• Initial with reserved designs,, Scala paradisi, etc.

Scala paradisi, etc. Colophon 'Finito libro sit laus et gloria christo Anno domini M^o^.cccc^o^.xl^o^. mense augusti' (f. 87).S. Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, c. 1440: inscribed 'Johannes climaciis numero 190', and 'Iste liber est congregationis unitatis alias nuncupate sancte Justine [de Padua]

• Headpiece and coloured initial., Commentary on Claudius Ptolemaeus's Harmonica

possibly in Venice; originally bound together in the same volume (spine marked [vol] '2'). Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice (inscription '7950', f. i, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis

• Pen-flourished initials., Martyrologium romanum (begins imperfectly, ff. 2-86v), etc.

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. Pen-flourished initials. Venice Italy, N. E. (Venice)

• Historiated initial 'C'(um) depicting a layman in profile (Priscian?) holding a book, at the beginning of Priscian's Grammatica maior., Grammatica maior

204, cf. f. 3).Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice: inscriptions '7945', f. 2, and '7946', f. 3**v, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7945: his London

• Initial 'D' with pen-flourishing, in Priscian's Grammatica maior., Grammatica maior

204, cf. f. 3).Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice: inscriptions '7945', f. 2, and '7946', f. 3**v, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7945: his London

• Detail of historiated initial., Grammatica maior

204, cf. f. 3).Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice: inscriptions '7945', f. 2, and '7946', f. 3**v, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7945: his London

• Detail of decorated initial., Grammatica maior

204, cf. f. 3).Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice: inscriptions '7945', f. 2, and '7946', f. 3**v, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7945: his London

• Illuminated initial 'Mu' at the beginning of Homer's Iliad, with green vine-stems on a red and blue ground., Iliad, each book except book I preceded by one or two monostich summaries; prose hypothesis at the start of book II (f. 13); scholia relating to book I 331-341 (ff. 7v-8).

arts (see ~Bibliotheca Smithiana seu catalogus librorum Josephi Smithii Angli per cognomina authorum dispositus, Addenda, & Corrigenda in superiori Catalogo~ (Venice: Pasquali, 1755), p. 34; sold to King George III, along with the bulk of Smith's library and art collection,

• null, Iliad, each book except book I preceded by one or two monostich summaries; prose hypothesis at the start of book II (f. 13); scholia relating to book I 331-341 (ff. 7v-8).

arts (see ~Bibliotheca Smithiana seu catalogus librorum Josephi Smithii Angli per cognomina authorum dispositus, Addenda, & Corrigenda in superiori Catalogo~ (Venice: Pasquali, 1755), p. 34; sold to King George III, along with the bulk of Smith's library and art collection,

• Miniature illustring book I of Virgil's Aeneid, of Dido welcoming Aeneas in Carthage, with the good omen of the flying swans, and a ruined Troy in the background, and the first line of the title, in square capitals attributed to Bartolomeo Sanvito., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues)(ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics)(ff. 17-58), with argumenta; Aeneis (index Aeneid)(ff. 58v-244v), with argumenta and verse preface, omitting 2:567-588 ('The King's Virgil')

of an apostolic protonotary, his device of a lamb (ff. 1, 17, 59). ? Probably Zaccaria Sagredo (b. 1653, d. Venice, 1729), Venetian collector of paintings, prints and drawings, purchased for 2,000 Venetian lire, and sold to Smith: 18th-century inscription

• Detail of miniature illustrating book III of Virgil's Georgics, with shepherds in a landscape with sheep, goats, cattle, sheep-shearing, and milking., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues)(ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics)(ff. 17-58), with argumenta; Aeneis (index Aeneid)(ff. 58v-244v), with argumenta and verse preface, omitting 2:567-588 ('The King's Virgil')

of an apostolic protonotary, his device of a lamb (ff. 1, 17, 59). ? Probably Zaccaria Sagredo (b. 1653, d. Venice, 1729), Venetian collector of paintings, prints and drawings, purchased for 2,000 Venetian lire, and sold to Smith: 18th-century inscription

• Historiated initial 'D' or 'O' of Christ Disputing with the Merchants. The robe of the figure to the right is inscribed 'A. P. S. VITV. SI?S'., Cutting from an Antiphoner (index antiphonary, antiphonal)

four-line red stave is visible through the illumination. Cutting from an Antiphoner (index antiphonary, antiphonal) 'SS. Pietro e Paolo in Venice' inscribed in a 19th-century hand on the verso of related cutting Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, no. 24.431 (see

• White vine initial 'N'(on) and border. Added 17th-century ownership inscription by Antoninus Martius Medice in the lower margin., Various works including De nobilitate vera (ff. 2-29), a letter of Carlo Aretino to Poggio (ff. 33-35), etc.

1694: inscribed 'A Matteo Egyptio Neapolitano [...] millesimo sexcentesimo nonagesimo quarto [...]'. Inscribed with a reference to book published in Venice in 1569 (f. 35v).Added title-page drawn in ink with the arms of cardinal D. Gerardus to whom the book

• Initial 'T' of the dedication of a church., Cutting from an Antiphoner (index Antiphonal, antiphonary)

and 'landing' case. Purchased as 'The Ascott Album' by the British Library from the Rothschild family on 26 March 1979. Dedication of a church Master of the Murano Gradual Master of San Michele a Murano Venice Italy, N. E. (Venice)

• Illuminated initials 'Q'(uintus) and 'I'(nterea)., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues) (ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics) (ff. 16v-57v); Aeneis (index Aeneid) (ff. 57v-245); Appendix (ff. 245-263); Epitaphs (ff. 263-268)

of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated initials Cristoforo Cortese Virgil (index Virgilius; Vergilius; Vergil; P. Vergilius Maro) Padua Italy, N.E. (possibly Venice or Padua)

• Illuminated initial 'U'(t)., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues) (ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics) (ff. 16v-57v); Aeneis (index Aeneid) (ff. 57v-245); Appendix (ff. 245-263); Epitaphs (ff. 263-268)

of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated initial Cristoforo Cortese Virgil (index Virgilius; Vergilius; Vergil; P. Vergilius Maro) Padua Italy, N.E. (possibly Venice or Padua)

• Illuminated initial 'T'(urnus)., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues) (ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics) (ff. 16v-57v); Aeneis (index Aeneid) (ff. 57v-245); Appendix (ff. 245-263); Epitaphs (ff. 263-268)

of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated initial Cristoforo Cortese Virgil (index Virgilius; Vergilius; Vergil; P. Vergilius Maro) Padua Italy, N.E. (possibly Venice or Padua)

• Upper cover of 15th-century binding., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues) (ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics) (ff. 16v-57v); Aeneis (index Aeneid) (ff. 57v-245); Appendix (ff. 245-263); Epitaphs (ff. 263-268)

of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Upper cover Cristoforo Cortese Virgil (index Virgilius; Vergilius; Vergil; P. Vergilius Maro) Padua Italy, N.E. (possibly Venice or Padua)

• Lower cover of 15th-century binding., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues) (ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics) (ff. 16v-57v); Aeneis (index Aeneid) (ff. 57v-245); Appendix (ff. 245-263); Epitaphs (ff. 263-268)

of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Lower cover Cristoforo Cortese Virgil (index Virgilius; Vergilius; Vergil; P. Vergilius Maro) Padua Italy, N.E. (possibly Venice or Padua)

• Illuminated initial 'Q'(uid) and historiated initial 'Q'(uid) with a man climbing through vines., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues) (ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics) (ff. 16v-57v); Aeneis (index Aeneid) (ff. 57v-245); Appendix (ff. 245-263); Epitaphs (ff. 263-268)

that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated and historiated initials Cristoforo Cortese Virgil (index Virgilius; Vergilius; Vergil; P. Vergilius Maro) Padua Italy, N.E. (possibly Venice or Padua)