Guide to Scripts Used in English Writings Up to 1500 book by Jane Roberts

Jane Roberts

ISBN 10: 0712309039 / ISBN 13: 9780712309035

Published by British Library, 2011

About this Item

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent condition. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book. About the book >.>.> The general scope of this work is to give an overview of the variety of scripts used in the recording of English literature up to and a little beyond the introduction of print, a period too often broken up into Old English (or English up to and a little beyond the Norman Conquest of 1066) and Middle English (roughly from the Norman Conquest up to 1400 or to 1 525 or to some later date, according to the historical stance adopted). Further subdivisions refine on these period terms, for example early Middle English (or Middle English up to 6.1360), but such terms depend on assumptions made about the history of the English language and its literature, and the divisions indicated are often without particular relevance to the history of script. This book is for readers who want to explore how English was set down in writing before print became general. Its aim is to help readers to identify the sets of letter-forms in use and to understand their place in the history of script. The aim is two-fold because the readi.

Seller Inventory # Batch-FM325-VG-7952

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Guide to Scripts Used in English Writings Up to 1500 book by Jane Roberts
• Publisher: British Library
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0712309039
• ISBN 13: 9780712309035
• Binding: Softcover
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Medieval History

About this title

Synopsis

Despite a resurgence of interest in the history of the English Language there is currently no book available to introduce readers to the scripts used in Old and Middle English writing. The best way to gain a sense of the changes in scripts across time is via visual example, and this book seeks to show the reader just why Middle English is different from Old English and at the same time to explain how the change is gradual.Important literary texts are illustrated to demonstrate the chronological progression of the writing, for example: "Caedmon's Hymn" (the earliest extant English poem); the opening of an "Exeter Book" poem; the "Lindisfarne Gospels"; the opening page of King Alfred's first translation; an illustrated version of the story of Abraham and Isaac; passages from the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle"; early (Lalamon) and late tellings of the story of Arthur( Malory); contrasting manuscripts of Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde"; "Langland"; and "York" plays. Each plate is reproduced full size where possible, accompanied by a full transcript, commentary and notes. Through visual examples, the reader will be introduced gradually to vocabulary suitable for the description of the script, so the book will be both suitable for both a general and student audience.

About the Author

Jane Roberts is an emeritus Professor of English at the University of London.