• Text page., The Canterbury Tales (imperfect), and other works, including the Prose Brut Chronicle of England ('peculiar version' to 1419) (ff. 1-24v), extracts from Gower's Confessio Amantis, and Lydgate's Life of Edmund and Fremund (ff. 136-146v)

also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library: inscribed by Edward Harley, 'Oxford BH, Dec 1738' (f. 2). Text page John Shirley John Shirley Geoffrey Chaucer Leicester England, Central (Leicester)

• Decorated initial 'D'(omine)., Devotional book with various offices, indulgences, antiphons, collects, and prayers

Decorated initial 'D'(omine). John of Bridlington, who is included in the litany, was the last English saint to be canonised before the Reformation. He and John of Beverley, also mentioned in the litany, were believed by king Henry V to

• Decorated initial 'W'(hanne) at the beginning of the general prologue: 'Whanne that aprill with his shoures soote / The droghte of march hath perced to the roote'., The Canterbury Tales (imperfect), and other works, including the Prose Brut Chronicle of England ('peculiar version' to 1419) (ff. 1-24v), extracts from Gower's Confessio Amantis, and Lydgate's Life of Edmund and Fremund (ff. 136-146v)

also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library: inscribed by Edward Harley, 'Oxford BH, Dec 1738' (f. 2). Decorated initial John Shirley John Shirley Geoffrey Chaucer Leicester England, Central (Leicester)

• Puzzle initial 'C' with foliate penwork decoration and pen-flourishing., Historical and theological miscellany, including excerpts from the Granarium, part II, and a commentary on Sacrobosco's De sphaera (ff. 183-198)

hand similar to those in Oxford, Bodleian, Bodl. MS 585, which includes the Granarium of John Whethamstede, according to Howlett 1974 p. 199. 1 partial border and puzzle initial in blue and gold, with penwork flowers (f. 9). 1 puzzle

• The arms of Thomas Wall, Windsor herald, in the right margin, the signature of Jo Starkey, in the upper margin, that of Sir Robert Cotton ('Robert Cotton Bruceaus') with the date 1610 in the lower margin., De Regimine Principum; Secrets of the Philosophers; Secretum Secretorum

ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society together with 549 other Arundel manuscripts in 1831. Heraldry and signatures Perhaps John Multon John Multon Thomas Hoccleve, Pseudo-Aristotle London England, S. E. (London)

• Decorated initial 'G'(od)., De Regimine Principum; Secrets of the Philosophers; Secretum Secretorum

/ ex dono HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society together with 549 other Arundel manuscripts in 1831. Decorated initial Perhaps John Multon John Multon Thomas Hoccleve, Pseudo-Aristotle London England, S. E. (London)

• Flourished initial, Atalaya de las Cronicas por Alfonso Martinez de Toledo

abridgment of Spanish history made in 1443 by Alonso or Alfonso Martinez de Toledo, Archpriest of Talavera, and chaplain to John II of Castille (see de Gayangos 1875).Bought by the British Museum, using the Bridgewater fund (£12,000 bequeathed in 1829

• Historiated initial 'O' of the beheading of John the Baptist., Cuttings from a choir book

of the beheading of John the Baptist. Italian cuttings.The present cuttings are kept in two boxes with Add. 18197, ff. B-F and G, I-M (there is no f. J). To see these cuttings in the Manuscripts Reading Room order Add.

• Acrostic with highlighting and pen-flourishing in margins., La Fleur des Histoires (index Hystoires) Part II, Volume II

314).John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: inscribed 'To pay for this and th'other volume xxv s 8 July 1650, John Theyer' 25 shillings' (f. 314v) and included in the catalogue of his library left to his grandson Charles Theyer

• Text page with initials, pen-flourishing, rubrics and chapter numbers., La Fleur des Histoires Part II, Volume I

314).John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: inscribed 'To pay for this and th'other volume xxv s 8 July 1650, John Theyer' 25 shillings' (see vol II: Royal 16 F VII,f. 314v) and included in the catalogue of his library

• Text page with pen-flourished initials and line-fillers. Colophons with pen-flourishing., La Fleur des Histoires (index Hystoires) Part II, Volume II

314).John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: inscribed 'To pay for this and th'other volume xxv s 8 July 1650, John Theyer' 25 shillings' (f. 314v) and included in the catalogue of his library left to his grandson Charles Theyer

• Decorated initial 'P'(lacete) at the beginning of the prologue to the History of Jerusalem of Foucher de Chartres., De muliere Chananaea, Miracula S. Letardi

scribe of Cambridge University Library, Kk.1.17 and Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 274 (ff. i-48).Part 3 includes 'De muliere Chananaea' of John Chrysostom (ff. 57-62) and 'Miracula S. Letardi' of Goscelin (ff. 62v-64v), each written by a different hand. Initials in

• Headpiece and decorated initial 'E' at the beginning of John., Four Gospels with canon tables and Eusebius of Caesarea's letter to Carpianus, imperfect

'E' at the beginning of John. Ruled in hardpoint.Some mold damage, particularly at the end of the manuscript.Binding by Chapman (restored and rebacked). 4 headpieces in colour, one at the beginning of each Gospel (ff. 6, 94, 152, 242v). 4

• Calendar for May with tinted drawings of man with a hawk (hawking is the labour of the month), twins (Gemini), Philip and Jacob, a papal cross (Alexander), John before the gate, John of Beverlaco., Agricultural almanac containing an astronomical calendar (1420), miscellaneous tables, mnemonic verses and charms

a hawk (hawking is the labour of the month), twins (Gemini), Philip and Jacob, a papal cross (Alexander), John before the gate, John of Beverlaco. Contents very similar to Harley 2332.Prologue to a letter from St Louis to King Charles

• Initial 'A' and border with floral decoration in gold and colours. Headpiece defaced. The arms of the Tornabuoni family of Florence in the bas-de-page., Odyssey

and rubrics in red at the beginning of books. Initials, running titles and marginal scholia in red. Odyssey Written by John Rhosos of Crete (d. 1498): see Gamillscheg and Harlfinger 1981.The Tornabuoni family of Florence, owned in the 15th century:

• Miniature with the portrait of King Henry VIII, and the beginning of John Croke's English translation of Psalms., Psalms in English verse (girdle book)

Henry VIII, and the beginning of John Croke's English translation of Psalms. A very small girdle book, bound in gold.John Croke was one of the clerks in Chancery.Contents: ff. 2-5: Veni Creator; ff. 6-68v: seven Penitential Psalms followed by the

• First page of text, with a Lumley ownership inscription., The Regement of Princes

90) No decoration. The Regement of Princes John Treglystyn: inscribed 'Constat Iohanni Treglystyn', end of the 15th century (f. 90v).Nicholas Saunder, perhaps to be identified with Nicholas Saunder, pupil of the mathematician John Dee (1527-1609), or Sir Nicholas Saunder of

• Miniature, in two compartments, of a widow seeing the sun on Alkmund's breast, and on the right, Alkmund kneeling before the pope, with a Veronica's veil (an image of Christ's face on a linen cloth) in the background, with an illuminated initial, from John Lydgate's Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund., Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund

of Sir John Radcliffe of Atteleborough (b. 1452, d. 1496), Norfolk: inscribed, adjacent to the shield ‘Thys boke gyften to my lady beaumoun be har lovftng moder margaret ffytz wauter w^t^ all my hart’ (f. 107 [p. 213]). John Stow

• Illuminated initial 'T'(his), and in the lower margin, the arms of Bury St Edmunds and an ownership inscription that 'Thys boke gyften to my lady beaumoun be har lovftng moder margaret ffytz wauter w^t^ all my hart’ ', in John Lydgate's Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund., Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund

of Sir John Radcliffe of Atteleborough (b. 1452, d. 1496), Norfolk: inscribed, adjacent to the shield ‘Thys boke gyften to my lady beaumoun be har lovftng moder margaret ffytz wauter w^t^ all my hart’ (f. 107 [p. 213]). John Stow

• Detail of a miniature of an infant being handed to its mother by a man in a boat on the Thames, with the marginal inscription 'london bredge', from John Lydgate's Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund., Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund

of Sir John Radcliffe of Atteleborough (b. 1452, d. 1496), Norfolk: inscribed, adjacent to the shield ‘Thys boke gyften to my lady beaumoun be har lovftng moder margaret ffytz wauter w^t^ all my hart’ (f. 107 [p. 213]). John Stow