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The document was drawn up by a notary, as indicated by the notary's mark or sign manual, as well as the written authenticating statement beside it. Each notary had their own individual mark. These could be very elaborate, and seem to have been largely abstract designs, often of great intricacy. The document has no seal, as the notary's mark essentially performs the same function of guaranteeing its authenticity. The notary was also an expert at drafting documents, not just a scribe. The script used was also appropriate to the nature and grade of the document. |
| Appeal to the Holy See of 1281, from the collection of Rob Schäfer. All images © Rob Schäfer. | |
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| overview | initial | notary's mark | text | alphabet | abbreviations | structure | exercises | | transcript | translation | |
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| Click on each of the above to walk your way through the text. The transcript will appear in a separate window so that you can use it for reference at any time. These exercises are designed to guide you through the text, not test you, so you can cheat as much as you like. | |
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 Script sample for this example |
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Index
of Exercises |
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Index
of Scripts |
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