On January 11, Sarah Wilma Watson (English) led the first meeting of the new year by bringing in MS Roll 1563. The image above is from the top end of the recto; we collectively transcribed some of the Latin and the rubricated Middle English lines from the verso while lamenting the scribe’s stubborn preference for the biting h letter form.
MS Roll 1563 consists of two membranes that seem to have been glued together, and as a whole it measures 1372 x 130 mm. It is a roll of Christian prayers from 14C England, mostly in Latin but with some rubrics in Middle English.
It will also serve as the centerpiece for an upcoming workshop to be held at Penn, Digital Editing and the Medieval Manuscript Roll, which will adapt the program originally developed in 2017 at Yale University. The Graduate Paleography Group is excited for the event and will continue to transcribe MS Roll 1563 to prepare the text for digital editing by the date of the workshop.
