• Historiated initial 'D'(ominus) at the beginning of Psalm 26, with the Anointing of David by Samuel., Psalter, with a calendar (ff. 1-6v), Psalms, imperfect (ff. 7-190v), and Canticles, hymns and prayers

nation for £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. Anointing of David Midlands, W. England, S.

• Decorated initial 'Q'(uem) with an animal drinking and decorated line-fillers in the form of heads and a bird., Psalter, with a calendar (ff. 1-6v), Psalms, imperfect (ff. 7-190v), and Canticles, hymns and prayers

bishop of Canterbury (f. 3), Albans (f. 3v), and the translation of Augustine (f. 5v). It also originally included Thomas Becket, now mostly erased (f. 6v).ff. 214-215 is a contemporary lined addition with prayers.Added 13th-century inscription of David, bishop of

• Historiated initial 'Q'(uid) with David and Goliath, at the beginning of Psalm 51., Psalter, with a calendar (ff. 1-6v), Psalms, imperfect (ff. 7-190v), and Canticles, hymns and prayers

bishop of Canterbury (f. 3), Albans (f. 3v), and the translation of Augustine (f. 5v). It also originally included Thomas Becket, now mostly erased (f. 6v).ff. 214-215 is a contemporary lined addition with prayers.Added 13th-century inscription of David, bishop of

• Illuminated initial 'D'(ixit) with white lions, at the beginning of Psalm 52., Psalter, with a calendar (ff. 1-6v), Psalms, imperfect (ff. 7-190v), and Canticles, hymns and prayers

bishop of Canterbury (f. 3), Albans (f. 3v), and the translation of Augustine (f. 5v). It also originally included Thomas Becket, now mostly erased (f. 6v).ff. 214-215 is a contemporary lined addition with prayers.Added 13th-century inscription of David, bishop of

• Historiated initial 'S'(alvum) at the beginning of Psalm 68, with Christ blessing and a man below with two demons., Psalter, with a calendar (ff. 1-6v), Psalms, imperfect (ff. 7-190v), and Canticles, hymns and prayers

bishop of Canterbury (f. 3), Albans (f. 3v), and the translation of Augustine (f. 5v). It also originally included Thomas Becket, now mostly erased (f. 6v).ff. 214-215 is a contemporary lined addition with prayers.Added 13th-century inscription of David, bishop of

• Historiated initial 'C'(onfitebor) with a monk writing., Psalter, with a calendar (ff. 1-6v), Psalms, imperfect (ff. 7-190v), and Canticles, hymns and prayers

bishop of Canterbury (f. 3), Albans (f. 3v), and the translation of Augustine (f. 5v). It also originally included Thomas Becket, now mostly erased (f. 6v).ff. 214-215 is a contemporary lined addition with prayers.Added 13th-century inscription of David, bishop of

• Miniature in three parts, including scenes of battle, with an illuminated initial in Livy's Ab urbe condita., Ab urbe condita; each Decade preceded by the tables attributed to Donato degli Albanzani (ff. 1-3v, 103-105v, 195-196v) (index History of Rome from its foundation)

cardinal (added to ff. 4, 106, 197).? Iacopo Piccolomini (b. 1422, d. 1479), member of the household of Pope Pius II (d. 1464), and bishop of Lucca from 1470: with an eight-line inscription including ‘Dum vixi Iacobus Piccolomini domus papa

• Detail of miniature in three parts, including scenes of battle, with an illuminated initial in Livy's Ab urbe condita., Ab urbe condita; each Decade preceded by the tables attributed to Donato degli Albanzani (ff. 1-3v, 103-105v, 195-196v) (index History of Rome from its foundation)

cardinal (added to ff. 4, 106, 197).? Iacopo Piccolomini (b. 1422, d. 1479), member of the household of Pope Pius II (d. 1464), and bishop of Lucca from 1470: with an eight-line inscription including ‘Dum vixi Iacobus Piccolomini domus papa

• Historiated initial 'H' with Henry IV, combined with a full foliate bar border, at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Text page., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Historiated initial 'A' with Henry VI, combined with a full foliate bar border, at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Puzzle initial 'N'(umquid) with pen-flourished decoration at the beginning of 'Ordinarium sive Alphabetum vitae religiosae'., Opera (index Works), imperfect at the end

(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. Puzzle initial 'I.M.' and other scribes I.M. John of Wales

• Historiated initial with king Edward III (r. 1327-1377) combined with a full foliate bar border at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Calendar page for October, added obit of Isabel, sister of Richard, duke of York, and wife of Henry Bourchier, 1st earl of Essex (2nd October 1484), 'Obitus illustrissime d[omi]ne / d[omi]ne Isabelle comitisse / Essex[ensis] consortis Henrici / Bourgchier comiti / Essex[ensis] l[itte]ra d[omi]nicali B? A[nn]o / D[omi]ni M[illesi]mo cccc mo lxxxiiii'., Psalter, with 12 Canticles, Litany, and Office of the Dead, use of Sarum

beginning of major Psalm divisions (ff. 7, 22v, 32v, 41v, 51, 63, 74, 86), with the arms of Isabel, sister ofRichard, duke ofYork, aunt of Edward IV impaled by those of her husband, Henry Bourchier, 1st earl of

• Foliate initial 'B'(eatus) with a full foliate border and the arms of Isabel, sister of Richard, duke of York, aunt of Edward IV impaled by those of her husband, Henry Bourchier, 1st earl of Essex, with two eagles as supporters, and with her badge, a fatterlock, combined with the badge of her husband, a knot., Psalter, with 12 Canticles, Litany, and Office of the Dead, use of Sarum

of Isabel, sister ofRichard, duke ofYork, aunt of Edward IV impaled by those of her husband, Henry Bourchier, 1st earl of Essex, with two eagles as supporters, and with her badge, a fatterlock, combined with the badge

• Calendar page for December with added obits of Richard, duke of York, and Edward Bourchier, both killed at the battle of Wakefield (30th December 1460), 'Obitus Rica[rdi] Ducis Ebor[is] / Anno D[omi]ni Mill[es]imo cccc mo / Sexagesimo / Edwardus Bourgchier / filius d[omi]ne Isabelle comi/tisse Essex[ensis] et Sororis / eiusdem duciis, obiit eisdem / die et anno suprascript[is]'., Psalter, with 12 Canticles, Litany, and Office of the Dead, use of Sarum

beginning of major Psalm divisions (ff. 7, 22v, 32v, 41v, 51, 63, 74, 86), with the arms of Isabel, sister ofRichard, duke ofYork, aunt of Edward IV impaled by those of her husband, Henry Bourchier, 1st earl of

• Arms of Thomas Wolsey, royal minister, archbishop of York, and cardinal., An explication of the ten commandments (imperfect at the beginning) (ff. 1-8v), Lavynham's Little Treatise on the Seven Deadly Sins (De septem mortalibus peccatis), a tract on the Pater Noster (ff. 28v-48v), and various other religious works (imperfect at the end)

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. Thomas Wolsey Richard Lavenham and various other authors (index Richard Lavynham,

• Calendar page for August with three additions: 1. the obit of Mabel de Tresgoz; 2. the obits of John de Grandison and Thomas Saint John; 3. the dates of Henry VII's landing at Milford Haven and of Richard III's death., Book of Hours (The 'Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours'), Use of Sarum

son of John Holland: the calendar of the Rennes Psalter includes dates of birth of children ofRichard (d. 1460), duke ofYork and Cecily Neville (b. 1415, d. 1495) added after 1461: Anne ofYork, Edward, Elisabeth ofYork,

• Calendar page for January with three additions: 1. the obit of queen Catherine de Valois and the date of marriage of king Henry VII and Elizabeth of York; 2. the date of birth of Henry VII; and 3. the obit of king Henry VIII., Book of Hours (The 'Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours'), Use of Sarum

son of John Holland: the calendar of the Rennes Psalter includes dates of birth of children ofRichard (d. 1460), duke ofYork and Cecily Neville (b. 1415, d. 1495) added after 1461: Anne ofYork, Edward, Elisabeth ofYork,

• Calendar page for February with added dates of the death of queen Elizabeth of York and of the birth of Prince Edmund, son of Henry VII., Book of Hours (The 'Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours'), Use of Sarum

son of John Holland: the calendar of the Rennes Psalter includes dates of birth of children ofRichard (d. 1460), duke ofYork and Cecily Neville (b. 1415, d. 1495) added after 1461: Anne ofYork, Edward, Elisabeth ofYork,