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Manuscript Description
Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Hatton 51
 
Title:Confessio Amantis
Author:Gower
Contents:Confessio Amantis, C version
Language:English and Latin
Date Range:1500-1550
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:County; Gowerian/colourless
Material:Parchment
No of Folios:stub + 1 paper flyleaf, blank + text block ff i-iiii + 1-205 + 1 paper flyleaf blank + stub
Pagination:Folios numbered in red roman numerals on rectos top margin above second column; 'ffolio' plus roman number, begins on recto of f17-18 (modern number accounts for fact the scribe numbered recto 17 and verso 18 but then foliated instead of paginated) and continues to 'folio CC iiij' on penultimate original leaf before added flyleaves; modern foliator numbers first 4 leaves i to iiii and then begins with f1 on fifth leaf though these all part of one quire--possibly to coincide with the later foliation by original scribe--and continues with pencil in upper outer corners recto through 20 to get past the f17-18, and then leaves for medieval foliation by scribe through rest of volume.
Quiring:8s
Catchwords:None
Page Size:310 x 220
Frame:4 x vertical; 2 x horizontal, the top one as top of minim height of top line of text, not ruled within, fine grey-brown lines of which most invisible, no pricking survives.
Writing Space:215 x 170 in two columns c. 82 + c. 5 + c. 82 (irregular)
Incipits and Explicits:Explicits and incipits for each book also in red, enlarged and attempt at more formal textura script; red rhyme markers on some folios. Ends imperfectly in Liber Octavus so no explicit for the whole.
Running Titles:Running titles in red on rectos only above first column, prologus and then liber and the number.
Table of Contents:Table of contents precedes on ff i-iii-verso, 1-2r, by scribe.
Title by Scribe:At the beginning before table of contents is rubric 'This book is intituled confessio amantis that is to saye in englysche the confessyon off the louer maad and compyled by Johan Gower squyer born in walys in the tyme off the kyng richard the second which book treteth how he was confessyd to Genyus preste off venus vpon the causes off loue....', f i recto. On f i top 'Confessio Amantis by John Gower' and 'Hatton 51' by a much later hand in black ink.
Flourished Initials:5-line initial in red on f2v for beginning of text (table of contents precedes on ff i-iii-verso, 1-2r); other 4-5-line red initials for beginnings of books, but most 2-line red initials, all without flourishing but some with incised patterns to allow white of parchment to show through, dots of red on the white; Latin in red.
Other Names (not owners):On f89v lower margin in 15th c hand 'thys ys harry fawkener boke & audrian fawkner
f179v, upside down, scribbles including first words of the rhyme, 'He that in youg...' but no names.
Miscellaneous Info:NB stems and bits of organic matter in gutters in middle of volume c. 80-120.
Further Information:Catalogue of Trinity College in Coxe's catalogue of colleges.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP