Archivist's (Bad) Dream

And how would you like to have to decipher this early sixteenth century chancery hand??
pas moi, I tell you.
I photographed this for comparison purposes (90%) and only plan on reading as much of it as I absolutely must.

This is more my speed: nice clear Gothic hand, 14th century I think, though the margin notes date to the mid 16th century and get awful again.

Yes, Charles, those are my (well washed) fingers on the original paper/parchments.
They don't make me wear gloves at the Archives Municipales.
In fact, I sometimes surreptitiously pet the inner margins of old manuscripts there, so I can feel the parchment nap.
It's kind of thrilling.