• Puzzle initial 'A'(pocalipsis), in Haimo Halberstatensis's In Apocalypsim., In Apocalypsim (ff. 1-106), In Cantica Canticorum (ff. 107-135v)

Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1; its book-plate with the pencil inscription: ‘XV.8.5’, inside upper cover).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society of London together with

• Decorated initial., Medical miscellany, with glosses, the Ars medicine

1667.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1v; its book-plate with the pencil inscription: ‘XIV.8.08’, f. [iii]).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society of London together with

• Illuminated initial 'W'(hilom) at the beginning of the Miller's tale, identified by a rubric in the upper margin 'The Meller'., Canterbury Tales

prime minister: his book-plate with heraldic arms and the motto 'virtute non verbis' (inside upper cover); purchased by the British Museum together with 1244 other Lansdowne manuscripts in 1807. Illuminated initial Herman Scheerre Geoffrey Chaucer London England, S. E. (London?)

• Calendar page with illuminated initials., Kalendarium, cum figuris eclipsum, tabulis, et canonibus

Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 2v; its book-plate with the pencil inscription: ‘XIII.6.26’, inside upper cover).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society of London together with

• Illuminated initial 'T'(her) and decorated catchword., Canterbury Tales

with heraldic arms and the motto 'virtute non verbis' (inside upper cover); purchased by the British Museum together with 1244 other Lansdowne manuscripts in 1807. Illuminated initial 'T'(her) and decorated catchword. Herman Scheerre Geoffrey Chaucer London England, S. E. (London?)

• Decorated initial 'W'(e), and a message written in the margin by Lady Jane Grey to Sir John Bridges, Lieutenant of the Tower: 'Forasmutche as you have desired so simple a woman to wrighte in so worthye a booke (good) mayster lieutenaunte therefore I shall as a frende desyre you and as a christian require you to call uppon god to encline youre harte to his lawes to quicken you in his waye and not [on the next page] to take the worde of trewthe utterlye oute of youre mouthe...', Lady Jane Grey's Prayer book

£10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Inscription by Lady Jane Grey London England, S. (London)

• Detail of puzzle initial., Miscellany of legal texts

and politician.Henry Howard (b. 1628, d. 1684), 6th duke of Norfolk, presented to the Royal Society in 1667.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1).Purchased by the British Museum

• Detail of decorated initial with a lion., De apibus

and politician.Henry Howard (b. 1628, d. 1684), 6th duke of Norfolk, presented to the Royal Society in 1667.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1; its book-plate with the

• Coloured initial 'F'(raternas) at the beginning of book 1of Statius's Thebaid, now oxided, and smaller initial capitals highlighted in red., Thebais (index Thebaid), with gloss, accessus, and anonymous life

perhaps as an attribution rather than a note of possession). ? Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (b. 1754 d. 1838): his sale, London, 8 May 1816, lot 3439, bought by Burney for £6 6s.Charles Burney (b. 1757, d. 1817), D.D., classical scholar.Acquired

• Puzzle initial 'K'(arissimo), at the beginning of Guillelmus de Monte Lauduno's Sacramentale., Miscellany of legal texts

and politician.Henry Howard (b. 1628, d. 1684), 6th duke of Norfolk, presented to the Royal Society in 1667.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1).Purchased by the British Museum

• Decorated initial 'D'(ixit), at the beginning of Psalm 109., Old Testament

and politician.Henry Howard (b. 1628, d. 1684), 6th duke of Norfolk, presented to the Royal Society in 1667.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1; its book-plate inside upper

• Flourished initial 'P'(er), at the beginning of Bartolus de Saxoferrato's Lectura super secunda parte Infortiati., Lectura super secunda parte Infortiati

and politician.Henry Howard (b. 1628, d. 1684), 6th duke of Norfolk, presented to the Royal Society in 1667.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1).Purchased by the British Museum

• Flourished initials 'L'(iber), and 'D'(icitur) with a human face, at the beginning of Egidius Corboliensis's Liber de urinis., Liber de urinis

of Norfolk, presented to the Royal Society in 1667.Inscribed 'H' (f. 1) as in many other Arundel manuscripts.The Royal Society, London (its ink stamp: 'Soc. Reg. Lond / ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1; its book-plate with the

• Table and decorated initial., Miscellaneous scientific treatises

'de Liber sancti Augustini Cante' (f. 1v); see also James 1963 no. 1166.Johannes de London, monk of St Augustine's Abbey, c.1364: inscribed 'Liber Johans de London' and '1364' (f. 1v).Index added, 14th-15th centuries (f. 242).John Dee (b. 1527, d. 1609),

• Table., Miscellaneous scientific treatises

'de Liber sancti Augustini Cante' (f. 1v); see also James 1963 no. 1166.Johannes de London, monk of St Augustine's Abbey, c.1364: inscribed 'Liber Johans de London' and '1364' (f. 1v).Index added, 14th-15th centuries (f. 242).John Dee (b. 1527, d. 1609),

• Detail of table., Miscellaneous scientific treatises

'de Liber sancti Augustini Cante' (f. 1v); see also James 1963 no. 1166.Johannes de London, monk of St Augustine's Abbey, c.1364: inscribed 'Liber Johans de London' and '1364' (f. 1v).Index added, 14th-15th centuries (f. 242).John Dee (b. 1527, d. 1609),

• Table., Miscellaneous scientific treatises

'de Liber sancti Augustini Cante' (f. 1v); see also James 1963 no. 1166.Johannes de London, monk of St Augustine's Abbey, c.1364: inscribed 'Liber Johans de London' and '1364' (f. 1v).Index added, 14th-15th centuries (f. 242).John Dee (b. 1527, d. 1609),

• Illuminated initial 'D' in colours and gold with foliate decoration including acanthus leaves, ivy, and foliate feathering extending into the margins to form a partial border, including a male figure., Confessio amantis, imperfect

£10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated initial John Gower London England, S. E. (?London)

• Text page., Polychronicon with other historical works

the 17th-century list of contents (f. 2) and in David Casley, ~A Catalogue of the Manuscripts of the King’s Library~ (London, 1734).A part of the manuscript including Nicolas Trevet's Annales sex regum Angliae, a list of Anglo-Saxon kings, the Revelationes

• Decorated initial 'P'(ost), with a partial bar border., Polychronicon with other historical works

the 17th-century list of contents (f. 2) and in David Casley, ~A Catalogue of the Manuscripts of the King’s Library~ (London, 1734).A part of the manuscript including Nicolas Trevet's Annales sex regum Angliae, a list of Anglo-Saxon kings, the Revelationes