• Zoomorphic initial (A)'E'(ft) with four heads and interlaced bodies at the beginning of Book III, Chapter i., Historum adversum paganos (the 'Tollemache, Helmingham, or Lauderdale Orosius')

the beginning of Book III, Chapter i. Composed by an anonymous West Saxon author between 870 and 930, the OldEnglish version of Orosius's history was adapted from the Latin text (possibly a glossed copy such as St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek,

• Zoomorphic initial 'U'(re) with 3 heads and interlaced bodies at the beginning of Book I, Chapter i., Historum adversum paganos (the 'Tollemache, Helmingham, or Lauderdale Orosius')

the beginning of Book I, Chapter i. Composed by an anonymous West Saxon author between 870 and 930, the OldEnglish version of Orosius's history was adapted from the Latin text (possibly a glossed copy such as St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek,

• Coloured and decorated initials, the lower 'V'(ir) including an animal head, in a page from Bede's verse Life of Cuthbert with glosses written over the lines of the poem in Latin or Old English., Lives of Cuthbert in prose (ff. 2-42v) and verse (ff. 45-62v), with services for Cuthbert, Benedict and Guthlac with musical notation (ff. 43-44; 63-66)

poem in Latin or OldEnglish. Wormald Type II(b) initials of heads, interlace in outline, and acanthus foliage.Musical notation: Breton neumes, England (Christ Church – Canterbury ?), 11th century (ff. 43-44; 63-66v).St Cuthbert was a seventh-century, English Christian leader, renowned

• Decorated initial in Bede's Life of Cuthbert, here with the text of Cuthbert's retirement to a small island off Lindisfarne, the discovery of his body, and the immediate commemoration of him as a holy man, with glosses in Latin and Old English above the lines., Lives of Cuthbert in prose (ff. 2-42v) and verse (ff. 45-62v), with services for Cuthbert, Benedict and Guthlac with musical notation (ff. 43-44; 63-66)

Latin and OldEnglish above the lines. Wormald Type II(b) initials of heads, interlace in outline, and acanthus foliage.Musical notation: Breton neumes, England (Christ Church – Canterbury ?), 11th century (ff. 43-44; 63-66v).St Cuthbert was a seventh-century, English Christian leader,

• Text pages containing incantations of Irish origin with an added inscription in Old English (f. 40v); formulae of confession and absolution (f. 41)., Extracts from the Gospels and prayers ('The Book of Nunnaminster')

Text pages containing incantations of Irish origin with an added inscription in OldEnglish (f. 40v); formulae of confession and absolution (f. 41). One of a group of Southumbrian prayerbooks of the "Tiberius" group, the others being Harley 7653, and

• Inhabited initial 'B'(eatissimo), with animals and grotesques, at the beginning of the Life of St. Gregory., Life of St Gregory

12th century (f. 1).Added marginal drawing of two human figures kissing (?), 12th century (f. 123). Added annotations in 14th-century English hand.The Benedictine cathedral priory of St Mary, Worcester: included in Patrick Young's catalogue of the Worcester library, no. 36

• The first canon table with a zoomorphic decoration in the 'Trewhiddle Style'., Gospels, imperfect (the 'Royal Bible')

hand responsible for glossing the Vespasian Psalter, Cotton MS Vespasian A I, the oldest extant translation of Scripture into OldEnglish. 1 incipit page with miniature of an ox, the symbol of Luke, with God blessing, and an initial in

• Text page at the beginning of Abbo of St-Germain's ~Bella Parisiacae urbis~, book 3, with red initial and highlights., Alcuin, De orthographia (ff.1-24v); Bede, De orthographia (ff. 24v-71); Bella Parisiacae urbis, book 3 (Ad clericos) (ff. 71v-84); unidentified smaller text with glossary material (ff. 84-86v); De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii, book 4 (De arte dialectica) (f. 87-149); Glossaries to Greek and Latin grammar texts, including lists of grammatical and metrical terms and glosses to Juvenal (ff. 150-167v).

corrections and erasures between ff. 150-159. Folio 93v is blank. Marked change in parchment quality in quires xx-xxii. Two Latin-Old English glosses on f. 166. Bishop proposes that the scribe of Harley 3826 reappears in Lincoln, Cathedral Library MS. 182.

• Decorated initial 'I'(n), at the beginning of the book Ezra., Job and Ezra, with prologues

sketch of Christ on the Cross, 12th century (back flyleaf). Job and Ezra, with prologues Re-written and restored by an English hand, of the Canterbury type, in the second half of the 10th century, according to Gameson.? Thomas Howard (b.

• Heading in display capitals, and the first word 'Vir' in colours, at the beginning of the book of Job., Job and Ezra, with prologues

sketch of Christ on the Cross, 12th century (back flyleaf). Job and Ezra, with prologues Re-written and restored by an English hand, of the Canterbury type, in the second half of the 10th century, according to Gameson.? Thomas Howard (b.

• Marginal drawing of travellers, speaking In English, in the margin of Jacobus de Voragine's life of Cecila., Legenda aurea (index Legendae sanctorum; Legends of the saints; Golden Legend)

travellers, speaking In English, in the margin of Jacobus de Voragine's life of Cecila. Rust-stains from a chain-staple (?) at the lower edge of the front flyleaves (ff. [iii-]iv]). 4 large puzzle initials in red and blue with red and

• Anthropomorphic initial 'S'(ancti), formed of two monks, at the beginning of the prologue to the De fide catholica of Isidore., De fide catholica

St James's Palace (see ~Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae~ (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697'), no. 7922, 7923).Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Anthropomorphic initial Isidore Canterbury England, S. E. (Canterbury?)

• Zoomorphic initial 'I'(udei) with an animal head., De fide catholica

St James's Palace (see ~Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae~ (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697'), no. 7922, 7923).Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Zoomorphic initial Isidore Canterbury England, S. E. (Canterbury?)

• Illuminated headpiece decorated with geometric patterns, and initial 'A'(ndres) at the beginning of Gregory Nazianzus' De pauperum amore (Oratio 14)., In patrem tacentem (ff. 1-3); De pauperum amore (ff. 3v-18v), both imperfect

Illuminated headpiece decorated with geometric patterns, and initial 'A'(ndres) at the beginning of Gregory Nazianzus' De pauperum amore (Oratio 14). f. 20r-v formerly used as a pastedown.Old pagination on ff. 1-18v of 481-516.ff. 1-18 were formerly gatherings 31-33 of

• Detail of headpiece., In patrem tacentem (ff. 1-3); De pauperum amore (ff. 3v-18v), both imperfect

Detail of headpiece. f. 20r-v formerly used as a pastedown.Old pagination on ff. 1-18v of 481-516.ff. 1-18 were formerly gatherings 31-33 of a larger volume. Headpiece decorated with geometric patterns in colours and gold. Large gold and blue initial

• Text page with large initials; Latin and Anglo-Saxon script., Grammar

eldest child of James I (see ~The Lumley Library~, 1956: pp. 14-17): his collection became part of the Royal Library.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Large initials Aelfric England

• Calendar with saints and table to calculate the date of Easter., Theological miscellany, including Meditations, prayers and letters; Poem on the ceremonial of the Mass; Sermons; theological works; calendar

Scotland, and Ireland: purchased from Scott together with other 311 manuscripts from Theyer's library.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Calendar Anselm; Hildebert; Ivo; Gregory, Augustine and others England, Gloucestershire

• Penwork initial 'E'(t) with foliate decoration., Theological miscellany, including Meditations, prayers and letters; Poem on the ceremonial of the Mass; Sermons; theological works; calendar

and Ireland: purchased from Scott together with other 311 manuscripts from Theyer's library.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Penwork initial Anselm; Hildebert; Ivo; Gregory, Augustine and others England, Gloucestershire

• Decorated initial 'Q'(uam) with a human face., De laudibus virginitatis; letter of Aldhelm to Ehfridus

with corrections in the hand of Patrick Young, 17th century (ff. 163-165). Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Decorated initial Aldhelm Winchester England, S. (Winchester or Canterbury, Christ Church)

• Zoomorphic initial 'H'(anc)., De laudibus virginitatis; letter of Aldhelm to Ehfridus

with corrections in the hand of Patrick Young, 17th century (ff. 163-165). Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Zoomorphic initial Aldhelm Winchester England, S. (Winchester or Canterbury, Christ Church)