• Initial in foliate design in a foliate design, in gold and colours, inhabited by snakes., World chronicle from the Creation to 1574

Initial in foliate design in a foliate design, in gold and colours, inhabited by snakes. The text corresponds to Dorotheos of Moenmbasia's 'Bible History', but with significant variations.The manuscript has an old pagination '1-1723' in ink (ff. 1-861). Headpiece

• White vine initial 'P'(lutarchus) at the beginning of the text., 'Noctes atticae'

White vine initial 'P'(lutarchus) at the beginning of the text. Guide letters. Catchwords written vertically. Leaf signatures. 19 large white vine initials (ff. 2v, 18v, 34v, 45v, 54v, 65, 73, 86, 95v, 107v, 115v, 125v, 140, 149v, 159v, 169,

• White vine initial 'I'(NTER) and border with wreath enclosing a blank area intended for arms, at the beginning of the text., Historia Alexandri Magni

wreath enclosing a blank area intended for a coat of arms (f. 1). Historia Alexandri Magni Added maniculum (f. 31). John Gibson (fl. 1720-1726), dealer; sold on 17 June 1721 to the Harley collection (see ~Diary~ 1966).The Harley Collection, formed

• Miniature of the Crucifixion at the beginning of the Hours of the Cross., Book of Hours, Use of Troyes, imperfect

woman (f. 76v). At least 1 full-page miniature missing (after f. 60). 3 smaller miniatures in colours and gold, of John, the Crucifixion, and the Annunciation (ff. 13, 15, 22v), with large initials in gold on red panels, and full

• Full-page miniature of Bridget writing while an angel whispers in her ear at the beginning of the Fifteen Oes of St Bridget., Prayer book

acanthus leaves, flowers, fruits, besants, and birds, of the Crucifixion (f. 12v), the Last Judgment (f. 17v), Bridget (f. 47v), John the Evangelist (f. 77v), Barbara (f. 81v), and the Assumption of the Virgin (f. 83v). 1 small miniature combined

• Partial white vine border with a large historiated initial 'L'(eo) with a portrait of Pope Leo I in his study and a smaller white vine initial 'L'(eo)., Letters of Pope Leo I ( the Great), with the Life of Leo by Marcus Michael of Crotona

Partial white vine border with a large historiated initial 'L'(eo) with a portrait of Pope Leo I in his study and a smaller white vine initial 'L'(eo). f. 1 is a parchment flyleaf.This manuscript was written by the same

• Full white vine border inhabited by putti and a bird, a miniature of a young man presenting a book to a pope, and a coat of arms in the lower margin., Glossed Liber Sextus Decretalium

Full white vine border inhabited by putti and a bird, a miniature of a young man presenting a book to a pope, and a coat of arms in the lower margin. f. 376 is a blank parchment leaf.f. 377

• Headpiece and decorated initial at the beginning of the text., Commentary on Plato's Phaedo (index Scholia on Plato's Phaedo)

Headpiece and decorated initial at the beginning of the text. Watermark of an angel, see C. M. Briquet, ~Les Filigranes: Dictionnaire historique des marques du papier dès leur apparition vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600~, A Facsimile of the 1907 edition

• Colophon of Johannes Jacobus de Balbis and ownership inscription of Cornelius Balbus., Satires (index Saturae, Satirae)

Colophon of Johannes Jacobus de Balbis and ownership inscription of Cornelius Balbus. Vertical catchwords.f. 70 is a blank, ruled paper leaf with a 16th- or 17th- century(?) inscription. 1 large blue initial with red pen-flourishing (f. 1). 13 smaller

• White vine initial 'H'(erbarum) with a butterfly., De viribus herbarum

White vine initial 'H'(erbarum) with a butterfly. ff. 1 and 2 are parchment flyleaves.ff. 1 and [46] are former pastedowns.Marginal notes list ailments for which the various herbs are recommended. 1 large white vine initial in gold, purple, blue

• Initial 'N'(aso) and unidentified arms in the lower margin., Epistulae ex Ponto

Initial 'N'(aso) and unidentified arms in the lower margin. A large piece of paper has been torn off at the top of f. 1. 1 large initial in gold on a blue ground with an unidentified coat of arms

• Decorated initial 'C'(armina) with acanthus leaves and naturalistic flowers at the beginning of the text., De Consolatione Philosophiae (index Consolation of Philosophy)

Decorated initial 'C'(armina) with acanthus leaves and naturalistic flowers at the beginning of the text. According to unpublished notes of A. C. de la Mare at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, this manuscript was made in Florence in the late

• White vine initial 'Q'(uaecumque) with a portrait of Pope Pius II (Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini) in profile., Cosmographia

White vine initial 'Q'(uaecumque) with a portrait of Pope Pius II (Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini) in profile. Horizontal catchwords.The manuscript was written in the 3rd quarter of the 15th century, possibly in Rome, according to unpublished notes of A. C.

• Partial white vine border with the initial 'A'(ristoteles) and a space for a coat of arms in the lower margin., Ethica (index Ethics)

gold initials on coloured grounds (ff. 4, 4v, 14v, 21v, 33v, 44v, 56, 63v, 76, 88v, 101). Ethica (index Ethics) John Gibson (fl. 1720-1726), dealer; sold to Edward Harley on 22 June 1726 (see ~Diary~ 1966; Wright 1972).The Harley Collection,

• Large gold initial with white vine decoration extending in the margin and small gold initial on a coloured ground with contrasting tracery., De differentiis rerum, book 2

Large gold initial with white vine decoration extending in the margin and small gold initial on a coloured ground with contrasting tracery. Index of contents (ff. 1-2v).Contemporary glosses and notabilia in cursive hand. White vine initial in colours and

• Full border and initial with foliate decoration., The Fall of Princes, Books 1-9, imperfect (ff. 1-182v), preceded by a table of contents (f. 1* verso), and followed by Lydgate's 'Defence of Holy Church', imperfect (ff. 182v-183)

of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated border and initial Giovanni Boccaccio, translation by John Lydgate based on a translation by Laurent de Premierfait England

• White vine initial 'F'(ortitudo) at the beginning of the text and wreath in the lower margin enclosing a blank space originally intended for a heraldic motif., Vita S. Bernardi (index Life of St Bernard)

White vine initial 'F'(ortitudo) at the beginning of the text and wreath in the lower margin enclosing a blank space originally intended for a heraldic motif. Rubrics were probably originally in red ink but the pigment has oxidised. Catchwords.

• Initial and headpiece with foliate and geometric decoration., Miscellany of Byzantine liturgical music, including 'Kekragaria' (ff. 9-115v), Glykys's settings for 11 Morning Hymns (index Eothina anastasima) of the Emperor Leo the Wise (ff. 115v-130v), and Chrysaphes's 'Cheroubikon' and 'Koinonikon' (ff. 131v-133v), with late music notation

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. Decorated headpiece and initial John Glykys (index Ioannes Glykys), Manuel Chrysaphes Eastern Mediterranean

• Initial 'H' with pen-work decoration., Collection of letters attributed to Hippocrates and others in Rinuccini's Latin translation, preceded by dedications to Cardinal Antonio de la Cerda y Llosa (elected 1448, d. 1459) and Pope Nicholas V (elected 1447, d. 1455) (ff. 1-1v)

Initial 'H' with pen-work decoration. Watermark of a basilisk with no direct comparison in C. M. Briquet, ~Les Filigranes: Dictionnaire historique des marques du papier dès leur apparition vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600~, A Facsimile of the 1907 edition with

• Historiated initial 'Q'(uantum) with foliate extensions and a man in academic dress (probably Aristotle)., Compendium of natural philosophy

Historiated initial 'Q'(uantum) with foliate extensions and a man in academic dress (probably Aristotle). f. 1* is a paper flyleaf with a table of contents.Vertical catchwords. 1 large initial in colours with foliate extensions and a man in academic