Scribal Profile Roger Motram? | |
| Profiles for this Scribe: | 1. USA, New York, NY, Columbia University, Rare Book and Manuscript Library MS Plimpton 263 |
| Current Manuscript: | USA, New York, NY, Columbia University, Rare Book and Manuscript Library MS Plimpton 263 |
| Identification: | Name suggested on the Digital Scriptorium website. |
| Folios: | 1-379 |
| Sampled Folios: | 9r |
| Example Page: | Display a full page showing this scribe's hand |
| Image Rights: | Reproduced with permission of Columbia University 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: auenture the scribe writes in anglicana formata. Lower case 'a' is double compartment with rounded lower lobe and slight variations in the shape of the upper compartment. |  | Usage: game the squarer shape of the upper compartment is visible in this example. |
 | Usage: Also the scribe has a variety of upper case graphs for 'A'. They almost all have a squarish bowl and straight stem to the right. There is usually a shadow stroke running down the right side of the stem. |  | Usage: And another more elaborate 'A' with added strokes and decorative shadowing . |
| D | |||
 | Usage: distinccio(u)n 'd' in initial position with longitudinal lobe and short unloosed down-stroke with head-stroke at a forty-five degree angle across the body of the graph. |  | Usage: and this 'd' is on the top line of text hence the extended down-stroke. The otiose hairline which descends from the top of the curved descender is a decorative feature which appears on many of the graphs. |
 | Usage: deyde where 'd' is followed by 'e' they are always in ligature. |  | Usage: Denys an example of the upper case version of the graph.Again there are decorative hairlines and extra short strokes to add decoration to the script. |
| G | |||
 | Usage: game single compartment 'g' used more or less throughout (though see version 4). The tail is a neat and contained curved stroke which usually rests on the line. |  | Usage: long the head of 'g' comprises a scooped stroke with an added curved stroke leading towards the following graph. Here 'g' is the final graph of the word and there is an additional otiose decorative hairline beginning above the graph and running the length of the graph down to the level of the line. |
 | Usage: menynge this word is on the bottom line of the folio and the scribe has extended the tail of 'g' beneath previous graphs. The tail loops round and returns to the body of the graph crossing the first curve of the tail. |  | Usage: ledy(n)g þt longþ two examples of the use of double compartment 'g'. They occur at the end of a line in the second column. Perhaps the scribe's attention was momentarily diverted and he lapsed into a more habitual graph formation. |
| H | |||
 | Usage: hym the most usual formation of 'h' as the initial graph. The stem usually sports two wings to the left side and the fine tail stroke from the lower end of the shoulder stroke is short, fine and neatly contained. |  | Usage: couenablich 'h' in final position after 'c' and 't' is usually crossed. 'h' within a word does not usually have the winged extensions on the left of the stem. |
 | Usage: helpe the scribe occasionally departs from his strict adherence to his script style. Here the tail of 'h' flicks counter-clockwise. |  | Usage: p(ro)hemium from the running title at the top of the folio, hence the opportunity to extend the tail-stroke. |
| R | |||
 | Usage: rede this form of 'r' is used on all occasions except after 'o'. |  | Usage: order when 'r' is in final position, there is usually an otiose decorative stroke attached as seen here. |
 | Usage: ordres 'z'-shaped 'r' is always used after 'o'. This is an example of the more elaborate version which the scribe sometimes uses. |  | Usage: CRoys the second letter after an illuminated capital at the beginning of this section. The scribe has a tendency to add faces to the stem of some graphs as may be seen here. |
| S | |||
 | Usage: spede long 's' is used in initial positions and always in medial positions. |  | Usage: games almost all final 's's are of the '6'-shaped variety. There are only one or two exceptions. |
 | Usage: Croys final '8'-shaped 's'. |  | Usage: Stille elaborate upper case 'S' at the beginning of a line. |
| W | |||
 | Usage: was the left limb sports the same decorative wings seen on other initial graphs. There is a spur at the lower end of the left limb. |  | Usage: wyth a looped variation as a decorative feature to the left limb. |
 | Usage: sheweþe an unadorned 'w' in the middle of a word. |  | Usage: Wodes upper case 'W' at the beginning of a line with shadow decoration and pronounced tabs on the left limb. |
| Y | |||
 | Usage: deyde the construction of 'y' is very clear in this image. Almost every 'y' graph has a dot attached to a curved stroke above the graph. The 'i' graph, on the other hand, has a small light curved stroke above with no pronounced dot. The tail of 'y' is often short and straight. |  | Usage: croys a slightly more elaborate letter, perhaps because the word extends beyond the length of surrounding lines and there is room to do so. |
 | Usage: wrappynges a rare example of a 'y' with no dot and stroke above. The tail also turns counter-clockwise in this example. |  | Usage: figuratyf a 'y' which could be mistaken for a thorn. |
| Thorn and Yogh | |||
 | Usage: þinge thorn is used as a replacement for 'th' on almost every occasion. |  | Usage: knoweþ thorn is also used for verb endings in the third person singular. |
 | Usage: ȝeuiþ yogh is used to represent the sounds of both 'gh' and 'y'. |  | Usage: hiȝe |
| Upper Case Letters | |||
 | Usage: I anopther example of the scribe forming a face on the left side of the upper case graph. |  | Usage: To |
 | Usage: NOr the second letter following an illuminated capital. |  | Usage: B. |