Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1985, Blaðsíða 91

83
ference for the non-secretary forms of p, -s and w, and it is perhaps
significant that the French forms of these seem to cluster in the
vernacular art. 4, though the notarial set hånd at f. 24 has examples of
secretary -s (for illustrations of these points from the vernacular article
see plate III, line 1 opyn, 3 dedis against 5 tymes, 6 trew, we; instances
of French p and w have been noted at f. 19r36 Egipt, 19r17 twi/i etc.).
In the present State of medieval Scottish palæographical studies it is
difficult to identify particular graphs as idiosyncracies rather than as
the products of a local school of writing. Nevertheless, the profile of
the Dalhousie scribe can be defined at least tentatively by reference to
a group of letter-forms which may not be unique, but whose simul-
taneous presence lends a recognizable character to his hånd. A scru-
tiny of plate III offers such forms as the Capital S- seen in line 9 Scocia;
the g with high ascender in line 19 origo; the long i- in which ascender
and descender nearly touch each other below the line, as in line 10
inire; the v beginning with a marked cross-stroke above the line, as in
line 11 vs; the open w- with attacking stroke in line 13 water; the y with
its descender pulled away sharply to the right, as in line 1 opyn; and
the two forms of yogh, with upward attacking stroke as in line 14 $ere,
or with a curl at the top as in line 8 3eris. This group of letter-forms
recurs virtually without exception in the sample of the Haye manu-
script from Roslin shown in plate IVb. In the order of forms adopted
above we may note line 9 Scotland, 1 prologus, 9 in, 6 worthy, 4 syne
and 9 3ere (with curl); the v with stroke above the line has been noted
in this manuscript at f. 70v19 lyve, while line 30 on the same page
contains an example of yogh with neither curl nor upward attacking
stroke. The idiosyncratic Capital A- at plate IVb, line 4 (And) turns
out also to be in the repertoire of the Dalhousie scribe, who writes it at
f. 19r3.
A doser examination of the Haye manuscript (including pages other
than that represented in the plate) reveals the same distribution of
cursive and non-cursive forms as was described in the introductory
analysis of the “pre-Secretary” style of writing. Not only individual
letter-forms but also the duet of the two hånds supports the view that
they are identical, though the Haye manuscript is rather more cur-
rently written than Dalhousie. Additional points of resemblance noted
from the Haye manuscript are the red initial capitals supplied through-
out (rubricator’s cues can sometimes be seen at the outside edge of the
6’