Scribal Profile Exeter College 129 Scribe | |
| Profiles for this Scribe: | 1. London, British Library MS Harley 3943 |
| Current Manuscript: | London, British Library MS Harley 3943 |
| Folios: | Hand D copied 71r-116r |
| Sampled Folios: | 93r |
| Example Page: | Display a full page showing this scribe's hand |
| Image Rights: | Reproduced with permission of The British Library. 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: am single compartment lower case 'a' used throughout. |  | Usage: any a very strange 'a' with extra curling stroke above. This word occurs within the line on the first line of a stanza and there is therefore space above for otiose strokes. However, the scribe also uses this 'a' within lines of verse and it is definitely part of his accepted repertoire. |
 | Usage: And here the same letter form is used as an upper case letter at the beginning of a line. |  | Usage: Allas another different form of upper case 'A'. |
| D | |||
 | Usage: doo the scribe's 'd' is unlooped and varies little from this shape. |  | Usage: shulde the scribe uses looped 'd' only occasionally as here. |
 | Usage: handes occasionally 'd' has a fine stroke added at right angles to the ascender. |  | Usage: lode 'd' on the top line allowing the scribe the licence to extend and decorate. |
| G | |||
 | Usage: longyng tailed 'g' used throughout. There are usually two horned extensions above the body of the graph. |  | Usage: slomeringes the second stroke of the graph is very short and thick often with barely an extension for the tail. |
 | Usage: mightly |  | Usage: might 'g' on bottom line of text with elaborate strapwork decoration into the bottom margin. |
| H | |||
 | Usage: Who thick, tapering stem with looped head-stroke ending on the shoulder. |  | Usage: How upper case 'H' at the beginning of a line with pronounced foot at the base of the stem. |
 | Usage: Such 'ch' combination with crossed 'h'. | ||
| R | |||
 | Usage: riȝt this 'r' is used in all positions except after 'o'. |  | Usage: for 'z'-shaped 'r' used only after 'o'. |
 | Usage: horrible |  | Usage: your 'r' in final position with elaborate flourish probably representing a missing 'e'. |
| S | |||
 | Usage: absens 's' in final position frequently has a horn at the top right side of the letter. Only used in final position. |  | Usage: as the letter is frequently formed like a '6' and has no stroke to join the curve to the horn at the top of the letter. |
 | Usage: Shal be upper case 'S' to begin a line. The letter has the horn shape both before and after the letter providing symmetry. |  | Usage: sitte long 's' used initially and in medial positions. |
| W | |||
 | Usage: wight 'w' almost always has a small protuberance for a foot stroke on the lower end of the left limb. |  | Usage: Who upper case letter at the beginning of a line. |
 | Usage: now occasionally a joining stroke may be seen between the first and second strokes. | ||
| Y | |||
 | Usage: you |  | Usage: body |
 | Usage: eu(er)y on the bottom line the scribe is more exhuberant with the length of the tail. | ||
| Ampersand | |||
 | Usage: Ampersand with extra arching stroke above. |  | Usage: Ampersand with no extra superior stroke. |
 | Usage: Ampersand with horned head. | ||
| I | |||
 | Usage: For wel I wote a thick shadow stroke mimics almost the entire length of the graph. |  | Usage: Now shulde I |
 | Usage: In this word is at the beginning of a line. This 'I' is without the parallel stroke and is in the scribe's repertoire but he uses the 'I' as in versions 1 and 2 more frequently. | ||
| Thorn and Yogh | |||
 | Usage: þer even this thorn has a small hook on the lobe. |  | Usage: þe a thorn of more usual shape. |
 | Usage: riȝt yogh used for 'gh'. |  | Usage: riȝt this time the word is on the top line. The scribe uses yogh three times and each time it is for the word 'riȝt'. |
| Horned graphs | |||
 | Usage: seeth the scribe frequently uses a curved stroke at the top of letters giving the appearance of a horn. It is most noticeable on 's' as in Letter 6 but it can occur almost anywhere. After 's' the most frequent use is on 'e'. |  | Usage: (con)forte here the scribe uses the abbreviation for 'con' which usually appears resembling the number 9. This too has an idiosyncratic horned appearance. |
 | Usage: he another example of horned 'e'. |  | Usage: That even the regular upper case 'T' gives the impression of angularity on its stem, despite the smooth curve of the head-stroke. This scribe has so many idiosyncratic features that he should be easily identifiable in other manuscripts. |