• Decorated initial 'A'., Medical miscellany, including the Liber Medicinarum (ff. 1-40v)

Liber Medicinarum (ff. 1-40v) Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), baronet, physician and collector. Purchased as part of the Sloane collection from Sloane's executors and incorporated into the newly founded British Museum in 1753. Decorated initial John Arderne England

• Drawings of furnaces, stills, jars for drawing off liquid, and other apparatus used for the alchemical transmutation of metals and for preparing medicines., Medical miscellany, including Arderne's Liber medicinarum (ff. 26-99); list of herbs in Latin and English

herbs in Latin and English Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), baronet, physician and collector. Purchased as part of the Sloane collection from Sloane's executors and incorporated into the newly founded British Museum in 1753. Apparatus John Arderne England

• Historiated initial with a battle scene., Fragment of a leaf of a Speculum maius (beginning of book 9)

inscribed, 16th/17th century: 'Philemon Holland / John Barone(?), and 'RB'.f. 125: inscribed, 16th century: 'Thomas baulle'(?) and John Dean'.f. 137: inscribed, 16th century: 'James Collard'.f. 149: inscribed, 16th century: 'Statutes April 1581' and 'John Wallsall'.f. 175: inscribed, 17th century: 'Edmund(?)

• Detail of a miniature in four segments: 1. Pierre Bersuire presenting the book to John II; 2. the wolf with Romulus and Remus; 3. John II enthroned; 4. Knights fighting, at the beginning of the prologue., Ab urbe condita (Les decades de Titus Livius)

Detail of a miniature in four segments: 1. Pierre Bersuire presenting the book to John II; 2. the wolf with Romulus and Remus; 3. John II enthroned; 4. Knights fighting, at the beginning of the prologue. Contains the 'Ab urbe

• Diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses in a physician's folding almanac., Physician's folding almanac, including John Somer's 'Calendar' (ff. 3-6), eclipse canon (f. 7), diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses from 1431 to 1462 (ff. 8-10)

almanac. A portable physician's folding almanac based on the 'Kalendarium' of John Somer (d. in or after 1409), Franciscan friar at Bridgwater and astronomer.One of 29 English folding almanacs, of which 10 are in the British Library: see Carey 2003.

• Detail of diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses from 1431 to 1462., Physician's folding almanac, including John Somer's 'Calendar' (ff. 3-6), eclipse canon (f. 7), diagrams of solar and lunar eclipses from 1431 to 1462 (ff. 8-10)

1462. A portable physician's folding almanac based on the 'Kalendarium' of John Somer (d. in or after 1409), Franciscan friar at Bridgwater and astronomer.One of 29 English folding almanacs, of which 10 are in the British Library: see Carey 2003.

• Decorated initial 'I'(n ye) wit a full border, at the beginning of Genesis., Wycliffite Bible, in the later version

the prologue by John Purvey, imperfect; the text starts 'Five and twenti bookis', and ends 'descendant in infernum viventes'.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. Some pointing hands in the margins, sometimes with annotations (e.g., f. 265). 1 miniature of John writing his

• Detail of an pen-flourished initial 'I'(ou)., Wycliffite Bible, in the later version

the prologue by John Purvey, imperfect; the text starts 'Five and twenti bookis', and ends 'descendant in infernum viventes'.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. Some pointing hands in the margins, sometimes with annotations (e.g., f. 265). 1 miniature of John writing his

• Detail of the left-hand column of the folio with two pen-flourished initials., Wycliffite Bible, in the later version

the prologue by John Purvey, imperfect; the text starts 'Five and twenti bookis', and ends 'descendant in infernum viventes'.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. Some pointing hands in the margins, sometimes with annotations (e.g., f. 265). 1 miniature of John writing his

• Detail of a decorated initial 'I'(n) at the beginning of Esther., Wycliffite Bible, in the later version

the prologue by John Purvey, imperfect; the text starts 'Five and twenti bookis', and ends 'descendant in infernum viventes'.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. Some pointing hands in the margins, sometimes with annotations (e.g., f. 265). 1 miniature of John writing his

• Foliate Initial 'T'(he book) with a full border, at the beginning of Matthew., Wycliffite Bible, in the later version

the prologue by John Purvey, imperfect; the text starts 'Five and twenti bookis', and ends 'descendant in infernum viventes'.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. Some pointing hands in the margins, sometimes with annotations (e.g., f. 265). 1 miniature of John writing his

• Historiated initial 'P'(rimo) of the Nativity with a partial foliate border., Breviary, use of Sarum, imperfect

of saints, including David Chad, Winifred and John of Beverley 15th century (ff. 288-290), with an early 15th century initial pasted down (f. 290).Inscribed 'By me Cornishe Simpsone', 16th century (f. 291).? John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: his

• Detail of a historiated Initial 'Q'(uod) of John writing his epistle, at the beginning of John I., Bible, with the Interpretation of Hebrew names (The 'Bible of William of Devon')

Detail of a historiated Initial 'Q'(uod) of John writing his epistle, at the beginning of John I. Rebound for Henry VIII.Associated with a group of manuscripts (the 'William of Devon group'): Blackburn, Museum and Art Gallery, Ms. 091.21001, Egerton 1151,

• Detail of a historiated Initial 'S'(enior) of John holding a scroll, at the beginning of John II., Bible, with the Interpretation of Hebrew names (The 'Bible of William of Devon')

Detail of a historiated Initial 'S'(enior) of John holding a scroll, at the beginning of John II. Rebound for Henry VIII.Associated with a group of manuscripts (the 'William of Devon group'): Blackburn, Museum and Art Gallery, Ms. 091.21001, Egerton 1151,

• Detail of a historiated Initial 'S'(enior) of John holding a scroll, at the beginning of John III, and of a historiated initial 'I'(udas) of Jude holding a book, at the beginning of Jude., Bible, with the Interpretation of Hebrew names (The 'Bible of William of Devon')

Detail of a historiated Initial 'S'(enior) of John holding a scroll, at the beginning of John III, and of a historiated initial 'I'(udas) of Jude holding a book, at the beginning of Jude. Rebound for Henry VIII.Associated with a group

• Historiated Initial 'I'(ohannes) of John holding a book, at the beginning of the prologue to Revelation, and a historiated initial 'A'(pocalipsis) of John writing at a desk, at the beginning of Revelation., Bible, with the Interpretation of Hebrew names (The 'Bible of William of Devon')

Historiated Initial 'I'(ohannes) of John holding a book, at the beginning of the prologue to Revelation, and a historiated initial 'A'(pocalipsis) of John writing at a desk, at the beginning of Revelation. Rebound for Henry VIII.Associated with a group of

• Detail of a foliate initial 'D'(omino) with human heads, at the beginning of the preface., Commentary on Matthew

iii libri claudii p[re]sbiterii sup[er] Math[eum], 13th century (f. i).The Augustinian priory of St. Mary and St. John the Baptist, Llanthony: noted by John Leland c. 1533-36 ( (see ~J. Lelandi antiquarii de rebus Britannicis Collectanea: Cum Thomæ Hearnii præfatione

• Architectural headpiece in colours, silver, and gold with a pediment and four columns and an initial in red, silver, and gold., Evangeliary of the four Gospels with sections (but not canon tables) and Sermo catecheticus in Pascha

into this one.f. 3 is a parchment flyleaf.ff. 4-79: Matthew; ff. 79-127: Mark; ff. 130-217: Luke; ff. 220-278v: John.ff. 279-280: John Chrysostom's Sermo catecheticus in Pascha (PG 59. 721-24). Architectural headpiece in colours, silver, and gold with a pediment and

• Detail of an historiated initial 'D'(ominus) of the Virgin and Child, with the donor, Thomas Besforde, in a Benedictine habit with a scroll reading 'In te confidit a[n]i[m]a / mea', in the margin.', Commentary on Wisdom

manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae~ (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697', but 1698?), no. 7746).Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Virgin and Thomas Besforde John Lutton John Lutton Reading England, S. E. (Reading?)

• Miniature of John the Baptist, with Agnus Dei., Added prayers to saints

of Anne of York.Part 2:Margaret Beauchamp (b. 1405/6, d. 1482), duchess of Somerset, daughter of John Beauchamp of Bletsoe, married to Sir Oliver St John,John Beaufort, and Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles, probably made for her before 1443: