Benjamin minor, etc., 1400 - 1499

Folios 1-53r and five lines of f. 53v are written by one scribe, ff. 53v-62v are written by another scribe in a smaller and more cramped, but still easily read humanistic hand. Notes in the margins in these two hands, and a third. Notation by the second hand is throughout the text. The text in some of the notes has been partially lost due to trimming.

Paper support (watermarks: Quire I-II: Briquet Balance 2413; Quire II-VI similar to Briquet Monts 11894), ff. ii (i=front pastedown + 64 + ii (ii=back pastedown).

Contemporary smooth pigskin blind-tooled over wooden boards with traces of two leather straps on front cover and fastenings on lower board. Remains of three bosses may be seen on front and four on the back from what was probably five bosses in the four corners and the center. Binding rebacked in a mahogany leather with Goodhart number on paper label taped to spine.

288 x 197 (160 x 108) mm

Written in 38-39 ruled lines with single vertical bounding lines full length in ink. Prickings visible in upper and lower margins.

Humanistic script, written by several scribes.

All three texts begin with 6-line blue and red decorative initials on a delicate, rose-red penwork ground with penwork extensions. The rose on f. 1r is more pink, perhaps from fading, while penwork on the other two initials is a darker, almost maroon color. Although the extensions on f. 1 are modest, those on f. 37r form a vine-stem border with terminal flowers that extends across the lower margin and starts up the outside margin. The extensions on the final initial on f. 60v are the most elaborate with a filigree pattern extending down the top and outer margins continuing in floriferous vinestems along the remainder of the top and half-way into the lower margin. Article one rubricated throughout with a few finding aids in red. Article two has a slight amount of red underlining.

Modern foliation.