The document describes the Ellesmere Manuscript, which contains Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It details aspects of the manuscript such as its material (calfskin vellum), layout (240 leaves arranged in 30 quires), handwriting style (Anglicana Formata), and illustrations (71 borders and 23 portraits of pilgrims). The manuscript also contains unique punctuation, abbreviations, and illustrations not found in other manuscripts of the Tales.

1. The Ellesmere
Manuscript
Emma Donovan, Tyrone Kennedy, Liz Matresse & Megan Ryan

3. MS EL 26 C9 DESCRIPTION
 Calfskin vellum
 Arranged HHFF with F facing outwards
 240 leaves: 232 text, 8 originally blank

4.  30 quires of 8 leaves
 Quires bound by 7 evenly spaced double thongs
with kettle stitching

5.  Lined for single column of 48 lines
 Anglicana Formata hand
Extract from The Shipman’s Tale

6.  Rigorous cropping
 Protected by over-cover

8. BALADE ON THE HOUSE OF VERE

9. “Thynkyng, as long as
cotynuyth veere,
Neuyr to obey hys enemyes for
feere”

11. PUNCTUATION & ABBREVIATION
Punctuation Abbreviation
 Thought to have been  The letter ‘P’ can
added by the scribe, be represented
rather than Chaucer. with a line through
the descender.
 Evidence: Disagreement
in placement, between  General abbreviations can
The Hengwrt and The also be seen throughout
Ellesmere, remains the MS, eg. ff = F, p = th
constant from tale to tale.

12. ILLUSTRATIONS
Borders:
 Contains 71 borders, vines, leaves, floral, blobs,
in colour.
 Large demi-vinet, foliated initials.
 Unusual, a-hierarchical, left bracket .
 Customization.
 Includes miniatures.
 Left justification, three sided.

13. BORDER

14. ILLUSTRATIONS
Portraits
 23 portraits: pilgrims and
Chaucer himself.
 All on horseback
 In colour – Lapus Lazuli,
(blue), Red, Gold.
 Manicules .
 Mnemonic Aids.
 Unique to Ellesmere.
 Various Sizes.
 Number of Limners. The Man of Law – Border. 1st Artist.

15. ILLUSTRATIONS
The Physician – Little/No gold. The Cook – Notable hand change.

16. DIGITAL MANUSCRIPTS
 Accessibility
 Preservation of MS
 Tara Williams Article:
 Community
 Dead vs. Live Book
 Reliability

17. U Wisconsin-Milwaukee Long Island U www.agefotostock.com www.lessing-photo.com

18. SOURCES
 University of Arizona
http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/illuman/14_02.htm
l
 University of California—Berkeley
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/hehweb/elmss.html
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/digitalscriptorium/news/ellsme
re.html
 Canterbury Tales Project
http://www.canterburytalesproject.org/index.html
http://www.canterburytalesproject.org/massdigit/index.html
 Long Island University
http://www2.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/sc/chaucer/text_page.htm
 Yushodo Press
http://www.yushodo.co.jp/english/special/chaucer.html