• Miniature of a debate between a clerk and a knight in a garden, before the king of France and the personifications of Spiritual Power in a Franciscan habit, and Temporal Power represented as a queen, with the author sleeping, at the beginning of the text., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Detail of a miniature of a dialogue between a clerk and a knight, with a full border and a shield bearing the royal arms of France flanked by a lion., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Miniature of a dialogue between a clerk and a knight, and a foliate initial 'M'(anice) with a full border and a shield bearing the royal arms of France flanked by two lions., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Miniature of the king enthroned with a clerk and a knight debating., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Detail of a miniature of Charles V of France receiving the book from the author, at the beginning of book 1., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Detail of a miniature of a dialogue between a clerk and a knight, with a full border and a shield bearing the royal arms of France flanked by a lion., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Text page., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Text page., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Detail of a dragon from the top of the folio., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Detail of a miniature of the king enthroned with a clerk and a knight debating., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Miniature of Charles V of France receiving the book from the author, and a foliate initial 'A'(udite) with a full border and a shield bearing the royal arms of France flanked by two lions, at the beginning of book 1., Le Songe du Vergier

of John, duke of Bedford: erased inscription, 'Cest livre est a nous Homfrey Duc de Gloucestre' (f. 247v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 437' (f. 2), included in the inventory of books in the

• Historiated initial 'O' of Romauld enthroned with a bishop saint (probably Augustine) and monastic saints John Gualbert (top right), Maurus and Placidus in Camaldolese habits., Cutting from a Gradual

was most likely completed by 1374, in time for use in the officiation of the monastery's new choir. Anonymous 19th-century English owner: inscribed on mount; 'Puccio Capanna', and 'Tommaso Giottinese b. 1324 dies 1356 / Puccio Capanna Pl CXII A...'.Walter

• Decorated initial 'H' with pen-flourishing in foliate patterns with dots., Mandeville's travels

brown ink (Carley's 'Old Large Number') 59 (f. i). The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): included in the catalogue of 1666 (f.14v).Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.

• Large initial 'B' with penwork decoration in the form of leaves., Enarrationes in Psalmos 1-50

sketches in brown of men in the margins (e.g. ff. 12, 16v, 17v). Enarrationes in Psalmos 1-50 The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 946 ' (f. 1), included in the inventory of books in

• Large puzzle initial 'P' with penwork decoration in the form of leaves., Enarrationes in Psalmos 1-50

sketches in brown of men in the margins (e.g. ff. 12, 16v, 17v). Enarrationes in Psalmos 1-50 The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 946 ' (f. 1), included in the inventory of books in

• Petrucchio Ubaldini's letter of dedication addressed to Elizabeth I and dated 1577., Le Vite e i Fatti di sei Donne Illustri, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth (descriptions of six mythical or early princesses: Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Clotilda of France, Suanhuita (or Suanvita) of Sweden, Jutha (or Judith), daughter of the Emperor Otho II, Zarina, Queen of the Sacae, and Venda (or Wanda), Queen of Poland.

and Gilson 1921).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): included in the catalogue of 1661, Royal Appendix 86, f. 42, no. 2.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Dedication

• Foliate initial 'C'(lemens) with a medallion of a portrait of the author, pope Clement I, at the beginning of the text., Collectio Lanfranci

(f. 249).The Benedictine abbey of St Peter, Gloucester, inscribed 'Lib[er] monast[er]ii Sa[ncti] Petri Gloucestr[ie]', 14th century (f. 1).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Henrician title 'Concilia venerat[a]' and Westminster inventory number 'no. 1029' (f. 1), acquired by the

• Puzzle initial 'A'(nno) in blue and red., Historia Anglorum (in ten books)

blue and red. Incipit: Britannia igitur beatissima est insularumThe text covers the reigns of English kings up to Stephen (d. 1154).f. 157: a brief summary of English history, added by a later hand, extending from Henry II to Edward I,

• Drawing of Edward VI seated on a throne inscribed with a motto 'Dieu et mon droit' and 'Vivat rex', receiving the book from the author William Forrest., The pleasaunt poesye of princelie practise, imperfect

receiving the book from the author William Forrest. Sir William Forrest's 'The pleasaunt poesye of princelie practise' is an English verse adaptation of the pseudo-Aristotelian 'Secretum Secretorum' and Giles of Rome's 'De Regimine Principum', written following the fashion of the

• Illuminated initial 'T'(he nobleste) of a crowned Tudor rose, at the beginning of the poem., The pleasaunt poesye of princelie practise, imperfect

the poem. Sir William Forrest's 'The pleasaunt poesye of princelie practise' is an English verse adaptation of the pseudo-Aristotelian 'Secretum Secretorum' and Giles of Rome's 'De Regimine Principum', written following the fashion of the commonwealthsmen, the social commentators and reformers,