LIT6026   Early Modern Palaeography   (15 credits)

Description

This module teaches students to read English handwriting, 1500-1700, an essential skill for research in the period. The course will look at the most common hands of the period (secretary, Jacobean court hand, italic), as well as some of the more specialist (such as Chancery hands). It will also cover conventions for transcription, brevigraphs (and other abbreviations), dating hands, and will include a historical introduction to writing equipment and materials, the production and circulation of manuscripts, and the co-existence of print and a flourishing manuscript culture. There will also be some consideration of editing manuscripts for modern editions.

Reading List