Rubrication

As can be seen in the top right column of this manuscript page, the rubric is written in red ink and appears to have been added in after the original writing. This is typical of rubrication and it generally follows the laying out and writing of the text (Brown, p.111,1994).

Red was frequently a part of the medieval manuscript. It was most typically used for headings, titles and initials, in addition to rubrics. The use of red ink goes back to the fifth century and continued until the fifteenth century. The invention of the printing press changed the customary use of red and black ink in medieval manuscripts.