Single Leaf Manuscripts

Legal document. Contract. Gothic bastard hand. Brown ink. Recto contains the principal text which ends with "Sig." The line of the "g" continues to the right as a straight line, then drops straight down and takes a turn to the right where it is interrupted by a penwork notarial seal which consists of a square divided into four smaller squares, contained within a 4-pointed, brown ink star that overlays another 4-pointed star outlined in brown ink. A paragraph of text follows the seal. Verso contains writing in black ink in a later hand. It reads "Comando de 2500 Cortorya(?) da pox el...de...1399" and "Doro Luis de Bardaxi."

Legal document about the seizure and public sale of the land of James Monaghan. [James Monaghan owes Samson Babb for debt and damages amounting to $925...The High Sheriff of Chester County, Jesse Sharp, seized a messuage, 28 acres, and a backwood of 6 acres, and sold it to Isaac Pyles in a public sale for $785. The tracts of land are bounded by the lands of Stephen Townsend, Jacob Andrews, and John Rouland Moses.] Black ink. Cursive. The bottom of the document says that it was sealed and delivered in the presence of Samuel (last name illegible) and John M. Muller. An embossed seal appears near the middle of the bottom of the document. The signature of Sheriff Sharp appears at the bottom right. Another illegible signature appears below this. Verso contains handwriting that reads "Deed Poll Jesse Sharp Sheriff to Isaac Pyles of London Grove Township."

Judicial proceedings in the names of King Ferdinand II (V) and Queen Isabella I regarding an inheritance in Cabrillo of Alfonso Enriquez. A 1968 correspondence about the document reads: The document is directed to the Judge of the City of Rodrigo de Pedimento by Alfonso Enriquez concerning certain inheritances in a place called Cabrillo. He (Enriquez) was having certain difficulties with the property which he sold in Vallodalid on 17 June 1497 in the presence of Bartolomé Ruiz de Castañeda, Court Clerk of Cómara. There were also proceedings in his favor made in the year 1498 before Francicso Suárez Cabrera, Court Clerk in the city of Salamonica. Attached to the document described is a half sheet of paper, written in the 18th century, in Spanish, in cursive, in dark brown ink, summarizing the contents of the 15th century document. 15th century document: Cursive. Dark brown or black ink. On each page, new paragraphs begin with large capitals, and when the text of a paragraph ends before the bottom of the page, a long horizontal line fills in the space. Top margin of the recto of the first page is blank, and the bottom of the text is bounded by a gold decorative line. On the verso of this page and on all subsequent pages, the top margin of the page is filled in by three golden, diagonal hash marks; the bottom of the text is bounded by a decorative gold ink line. The left margin of the second page contains a date "1497" in a second hand. The verso of page 7 contains marginalia. The verso of the 9th page is the final page containing original text. Halfway down the page, the black ink writing ceases and gold ink writing begins. At the bottom center of the page, there is a penwork notarial seal followed by three signatures (all in gold ink). The 10th page of the document was blank, but its verso now contains writing in Spanish in a rather modern hand. The entire document is tied together by (18th century?) twine. A modern Spanish translation of the 18th century Spanish coversheet is available.

Arabic document. Black ink. Recto has 22 lines of horizontal writing and a line of writing on the right edge of the page that runs perpendicular to the main text. Verso contains remains of some horizontal lines on the left side of the page, and at least three lines of writing perpendicular to this on the right edge of the page.

Last will and testament of Finas de Sancto Cirico, daughter of Guillelmus de Sancto Cirico. Gothic bastard hand. Brown ink. Written by a clerk of the diocese of Cahors/Caturcens, one Guillaume d'Aurillac of Figeac. The entire will is contained on the recto. A fine, 10-line initial "I" begins the text. The two bottom lines, which contain the affirmation of the will by the clerk Guillaume d'Aurillac, are separated from the main body of the will by a 1-line space. A penwork notarial seal lies within the final two lines. It is a 5 petal flower contained within a square that is formed by the intersections of two vertical and two stretched horizontal ovals. Centered between the space of the vertical ovals is a stem that comes to a bulbous end. The verso is blank save one element of writing at the top, one element of writing at the bottom, and one element written sideways on the left side. Verso contains writing that says "Testament of Finas...[3 lines] 1288." Metal point ruling. Knife prickings. [Contained in the will: the date and a mention of current pope, Pope Nicholas IV; reasons for writing the will; burial arrangements ("cimiterio Sancte Sperie") and cost; what will be given to the church after her death; heirs and inheritance allotments; witnesses to the will; a note by the scribe confirming that he wrote the will. Names included in the will: Arnaldus Bonafos (son), the brothers of Delscalmelhs, the little brothers of Martellus, the little brothers and "Predictores" of Figiacus, the Figiacian brothers of Carmelita, Raymundus de Sancto Cirico, Deodatus Juorus, Raymundus Brunius, Johannes Valetius (presbyter), Martinus Guilan (clericus), Aymericus de Rupe (domicellus), Galhardus del Causanel, Stephanus and Bernardus Guilan. Other proper nouns (places?, people?): Hidoladilha, Doladilhas.] Transcript available.

Legal document. Brown ink. First page of the recto has a wide left margin. The date"31 Julliet 1623" is in the top left corner. Most pages are filled with writing, but the verso of the second page has only 6 lines. These lines are followed by two large signatures and perhaps a third, smaller signature. Also on the verso of the second page is diagonal cursive writing that slants upward. Four lines of writing appear perpendicular to the principal text. All of the pages, save the verso of the second page, have a short, horizontal squiggly mark below the last line of the text.

Medicine. Medical text. Gothic hand in dark brown ink. Paragraph markers appear in alternating red and blue ink. Phrases in red ink appear in the second column. Marginal notes written in two different hands appear on the recto.Verso contains an intricate 2-line initial in red and blue ink. 2 columns. Writing on both sides.

Prayer Book. Prayers for Easter Blessing, Prayers for Casting out Demons, Morning Prayers. Dark brown ink. 3-line brown ink capitals in the left margins begin verses on the first page recto. Verso of the first page contains a 7-line decorative capital in the left margin in brown ink. Verso of the fifth page contains a decorative page divider in brown ink that juts out into the left margin and fills a whole line up to the right margin. Verso of the seventh page contains a 2-line capital in the left margin in brown ink. Some pages have title headings centered in the top margin. A string binds the pages together. Blind ruling.

Book of Hours Laudate Dominum (or Cantate Domino). Gothic textura quadrata. Black ink. Sentences begin on the left side and have a 1.5-line long capital colored with gold leaf, surrounded by blue and/or white ink and gold leaf. These capitals are filled in with a combination of white and blue ink or white ink and gold leaf. The blank space, created by lines ending before the right margin, are filled with decorative bars, colored by blue and white ink and gold leaf. The text, centered on the page, is surrounded on the top, left, and right sides by a decorative outline in blue and white ink and gold leaf. Exterior of the outline is filled with vines (in black ink) and leaves (in gold leaf). The vine decoration enters the gap at the bottom of the outline and reaches up to the final line of the text. Text is wrapped without hyphenation. Blind ruling.

Financial document. Tax roll from Fontenay. Gothic bastard hand. Brown ink. The roll consists of 2 different pieces of parchment which are sewn together with blue thread. Document contains a descriptive paragraph with multiple paragraph headings and paragraphs below them. Crosses with notations and the letter "p" occur to the left of each paragraph. Numbers in the right margin. The verso contains some writing: "Philips 32167, a rather modern summary of the document in brown ink, 8? Liasse/ 4? Dossier, and a line of writing in Gothic bastard hand at the top.