Manuscript Description London, British Library MS Harley 2251 | |
MS Appellation: | Hl2 (Manly and Rickert) |
Title: | English Poetry Anthology |
Author: | Chaucer and Lydgate |
Contents: | Minor works of Chaucer and Lydgate |
Language: | English |
Date Range: | After 1464 |
Scribal Hands: | Examples of the hand. Click on the link above for full details and images of individual letter forms. |
Material: | Paper |
No of Folios: | 3 heavy newer paper (probably added on rebinding) + 293 + 4 newer paper matching those at front of volume. |
Pagination: | Both modern and medieval pagination in upper outer corners; the scribe also numbered folios in each of first two quires. |
Quiring: | 20 |
Signatures: | The signature 'dj' begins on f100; a series of 'f' signatures begin on f140; 'k' begins on f199, 't' on f246; at f261 is 'aii' and 'a' are followed by 'b's; the system may be because the volume consists of separate booklets but the scribe clearly brought them together and inserted the medieval foliation in upper outer corners recto. |
Catchwords: | By the scribe with same-colour sleigh under, centred below the text on the verso of the last folio of each quire. |
Page Size: | 292 x 210 |
Frame: | Square in drypoint with top line of text above top line of frame; no frame for glosses which are quite extensive in some texts. |
Writing Space: | 200 x 105 |
Incipits and Explicits: | Subtitles appear as marginal notes and explicits sometimes name works or authors, as in 'Explicit quod lidegate Amen' on f188. |
Marginal Headings: | Marginal glosses by the scribe. |
Paragraph Marks: | Red before first line of each stanza and each gloss; red underlining for some glosses. |
Flourished Initials: | 2-5-line blue lombard capitals with red pen-work |
Other Names (not owners): | Shirley: some of the contents clearly copied from Shirley manuscripts; note at the bottom of f227v at the end of 'Procession of Corpus Christi by Lydgate' (f224-f227v), 'Shirley kowde fynde nomore for this copye'. |
Further Information: | Harley Catalogue; Manly and Rickert I. 241-244; Seymour I. 140-143. Eleanor Hammond. |