Hand: Adjurations (pp. 303–309), CCCC 146

Name: Adjurations (pp. 303–309)
Manuscript: CCCC 146
Script: English Vernacular minuscule
Scribe: DigiPal Scribe 58. Saec. xi in.
Date: Saec. xi in.
Place: CaCC

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

The aspect is identical to the main Latin script: the hand is neat and regular and shows a uniform cue-height, upright ascenders, descenders and minims, but somewhat rounded letter-forms. Ascenders are very straight, as long as minims, and have small wedges which are slightly split. Descenders are a similar length and also straight but taper slightly. Minims are consistently wedged and have horizontal feet. Flat-topped a was used throughout, the top angled at about 10°, the back sometimes leaning slightly left, and the left stroke slightly convex or quite vertical and with a small horn. The same range was used for æ, the e-component of which is squinting with a long straight rising tongue and a flat hook. The lower strokes of c and e are somewhat angular, and both letters can have small horns. The tongue of e, like that of æ, is long, straight, rising, and turned down at the tip if final; the eye is squinting. The back of d is fairly short and rounded, rising only slightly above cue-height. The tongue of f is slightly concave up, and the hook is fairly rounded and deeply split. The top-stroke of g has very small serifs at both ends; the mid-section hangs from about the middle of the top-stroke and does not bulge far to the left but does swing some way to the right before closing in a somewhat triangular tail. The shoulders of h, m, n, and r are all somewhat rounded and the strokes slightly swollen; that of r tends to turn slightly back to the left before turning out in a rising foot. Round o was often used, but the left side was sometimes formed with a more vertical stroke and has a small approach stroke like the horns of a, c, and e. Long, low, and round s were all used: long before t, wynn, and sometimes before c; round initially or finally; low in any position but rarely before t. Long s ascends higher and descends lower than the Caroline form used in the Latin text. The conventional distinction between þ and ð was followed throughout; the back of ð is long and vertical-tipped, with a fairly short and fairly high through-stroke which is hooked up on the left and down on the right. Straight-limbed dotted y was used throughout with a rising finial on the tail and a wedge on the right branch. The top of 7 can be quite long or very short and is horizontal, and the descender is fairly vertical. Latin was written in Style-II Anglo-Caroline.