• Decorated initial 'D' in Bede's letter to Ecgbert, Bishop of York (died 766)., Commentary on Proverbs, Letter to Ecgberht of York (ff. 89-97)

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. Decorated initial Written by two scribes, including Symeon of Durham Symeon

• null, Historia Anglorum, to 1198, with a table of chapters, preceded by the author's dedicatory letter; various sermons (ff. 159-172)

at the time of the edition of the text by T. Hearne, 1719.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d. 1839), 1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos:

• null, Historia Anglorum, to 1198, with a table of chapters, preceded by the author's dedicatory letter; various sermons (ff. 159-172)

at the time of the edition of the text by T. Hearne, 1719.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d. 1839), 1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos:

• null, Historia Anglorum, to 1198, with a table of chapters, preceded by the author's dedicatory letter; various sermons (ff. 159-172)

at the time of the edition of the text by T. Hearne, 1719.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d. 1839), 1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos:

• null, Historia Anglorum, to 1198, with a table of chapters, preceded by the author's dedicatory letter; various sermons (ff. 159-172)

at the time of the edition of the text by T. Hearne, 1719.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d. 1839), 1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos:

• Detail of inscription., Decretum, with gloss; list of popes and emperors (ff. 222-229)

1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham

• Detail of decorated initials., Decretum, with gloss; list of popes and emperors (ff. 222-229)

1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham

• Detail of historiated initial of William, archbishop of Sens, holding a book and Peter Comestor kneeling before him, in a monk's habit., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Detail of historiated initial of William, archbishop of Sens, holding a book and Peter Comestor kneeling before him, in a monk's habit. The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according to this manuscript: see discussion Gameson

• Detail of historiated initial of Christ blessing., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Detail of historiated initial of Christ blessing. The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according to this manuscript: see discussion Gameson 2008. 3 historiated initials in gold and colours, and partial borders (f. 1). 22 historiated

• Detail of a bust in an historiated initial 'I'., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Detail of a bust in an historiated initial 'I'. The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according to this manuscript: see discussion Gameson 2008. 3 historiated initials in gold and colours, and partial borders (f. 1).

• Detail of historiated illuminated initial of a seated prophet Daniel holding a scroll inscribed 'hoc est somnium tuam' (this is your dream)., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Detail of historiated illuminated initial of a seated prophet Daniel holding a scroll inscribed 'hoc est somnium tuam' (this is your dream). The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according to this manuscript: see discussion Gameson

• Detail of historiated initial of king Nebuchadnezzar at a banquet seeing writing on a scroll., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Detail of historiated initial of king Nebuchadnezzar at a banquet seeing writing on a scroll. The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according to this manuscript: see discussion Gameson 2008. 3 historiated initials in gold and

• Puzzle initial 'N' at the beginning of a chronicle., Chronicle from Noah to Henry IV, and a list of kings from William I to Henry VI (f. 71r-v)

at an auction of the Books of P. C. Webb . . . March 1771 for uuue. J Lowes' (f. 1).J. Lowes: see inscription above.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d. 1839), 1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near

• Ink drawings of an autalops (antelope) with its horns caught in a shrub, an onocentaur, a hedgehog, a fox feigning death in order to catch birds, and a unicorn resting its head in the lap of a virgin, being pursued by a man with a spear., Bestiary

1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham

• Decorated foliate initial 'C', and full foliate border, at the beginning of the Statues., Nova Statuta (index Statutes of England; Statuta Angliae, Statute book), from 1 Edward III to 14 Henry VI in chronological order

Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos; sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham.Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham Place, Sussex.Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1840, d. 1913), 5th earl

• Decorated initial 'I'(n) in the form of a hybrid with a woman's head and a winged body, with border formed by text and penwork decoration, at the beginning of Alain de Lille's De planctu naturae., De planctu naturae

and penwork decoration, at the beginning of Alain de Lille's De planctu naturae. ff. 35v-36 is a 13th-century copy of a poem on the nature of the world. 1 partial border made up of text on coloured background and penwork

• Historiated illuminated initials of William, archbishop of Sens, holding a book and Peter Comestor, in a monk's habit, and of Christ blessing, with decoration extending into a partial border, at the beginning of Peter Comestor's Historia scholastica., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

of William, archbishop of Sens, holding a book and Peter Comestor, in a monk's habit, and of Christ blessing, with decoration extending into a partial border, at the beginning of Peter Comestor's Historia scholastica. The author of the section

• Historiated illuminated initials of a seated prophet Daniel and of king Nebuchadnezzar at a banquet seeing writing on a scroll, at the beginning of the history of Daniel., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Historiated illuminated initials of a seated prophet Daniel and of king Nebuchadnezzar at a banquet seeing writing on a scroll, at the beginning of the history of Daniel. The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according

• Historiated initial 'Q'(uarta) of God appearing to Moses, with a dragon extender., Historia scholastica, Historia actuum apostolorum (ff. 166-191)

Historiated initial 'Q'(uarta) of God appearing to Moses, with a dragon extender. The author of the section of acts by Peter of Poitiers, according to this manuscript: see discussion Gameson 2008. 3 historiated initials in gold and colours, and partial

• Decorated initial 'O'(ssa) at the beginning of Stephen Langton's Commentary on the minor prophets., Theological miscellany including Commentary on the minor prophets; De cura pastorali; Liber exceptionum (Allegorie super Novum Testamentum)

Stephen Langton, Commentary on the 12 books of the prophetsff. 124 –149 Gregory the Great, Liber Pastoralis ad Johannem Ravennaeff. 150-163 Richardof St-Victor, Liber exceptionum: Allegorie in Novum Testamentumff. 163-164v Richardof St-Victor, De oratione dominicaff. 165–195 Pope Innocent