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Scribal Profile
Gower Scribe III
Profiles for this Scribe:
2. USA, New York, NY, Pierpont Morgan Library & Museum MS M 125
 
Current Manuscript:USA, New York, NY, Pierpont Morgan Library & Museum MS M 125
Folios:1-180
Sampled Folios:95v, 103v
Example Page:Display a full page showing this scribe's hand
Image Rights:With permission of the Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum, New York . 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: as
double compartment 'a' is used throughout. The scribe's hand is neat and coordinated. The upper compartment is usually slightly smaller than the lower one.
Usage: was
Usage: And
one of the variant upper case 'A's on the folios examined.
Usage: And
the version of 'A' which is used most frequently on the folios sampled.
 
D
Usage: doun
'd' with open centre. The upper loop resolves on the lower left side of the lobe without continuing to finish the looped stroke. There are two examples of unlooped 'd' in the red ink gloss on f103v for the word 'Adriano'.
Usage: good
'd' in final position.
Usage: spedde
Usage: Dampnen
upper case 'D' at the beginning of a line.
 
G
Usage: good
double compartment 'g' is used throughout. The upper compartment has a more vertical aspect, the lower compartment is angular and has more of a horizontal aspect.
Usage: welfaring
'g' in final position with vertical tag attached to the horizontal slash.
Usage: knight
the triangular shape of the lobe is commonplace.
Usage: eigh
occasionally the scribe does not complete the lower compartment leaving a small gap between lower and upper lobes.
 
H
Usage: holde
the graph is neatly dealt with. The tail of 'h' is not usually very long and follows round in a clockwise curve.
Usage: þough
'h' in final position is often crossed when it follows 'g', 'c' or 't'. Note also that this is one occasion when the scribe turns the tail of 'h' to flick counter-clockwise to finish.
Usage: He
one of the slightly more elaborate upper case 'H's in the scribe's repertoire.
Usage: How
a somewhat larger version of lower case 'H' as the initial letter of a line. The scribe does have other variants for his upper case graph.
 
R
Usage: ros
modern 'r' is used in initial, medial and final positions except after 'o' and some round-bodied graphs.
Usage: vnder
Usage: acord
'z'-shaped 'r' to follow 'o'. The otiose stroke from the lower left of the graph is often longer than the example see here.
Usage: Rome
upper case 'R'.
 
S
Usage: sche
long 's' is used in initial and medial positions.
Usage: his
a very angular form of '8'-shaped 's' is used in final position.
Usage: wordes
occasionally this scribe uses this form of final 's' rather than the 8-shaped variety which is mainly used in this manuscript.
Usage: Sche
upper case 'S' with double parallel line decoration.
 
W
Usage: was
'w' usually has loops at the head which turn to the right to close. Often the right head-stroke is left open. There is always a 'B'-shaped element to the right.
Usage: was
a single variant 'w' on the two folios examined. This demonstrates that scribes have several variant graphs in their repertoire which they may use as standards in other manuscripts.
Usage: borwe
open head-stroke for the middle arm.
Usage: Wiþ
upper case 'W'.
 
Y
Usage: yhe
the scribe's 'y's have a uniform body. There is usually a dot above the graph and the remnants of one may be seen in this image. The tail may be shorter or longer.
Usage: by
Usage: nay
occasionally the scribe does an acute turn to finish the tail of 'y'.
Usage: nygh
there is hardly any turn on the tail of 'y' in this example.
 
Thorn and Yogh
Usage: þenkþ
the scribe uses thorn frequently to replace 'th' in whatever position and whatever word.
Usage: forþ
Usage: ȝour
the scribe may use yogh as representative of both the 'y' and 'gh' elements. However, he does not always do so.
Usage: nouȝt
 
Upper Case Letters
Usage: To
Usage: But
Usage: Upon
Usage: Ne
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York, King's Manor, York YO1 7EP