Morten St George Theory

[Morten St. George]

I really don't want to enter this discussion, but it would probably be almost devious to let (parts of) it run on without pointing out the long-known case of folio nr. 42.

Unfortunately, it wasn't "long-known" to me but yes, we do have a precedent for a number overwriting page content though, unlike f17r, there seems not to have been much opportunity to evade contact. I guess I was looking for numbers touching something, not inside a plant. In any case, the general rule of evading contact where practical to do so remains valid.

On f42r, the number clearly overwrites the plant. So, since you are an expert in this field, please tell us, for f17r: Does the number 17 overwrite the plant or does the plant overwrite the number? The matter is important because it tells us which came first: the numbering or the marginalia. Thanks.