Legenda aurea, 1300 - 1350

Parchment support, ff. ii (modern paper bifolium, f. i=front pastedown) + 262 (modern pagination: prologue and table of contents paginated in roman numerals i-iii; Arabic pagination begins on f. 2v) + iii (modern paper, ff. ii and iii bifolium, iii=back pastedown)

18th century French red janséniste morocco gold stamped on spine. On black leather labels on spine in gold: "LEGENDA AUREA", and "MS/ DU XIV SIECLE". Tape on front and back cover probably once held Goodhart number.

198 x 149 (155 x 105) mm.

Written in two columns of 40 ruled lines with double vertical bounding lines, one set running along the outer edge of both the right and the left margins, the other set marking the outer left and right edge of the text, a single vertical bounding line marks each inner column; double horizontal bounding lines along the top margin enclose a running head, while along the bottom margin a double bounding line encloses the catchword at the end of each quire; a single horizontal bounding line marks the top edge of text. All ruling in lead. Prickings visible for bounding lines.

Gothic script, written by a single scribe. Marginal corrections in the same hand, other corrections and notes in several other hands.

Prologue starts with a 9-line red and blue initial with red and blue penwork extensions, text begins with 7-line initial of similar design. 3-line initials alternating red with blue penwork or blue with red penwork. Initials in table of contents and paragraph markers throughout alternate red and blue. Running heads and titles in red. Guide letters for rubricator visible.