• 2 decorated initials of Anglo-Saxon letters 'thorn' and wynn., Collection of charms and remedies (a copy of 'Bald's Leechbook')

of 12th/13th century (e.g., f. 125v).The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 139 ', (f. 1) and included in the inventory of books in the Upper Library at Westminster of 1542 (f.26).Presented to the British

• Puzzle initial with penwork flourishing, and in the lower margin, the ownership inscription 'James Orchard Halliwell No. 220'., Lives of saints, 28 miracles of the Virgin, and Henry of Sawtrey's De purgatorio Sancti Patricii (ff. 195-196)

ink as far as 'lx' (f. 125). Large puzzle initial in red and blue, with purple and red pen-flourishing (f. 1). Large initials in red with purple pen-flourishing, and in blue with red pen-flourishing. Initials in red. Paraphs in red.

• Inhabited puzzle initial including a reading figure., Liber de Apibus, etc.

Inhabited puzzle initial including a reading figure. 1 large inhabited puzzle initial in red and blue with pen-flourishing in blue and red, including a reading figure (f. 5). 1 smaller initial in red, with reserved designs, with pen-flourishing in red

• Puzzle initial., Miscellany, including a history of Susanna, 58 Aesopic fables (ff. 171-187), a liber 'de doctrina cordis' (ff. 5-141v); Alan of Lille's Parabolae (ff. 161-171); and Regulae theologicae (ff. 270-318v); Alan of Meaux's Metrical treatise on Susanna (ff. 1-4)

in red and brown or blue (ff. 1, 5, 5v, 76, 142, 161v, 270). Small initials in plain red. Miscellany, including a history of Susanna, 58 Aesopic fables (ff. 171-187), a liber 'de doctrina cordis' (ff. 5-141v); Alan of Lille's

• Illuminated initial 'Q'(uoniam) with interlace decoration, at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke., Gospels, with capitula (ff. 163-175)

Illuminated initial 'Q'(uoniam) with interlace decoration, at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke. Full-page canon tables in gold and red, within frames of gold and/or silver and colours (ff. 1-6v). Very large initials in colours and gold with

• Miniature of Pentecost, decorated initial 'D'(omine) and scatter borders, at the beginning of the Hours of the Cross., Book of Hours, Use of Rome

at the beginning of the Hours of the Cross. f. 1 is an added printed leaf of a title page for a book of hours, Paris 1600, signed by 'Iamet Mettayer Imprimeur Ordinaire du Roy'. 24 small miniatures, in colours

• Miniature of the Crucifixion, decorated initial 'E'(gressus) and scatter borders, at the beginning of the Passion of Christ according to John., Book of Hours, Use of Rome

the beginning of the Passion of Christ according to John. f. 1 is an added printed leaf of a title page for a book of hours, Paris 1600, signed by 'Iamet Mettayer Imprimeur Ordinaire du Roy'. 24 small miniatures, in

• Miniature of the Annunciation to the Shepherds, decorated initial 'D'(eus) and scatter borders, at the beginning of Terce in the Hours of the Virgin., Book of Hours, Use of Rome

borders, at the beginning of Terce in the Hours of the Virgin. f. 1 is an added printed leaf of a title page for a book of hours, Paris 1600, signed by 'Iamet Mettayer Imprimeur Ordinaire du Roy'. 24 small

• Decorated initial with a hybrid creature and foliage., Commentary on the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John

with a hybrid creature and foliage. f. 1 is a small parchment fragment of a charter or deed in English.The first leaf of this manuscript is bound in Harley 5958, f. 87. 1 large initial in red with red penwork

• null, 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')

dolphins, sphinxes, masks, trophies and heraldic decoration, in colours and gold, at the beginning of texts or books (ff. 1, 17, 26v-27 [miniature f. 26v, accompanying border f. 27], 37, 47v, 59, 73v, 88, 101v, 115, 131v, 148v, 164, 178,

• Historiated initial 'P' with king Philip II of Spain., Carta executoria de Hidalguia (begins imperfectly)

Historiated initial 'P' with king Philip II of Spain. 1 miniature at the beginning missing (piece of red protective silk after f. 1).1 large historiated initial, in colours and gold (f. 60). Large decorated initials in gold on coloured

• Interlace initial 'I'., Diadema monachorum, Sermon on the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (imperfect at the end)

Interlace initial 'I'. ff. 1, 74 are parchment flyleaves.Ruled in hardpoint. 1 large interlace initial in brown (f. 4). Initials in red (now oxidised), brown, or red and brown, some with foliate motifs and simple penwork decoration. Rubrics in red.

• Initial 'Q'(uia) with added penwork decoration, at the beginning of Gregory the Great's homily on Luke 2, 1-14., Homiliae XL in evangelia

book collector and patron of the arts, inscribed as usual by their librarian, Humfrey Wanley ‘13 die Augusti, 1724’ (f. 1). Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta, née Cavendish Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime

• Decorated initial 'R'(ationi) in book 4 of Gregory the Great's Dialogi., Dialogi, books 3-4 (ff. 1-101v); excerpts from various authors including Augustine, Cassiodorus and Gregory and other shorter texts including on the fifteen signs of the Last Judgement (ff. 102-109v).

Last Judgement (ff. 102-109v). The Dominican convent of St-Jacques, Paris: inscribed in the late 13th century with 'Sancti jachobi' (f. 1, Humfrey Wandley added 'Par.'). Faded or erased ?13th-century inscriptions (ff. 39v, 40v, 61v, 65v and 108). Nathaniel Noel (fl.

• Foliate initial 'S'(cripta), followed by display script, at the beginning of Prudentius' 'Peristephanon'., Cathemerinon (2-16); Peristephanon (16-62); and other smaller texts including letters to/from Berengar of Tours

from this manuscript (f. 63) by Huygens 1967, pp. 502-03.Musical notation: neumes. 1 large foliate initial in brown (f. 16v). 2 initials in red with penwork decoration (ff. 1, 33). Initials in brown, occasionally with some penwork decoration in brown

• Decorated initial 'L'(iber) with display capitals, at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew., Glossed Gospel of Matthew, preceded by prologues (f. 2r-v)

the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. 1 large foliate and interlace initial, in colours and gold (f. 3). Large initials alternating red, blue, or pale brown, usually with simple decoration in one of the other colours. Small initials alternating

• 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

c. (?), written in a cipher, which O'Conor 1819 states to be that of the Tally Court of the Exchequer. 1 large foliate initial, accompanied by a full foliate border, at the beginning of the Statutes (f. 24). Smaler initials

• Detail of a historiated initial 'Q'(uoniam) with Augustine in a bishop's mitre holding a bishop's staff and a heart, Manuale (ff. 2-46v), Retractiones (extract), De beata vita (ff. 47-86v); and Psalms, Prayers, Litanies

Latin list of contents in his hand? (f. 1); his binding: his sale 4 March 1733 (the 16th part), lot 718.John Nickolls (b. 1710/11, d. 1745), antiquary (inscribed ‘Jn Nickolls’ (f. 1, upper right hand corner). Charles Burney (b. 1757,

• Decorated initials 'L'(iber), 'F'(uit), and 'H'(abuit)., Historia Scholastica, imperfect; and chronological digest (ff. 267-272v)

duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham; inscribed with the press-mark ' Pres 3 No. 29' (f. 1) corresponding to his catalogue; see O’Conor 1818-1819.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold

• Woodcut of the Flagellation of Christ., Collection of Scottish poetry

beginning of some texts. 29 large initials in red with red or brown penwork decoration, some without penwork decoration (ff. 1, 6, 8, 47, 53v, 62, 69, 75, 80, 107 (2x), 116v, 125v, 129, 131v, 134, 136v [in black], 140v,