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Hand 1
 
Current Manuscript:England, Petworth, Petworth House, The National Trust MS 7
Folios:1r-8v
Sampled Folios:3v, 5v, 7v, 8r, 8v
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A
Usage: as
the scribe has both single and double compartment 'a' in his repertoire. Double compartment 'a' is used most of the time.
Usage: was
for certain words, and 'was' is one of them, the scribe consistently chooses a single compartment 'a'.
Usage: palfray
the second 'a' in this word and a peculiar variation, reminiscent of some of the scribal experiments with upper case 'A'.
Usage: As
the scribe's conventional upper case 'A'. However, this scribe uses a multitude of variant upper case 'A's and these will be displayed in the Wild Letter section.
 
D
Usage: ende
the lower lobe of 'd' is usually angular with point at the left and hairline to close.
Usage: gold
'd' in final position with descending tag attached.
Usage: hadde
again 'd's with triangular lower lobes.
Usage: Diere
 
G
Usage: glas
'g' also has a triangular lower lobe'.
Usage: Heng
an even more angular configuration. 'g' in final position with vertical tag descending from the horizontal slash.
Usage: legges
Usage: Garner
 
H
Usage: hed
the limb of 'h' usually descends in a neat curve which is rarely extended.
Usage: ther
here it is straighter.
Usage: shire
Usage: He
upper case letter at the beginning of a line with loop on the left of the stem.
 
R
Usage: vndir
modern 'r' used most of the time.
Usage: lord
it is just possible to see here the small otiose stroke which descends from the left or the middle of the bottom horizontal stroke. The Petworth scribe who copied the remainder of the manuscript also uses this form of 'r'. 'z'-shaped 'r' is used after 'o'.
Usage: barre
Usage: Rente
 
S
Usage: fourneys
sigma 's' used both initially and in final position.
Usage: ordres
kidney 's' also used in final position.
Usage: was
an angular '8'-shaped 's' is also used in final position. There does not appear to be any particular reason for the choice of letter shape and they alternate at random.
Usage: souple
long 's' is used initially and medially. The letter does not usually extend much below the base level of other letters in the word.
 
W
Usage: was
this scribe has innumerable forms of this graph. On some folios many different forms may be found. On other folios he will use one particular form as a preference. This version is most similar to the 'w' of the main scribe of this manuscript.
Usage: wel
there may be very very fine strokes at the head of each limb which actually close the head. They are difficult to see in this example so may not be there.
Usage: wifes
here the middle limb is set at an angle and stands above the square element to the left and the 'B'-shaped element to the right. There is a very fine approach stroke at the top of the middle arm.
Usage: newe
several 'w's formed in this way appear to have fine pen-work 'bubbles' above each limb of the graph.
 
Y
Usage: ballyd
'y' is usually neatly contained with few extravagant extensions to the tail of the letter.
Usage: poynt
Usage: fourneys
here the scribe has taken the tail of 'y' up to make contact with the next letter.
Usage: yeue
the tail of 'y' is frequently formed with little pressure from the nib..
 
A
Usage: A
versions 1-3 of upper case 'A' are all found on the same folio as well as the more conventional double compartment upper case letter.
Usage: And
Usage: And
two staggered squares below and above the central curved stem of 'A' make this an unusual and identifiable upper case graph.
Usage: And
 
Upper case Letters
Usage: And
yet another variation on 'A'.
Usage: Now
several upper case letters have decorative strokes within the letter itself.
Usage: Poynant
Usage: Ne
some letters have shadow lines within the letter, or in the case of upper case 'I' following the length of the letter itself.
 
Thorn and Ampersand
Usage: broþir
thorn is used infrequently and on the folios represented here there are no examples of yogh..
Usage: wheþir
thorn is squat in appearance, usually rests on the line with the top of the lobe balanced against the left descender.
Usage: Ampersand
usually has a curving approach stroke and defining horizontal above.
Usage: Ampersand
 
Otiose strokes
Usage: estate
'e' frequently has an extra stroke looping round to join top and lower parts of the graph.
Usage: goost
't' in final position also often sports an extra flick upwards on the cross bar.
Usage: fair
not a flourish, just an extra flick of the pen.
Usage: was
on this folio, many of the 's's, of no matter what form, attract a descending otiose stroke to finish.
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP