• Decorated initial 'B'(eate)., Moralia in Job, imperfect at the end.

hymn 'Beate martyr prospera diem' (f. 1). Musical notation: added neumes, northern France, early 11th century (f. 1).Begins: 'Reverentissimo et sanctissimo fratri Leandro coepiscopo Gregorius servuus servorum Dei dudum te frater beastissime in constantinopolitana'. Large initials in brown ink, some

• Decorated initial 'H'(oc) with reserved designs and penwork decoration including arabesque motifs., Diadema monachorum

occasionally with script in later medieval hands.The manuscript has been intensely used.Ampersands. 1 large puzzle initial in red and green with penwork decoration in red (f. 1).1 large initial in blue with reserved designs and penwork decoration including arabesque

• Puzzle initial 'P'(anis) and smaller initials with pen-flourishing., Pantheologus, books 2 and 3

A.D. 1722' (f. 1). Kept until 1722 at the library of Brampton Bryan, Hereford, family seat of the Harleys: inscribed by Wanley: 'Hic Codex e Bibliotheca quae est in Castro Bramtoniensi a Domino meo huc transfertus' (f. 1). Edward Harley

• Historiated initial with Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons on their journey to Moab, at the beginning of Ruth (the first known occurrence of this depiction in medieval art). The initial is decorated also by two sirens or hybrids, which have a less clear connection with the text., Bible (The 'Montpellier Bible') (Genesis to Malachi)

1, 5 may be later additions of the middle or 3rd quarter of the 12th century: see Cahn 1996; Avril 1983. Large historiated or decorated initials in colours and sometimes gold at the beginning of prefaces and books (ff.

• Decorated initial 'V'(erbum)., Institutiones grammaticae, imperfect at the end

initial 'V'(erbum). Ruled in hardpoint.Horizontal catchwords.Marginal annotations. 1 large historiated initial in colours with a portrait of Priscian (f. 1).1 initial in colours in the form of a snake (f. 12). 1 historiated initial in colours of a man

• The first canon table decorated with human faces at the bases of each column, and animal heads at each end of the main arch., Gospels

end of the main arches, unfinished (ff. 1-7). 1 incipit page with an initial in colours with interlace decoration, at the beginning of the Epistle of Jerome to Damasus, unfinished (f. 9). 1 smaller initial in colours with interlace decoration

• Zoomorphic initial 'I'(n dandis) with a bird at the beginning of De institutione arithmetica., De institutione arithmetica

quire) in part 1. Part 1 is a palimpsest in late Carolingian script and the text and some of the coloured initials are still partly visible (ff. 1-123v). f. 123 is the end flyleaf of part 1. Zoomorphic initial in

• Decorated intials 'D'(e) and 'E'(cclesia)., Speculum ecclesiae

Samuel Knott (d. 1687), rector of Combe Raleigh, Devon (1661-1668), antiquary and collector of manuscripts: inscribed with his name (f. 1). The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and

• Decorated initials 'S'(epius), 'F'(undamentum), and 'G'(loriose)., Elucidarium (ff. 1-30), pious verses in Provençal (f. 30), Papal bull of Boniface VIII, dated 1300 (f. 30v)

auzem dir' (ff. 30-30v). 1 large initial in red and blue with red and blue penwork decoration (f. 1). 4 smaller initials in red with blue penwork decoration or in blue with red penwork decoration (ff. 1 (x 2), 10v,

• Historiated initial 'V'., Bible (The 'Montpellier Bible') (Genesis to Malachi)

1, 5 may be later additions of the middle or 3rd quarter of the 12th century: see Cahn 1996; Avril 1983. Large historiated or decorated initials in colours and sometimes gold at the beginning of prefaces and books (ff.

• Historiated initial 'I' with scenes from Creation, at the beginning of Genesis., Bible (The 'Montpellier Bible') (Genesis to Malachi)

1, 5 may be later additions of the middle or 3rd quarter of the 12th century: see Cahn 1996; Avril 1983. Large historiated or decorated initials in colours and sometimes gold at the beginning of prefaces and books (ff.

• Detail of an historiated initial 'O' of a man holding a book, presumably Habakkak with interlace, at the beginning of Habakkak., Bible (The 'Montpellier Bible') (Genesis to Malachi)

1, 5 may be later additions of the middle or 3rd quarter of the 12th century: see Cahn 1996; Avril 1983. Large historiated or decorated initials in colours and sometimes gold at the beginning of prefaces and books (ff.

• Decorated initial ''Q'(uanta) at the beginning of a collection of Seneca's letters., Letters, some extracts

17 lots were purchased subsequently for £2 9s. 6d (Egerton 710-730). Large initial in blue with red penwork decoration (f. 1). Large plain initials in red, blue or green, a few with penwork decoration in one other colour (e.g. ff.

• Coloured initial 'Q'(uare), from Psalm 1., Psalter ('The Camaldoli Psalter'), with partial gloss (index The Fontebuono Psalter)

Coloured initial 'Q'(uare), from Psalm 1.1 large full-page miniature, in colours and gold (f. 178). 1 large decorated full-page initial, in colours and gold (f. 9v). Large and smaller decorated initials with white vine ornament, geometric and figural decoration,

• Inhabited vine-stem initial 'B'(eatus), with a naked man amongst foliage, at the beginning of Psalm 1., Psalter ('The Camaldoli Psalter'), with partial gloss (index The Fontebuono Psalter)

vine-stem initial 'B'(eatus), with a naked man amongst foliage, at the beginning of Psalm 1.1 large full-page miniature, in colours and gold (f. 178). 1 large decorated full-page initial, in colours and gold (f. 9v). Large and smaller decorated

• Decorated initial 'P'(receptis), and the Pinelli number '7899' in the upper left-hand corner., Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of Old Testament history (ff. 69-73v)

Decorated initial 'P'(receptis), and the Pinelli number '7899' in the upper left-hand corner. 1 large puzzle initial (f. 1). Small initials alternately blue with red penwork decoration, or vice versa. Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of

• Decorated initials 'N'(eminem) and 'R'(ex); the lower margin with a note stating that from the creation of the world (5199 years before the birth of Christ) to the present is 6,434 years., Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of Old Testament history (ff. 69-73v)

creation of the world (5199 years before the birth of Christ) to the present is 6,434 years. 1 large puzzle initial (f. 1). Small initials alternately blue with red penwork decoration, or vice versa. Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and

• Zoomorphic initial 'S'(cribere) in the form of a dragon, at the beginning of Seneca's De clementia; with an erased inscription in the upper margin., De clementia (ff. 1-9), and other short texts

the Celestine monastery of Ste-Croix d’Offémont is Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 10898. 1 large zoomorphic initial in red, green, silver, and gold (f. 1). 4 large foliate initials (ff. 6v, 17, 25v, 64v), and simpler initials, in red,

• Decorated initial 'U'(t) at the start of Book 2 of Seneca's De clementia, and a decorative run-over symbol in the lower margin., De clementia (ff. 1-9), and other short texts

the Celestine monastery of Ste-Croix d’Offémont is Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 10898. 1 large zoomorphic initial in red, green, silver, and gold (f. 1). 4 large foliate initials (ff. 6v, 17, 25v, 64v), and simpler initials, in red,

• Initial 'I'(n) in the form of a dragon, and 'B'(eatus) with two bishops with crosiers, the lower with a closed book;and the ownership inscription: 'Liber Sancte Trinitatis de Kirkham' in the lower margin., Lections for feasts of saints, including Vita Gregorii, the life of St Augustine; Nativitate St Maria, Vita Edwardi regis (one chapter), and other texts

pp. 74-77. 1 historiated initial of two bishops in green, red, and brown on a blue ground (f. 1). 2 large initials with animals or animals heads in red, green, and brown, or also with blue (ff. 1, 18v). Simple