Hand: Main Hand 2 (175v4–209v), BL Cotton Vitellius A.xv, fols. 94–209

Stokes, English Vernacular Script, ca 990–ca 1035, Vol. 2 (PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006)

A late form of Square minuscule with very few indications of eleventh-century developments, this hand is heavy and slightly backward-leaning. Ascenders are thick, slightly longer than minims, and show small wedges. Descenders are straight and as long as or slightly longer than minims. Minims are straight and show small wedges and small rising feet. Flat-topped a was used throughout, often with a small horn, and the left side of the bowl is usually shorter than the right. The same form was used for æ, the tongue of which is horizontal, and the hook rounded and usually extending slightly above cue-height. Both æ and e can be ligatured to a following minim, a,c, or o, although the hook in these cases is rarely much higher than when not in ligature. Horned e is found with a vertical back and with tongue and hook like those of æ. Round c was used, and the back of d is fairly long, fairly straight but sometimes slightly concave down, and usually angled at about 50–60° but sometimes close to bilinear. The tongue of f is long and slightly ~-shaped, and f+f ligatures are found. The mid-component of g is small and very angular, descending at about 45° down and left, then turning sharply to about 45° down and right, and the tail is closed in a large, round loop which extends slightly under the preceding letter. The shoulders of h, m, n, and r are rounded and can be somewhat bulging, and the descender of r is often particularly short. Tall, low, and round s were all used with little distinction, except that initial s is usually tall, tall s was normally used before t, g, p, and wynn, and round s was most often used finally. Tall s shows a wedge at cue-height and descends only slightly below the base-line, low s is deeply split, and low s+s ligatures are found. The scribe seems to have preferred ð to þ, as þ is only normally found in initial position, but ð was used in any position including initially. The back of ð is like that of d but is always steeply angled, and the through-stroke is long and hooked down on the right. Round-limbed, bilinear, dotted y occurs most often, although the straight-limbed dotted form is also found, in which case the right branch is hooked left. The top of 7 is hooked up on the left and is angled up, and the down-stroke is vertical.