauntȝ
there are no examples of thorn on this folio and only two examples of yogh.
Usage: mendynauntȝ
yogh is used for the plural 'z' sound in final position.
Usage: The scribe's sweeping circular stroke for ampersand contributes to the general aspect of the script.
Usage: Ampersand again.
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: In
upper case 'I' with long stem extending well below the line and with long approach stroke to the head which forms a closed loop to the left of the stem.
Usage: To
the scribe's upper case 'T's are squashed graphs with bisecting vertical stroke extending above and below the graph.
Usage: No
upper case 'N' bisected by a horizontal stroke which cuts through the middle of the graph.
Usage: Ben
a form of upper case 'B' found in documents at the beginning of the fifteenth century.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP