• Coloured initials, and, in the right-hand column, an example of a corrected mistake. The scribe left a space for a coloured initial, and wrote the letters 'PM' with an abbreviation mark. The artist later painted a green initial 'S', because 'SPM' is a common abbreviation for 'Spiritum' (Spirit). In fact, the first word of the sentence should be 'Christum' (Christ), which can be represented by the letters 'XPM'. When the mistake was realised, the green 'S' was erased and replaced by a blue 'X'., Homiliary

Knott (d. 1687), rector of Combe Raleigh, Devon (1661-1668), antiquary and collector of manuscripts: partially effaced inscription ''Bought of Mr John Long of Dorchester . . . of which I gave . . . 18 of November 166[?] . .

• Diagrams of hands, with signs of pricking visible, as if for pouncing. Gaps in the text, such as in the second line of text, are probably present because of the intended alternation in the colours of initials, but no green or other colour initials were executed. For example, a guide letter 'e' is visible in the margin adjacent to the final line, for which no initial was executed., 'Quomodo inueniri possint concurrentes et data cuiuslibet anni per manum'

14th-15th century (f. 1).Added tables to show the dates of Easter from 1406-1433 (f. 13); and from 1420-1447 (f. 13v).? John Trendle, a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury (d. 1433): inscribed 'Quere residuum istius operis in tabula Johannis Trendle' (f.

• Drawing of hands. The rubric on this page states that the fingers of the hand, illustrated in the lower diagram, can be used for finding the date of Easter. Each joint or tip, from the base of the second finger to the top of the thumb, working down the fingers and up the thumb, is marked with numbers and letters. Those from the middle finger to the thumb represent all the possible dates of Easter that fall within March., 'Quomodo inueniri possint concurrentes et data cuiuslibet anni per manum'

14th-15th century (f. 1).Added tables to show the dates of Easter from 1406-1433 (f. 13); and from 1420-1447 (f. 13v).? John Trendle, a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury (d. 1433): inscribed 'Quere residuum istius operis in tabula Johannis Trendle' (f.

• Red initial 'S'(cribo), and a drawing of hands, in a treatise concerning calendrical computations using the joints and tips of the fingers of hands: it is illustrated with drawings of the hands, marked with numbers from 1 to 7 (i to vii) and letters from A to G, at these points., 'Quomodo inueniri possint concurrentes et data cuiuslibet anni per manum'

14th-15th century (f. 1).Added tables to show the dates of Easter from 1406-1433 (f. 13); and from 1420-1447 (f. 13v).? John Trendle, a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury (d. 1433): inscribed 'Quere residuum istius operis in tabula Johannis Trendle' (f.

• Drawing of hands. The hands here are marked with all the possible dates of Easter when it falls in April, working down the left-hand thumb, and then up the left-hand fingers, and up the first two fingers of the right hand., 'Quomodo inueniri possint concurrentes et data cuiuslibet anni per manum'

14th-15th century (f. 1).Added tables to show the dates of Easter from 1406-1433 (f. 13); and from 1420-1447 (f. 13v).? John Trendle, a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury (d. 1433): inscribed 'Quere residuum istius operis in tabula Johannis Trendle' (f.

• Medieval binding of whittawed leather over oak boards with a flat spine and two projecting flaps, at the top and bottom. Fastened to a staple at the bottom of the front cover are three links of a chain. A white strap, secured by a decorated metal plate to the front cover, fits onto a pin in the middle of the back cover by means of a 16th-century metal loop. This is possibly a restoration of the original fastening, but previously two straps went from the front to the back, as is shown by the surviving sockets for them and their pins., Commentaries on Isaiah and Ezechiel

note on the contents, beginning 'Liber sancti edmundi in quo continentur', c. 1375 (f. 1).? Possibly notes of 'the librarian', John of Boston 'Boston Buriensis', a monk of Bury St Edmunds (said to have fl. c. 1410) (ff. 1, 159);

• Zoomorphic initial 'C'(onsummatis) with two hybrids and foliate motifs, at the beginning of the 8th of John Cassian's Collationes; three smaller initials 'G'(ermanus), 'S'(erenus) and 'D'(e) with penwork decoration; simple initials in the list of chapters., Collationes of the Fathers (ff. 1v-115); Rite for the consecration of bells (ff. 115v-116).

motifs, at the beginning of the 8th of John Cassian's Collationes; three smaller initials 'G'(ermanus), 'S'(erenus) and 'D'(e) with penwork decoration; simple initials in the list of chapters. Leaf signatures (a1-a4, b1-b4 etc.); quire marks (in centre of the lower

• Decorated initial 'B'(eatus) at the beginning of Augustine's 'Enarrationes in Psalmos', followed by display script., Enarrationes in Psalmos, imperfect

as well.Letters ? 'Ah' (class-mark?) in upper margin of f. 1. John Batteley (b. c.1646, d. 1708), Church of England clergyman and antiquary; bought in 1723 through his nephew, John Batteley, by Edward Harley, along with other manuscripts (see ~Diary~

• Puzzle initial 'F'(rater) at the beginning of the Prologue., Bible, without the Psalms

with simple brown ink flourishing (ff. 454, 462rv, 466, 469rv, 471v-472, 475v, 477, 499, 502v-503, etc.). Bible, without the Psalms John, vicar of Elmham, 13th century: inscription recording the gift of this manuscript to Norwich Franciscans, for the use of

• Historiated initial 'L'(iber)with the Tree of Jesse at the beginning of Matthew's Gospel. Maiden and unicorn in the margin., Bible, with the Psalms (ff. 208v-231v; imperfect) and the Interpretation of Hebrew Names (ff. 494-533), imperfect (starts in the middle of Exodus)

of Exodus) Concordance between the Gospels completed in a slightly later hand (f. 534r-534v, completed on ff. 535-537). John Clifton (perhaps John Clifton, Prior of Reading Abbey between 1486 and 1490): inscribed late 15th century 'Comes de aym[...] a d[?]no

• Text of two prayers written in Insular minuscule with decorated initials., Prayer book (the 'Royal Prayer Book'), including the apocryphal letter of Christ to Abgar, and Gospel readings

Manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Wigorniensis, Made in 1622-1623~, ed. by Ivor Atkins and N. Ker (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1944), no. 309. John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: inscribed with his name 'Ioannes Theyer', with a dated note of 1649 (f.

• Medieval binding of whittawed leather over oak boards with a flat spine and two projecting flaps, at the top and bottom. Fastened to a staple at the bottom of the front cover are three links of a chain. A white strap, secured by a decorated metal plate to the front cover, fits onto a pin in the middle of the back cover by means of a 16th-century metal loop. This is possibly a restoration of the original fastening, but previously two straps went from the front to the back, as is shown by the surviving sockets for them and their pins., Commentaries on Isaiah and Ezechiel

note on the contents, beginning 'Liber sancti edmundi in quo continentur', c. 1375 (f. 1).? Possibly notes of 'the librarian', John of Boston 'Boston Buriensis', a monk of Bury St Edmunds (said to have fl. c. 1410) (ff. 1, 159);

• Inscription in English., West Saxon Gospels (the 'Wessex Gospels')

Inscription in English. Copied, directly or indirectly, from Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodley 441, omitting some passages due to defects in the Bodley manuscript (Marc 16:14-20, Luke 16:14- 17:1, and 24: 51-53). The first and last omission was supplied with

• Initial 'P'(roxime), at the beginning of the prologue., Breviarium on the Psalms

Initial 'P'(roxime), at the beginning of the prologue. Originally in 3 volumes, each containing the commentary to 50 Psalms, now in 2 volumes, Royal 2 E XIII and Royal 2 E XIV bound together; the last volume containing Psalms

• Decorated initial 'U'(t) with display script, at the beginning of the Expositio psalmorum., Expositio psalmorum

Decorated initial 'U'(t) with display script, at the beginning of the Expositio psalmorum. Includes the commentaries on Psalms 50-100.According to unpublished notes by Michael Gullick this manuscript was made in the same scriptorium as Royal 4 C.IX, Royal 6

• Decorated initial 'Q'(uedam) of an animal biting its back., Lives of the Egyptian monks, Lives of various male and female saints (including Johannes Eleemosynarius), Paradisus, and a book on visions, with a table of contents (ff. 1v-2v), imperfect at the end

(including Johannes Eleemosynarius), Paradisus, and a book on visions, with a table of contents (ff. 1v-2v), imperfect at the end John Gibson (fl. 1720-1726), dealer; sold to Harley on 22 June 1726(see ~Diary~ 1966; Wright 1972).The Harley Collection, formed by

• Historiated initial 'P'(rincipia) of Peter Lombard holding a scroll with an inscription, 'Petrus Lombard', at the beginning to the prologue to Peter Lombard's Commentary on Epistles., Gloss on the Pauline Epistles

Historiated initial 'P'(rincipia) of Peter Lombard holding a scroll with an inscription, 'Petrus Lombard', at the beginning to the prologue to Peter Lombard's Commentary on Epistles. Catchwords, bifolium signatures, and notes 'cor' in brown or red ink. Guide letters

• Inhabited initial 'I'(n principio) with lions, at the beginning of Diatessaron., Diatessaron (or Unum ex quatuor), with glosses

126v); included in the list of manuscripts from Lincolnshire houses entitled 'de historiis antiquitatum ac divinitate tractancium', perhaps composed by John Longland, bishop of Lincoln and confessor of Henry VIII, Royal Appendix 69, f. 6v (see Carley 2000). The Old

• Decorated initial 'V'(eteris) and rubric., De institutis coenobiorum

James’s Palace (see ~Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae~ (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697'), no. 7886.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Decorated initial Waller scribe 3 John Cassian England, S.E. (Rochester)

• Decorated initial 'D'(uplici) and coloured initials., De institutis coenobiorum

James’s Palace (see ~Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae~ (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697'), no. 7886.Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Decorated initial Waller scribe 3 John Cassian England, S.E. (Rochester)