Cut and paste

London, British Library Additional MS 39564 is an anonymous collection of English lessons for the two-hand sword, tentatively dated to first quarter sixteenth century. This manuscript peculiar in several ways, aside from it being one only three such texts known scholars. paper discusses two aspects this that speak its origins and survival present form. The appear be out order while there no challenge rearranging them a logical fashion, explains why disorder tells us Add. copy made loose bi-folds now lost exemplar. also placement ‘Amen Quod J Ledall’ formula between lessons, rather than at end text (where attribution traditionally placed). Finally, significance attribution, suggesting does not identify original composer or user text, name scribe who produced unbound sheets acted as exemplar our surviving text. Both these points remind were part complicated community composers, scribes, readers path often indirect meandering.