• Detail of a miniature of a chessboard., Moral treatises, poems, prayers and hymns, including the Moralised Game of Chess (ff. 1-51), the tale of Melibeus (ff. 52-65v), a French translation of the Moralis Philosophia of Guillaume de Conches (ff. 66-78), a poem by Jean Chapuis (but attributed to Jehan de Meun) beginning 'O glorieuse Trinite' (ff. 79-88v), a poem by Philippe de Vitry, beginning, 'Par maniere desbatement' (ff. 89-95), a poem by Jean Bruyant beginning, 'On dit souvent en reprochier' (ff. 95v-113v), Elucidaires (a French translation of the Elucidarius) (ff. 114-147v), the Penitential Psalms (ff. 148-151v), prayers (ff. 152-155v)

(ff. 152-155v) William Noy: inscribed, ' 5 Maii 1623, ex dono Willelmi Noy armigeri, ' (f. i verso).John Shearley and John Hawes: inscribed with their names and the date, 1639 (f. 156).Edmund Thorold, marshal of the Exchequer: inscribed, 'Give my

• Detail of a miniature of Melibee and Prudence., Moral treatises, poems, prayers and hymns, including the Moralised Game of Chess (ff. 1-51), the tale of Melibeus (ff. 52-65v), a French translation of the Moralis Philosophia of Guillaume de Conches (ff. 66-78), a poem by Jean Chapuis (but attributed to Jehan de Meun) beginning 'O glorieuse Trinite' (ff. 79-88v), a poem by Philippe de Vitry, beginning, 'Par maniere desbatement' (ff. 89-95), a poem by Jean Bruyant beginning, 'On dit souvent en reprochier' (ff. 95v-113v), Elucidaires (a French translation of the Elucidarius) (ff. 114-147v), the Penitential Psalms (ff. 148-151v), prayers (ff. 152-155v)

(ff. 152-155v) William Noy: inscribed, ' 5 Maii 1623, ex dono Willelmi Noy armigeri, ' (f. i verso).John Shearley and John Hawes: inscribed with their names and the date, 1639 (f. 156).Edmund Thorold, marshal of the Exchequer: inscribed, 'Give my

• Decorated initial 'T'(hees) and three-sided foliate border, at the beginning of the Mirror of the Life of Christ., Mirror of the Life of Christ (ff. 1-221v), and the first leaf of the Traité pour Essamples les Amantz Marietz (ff. 223-223v)

HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1v; its book-plate with the pencil inscription: ‘XIII.7.6’, inside upper cover).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society together with 549 other Arundel manuscripts in 1831. Decorated initial and border Nicolas Love; John Gower England

• Decorated initial 'T'(hees), at the beginning of the Mirror of the Life of Christ., Mirror of the Life of Christ (ff. 1-221v), and the first leaf of the Traité pour Essamples les Amantz Marietz (ff. 223-223v)

HENR. HOWARD / Norfolciensis.', f. 1v; its book-plate with the pencil inscription: ‘XIII.7.6’, inside upper cover).Purchased by the British Museum from the Royal Society together with 549 other Arundel manuscripts in 1831. Detail: Decorated initial Nicolas Love; John Gower England

• Detail of an historiated initial 'O'(ff) of the Lover's confession, at the beginning of the prologue., Confessio amantis

of the prologue. This manuscript contains the first recension of the Confessio amantis of John Gower (b. 1330, d. 1408), originally dedicated to Richard II: 'In ovre englisshe I thenke make/ a book for kyng Richardis sake' (f. 1), with

• Detail of a miniature of two angels holding the cloth of Veronica., Prayers, hymns and miscellaneous religious texts, including verses on the Arma Christi or Symbols of the Passion (ff. 72v-80)

72v-80) Part 2: An erased chronological note referring to 1403 (f. 97), according to Warner and Gilson 1921. Both parts: John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary, included in the catalogue of his library left to his grandson Charles Theyer

• Coloured initial 'E' with pen-flourished decoration., Fragment from Rolle's 'Incendium amoris', Book 1, chapters 7-8, on parchment

of fragments from manuscripts and printed books, including maps and drawings, assembled in 64 volumes by the bookseller and antiquary John Bagford (b. 1650/51, d. 1716). 159 fragments from printed books were transferred from this volume to the Department of

• Text page., Confessio amantis

first recension of the Confessio amantis of John Gower (b. 1330, d. 1408), originally dedicated to Richard II: 'In ovre englisshe I thenke make/ a book for kyng Richardis sake' (f. 1), with the reference to Henry of Lancaster, earl

• Historiated initial 'O'(ff) of the Lover's confession, with a full border, at the beginning of the prologue., Confessio amantis

of the prologue. This manuscript contains the first recension of the Confessio amantis of John Gower (b. 1330, d. 1408), originally dedicated to Richard II: 'In ovre englisshe I thenke make/ a book for kyng Richardis sake' (f. 1), with

• Illuminated initial 'N', with a partial bar and foliate border., Confessio amantis

This manuscript contains the first recension of the Confessio amantis of John Gower (b. 1330, d. 1408), originally dedicated to Richard II: 'In ovre englisshe I thenke make/ a book for kyng Richardis sake' (f. 1), with the reference to

• Illuminated initial 'F'(erst), with a partial bar and foliate border., Confessio amantis

This manuscript contains the first recension of the Confessio amantis of John Gower (b. 1330, d. 1408), originally dedicated to Richard II: 'In ovre englisshe I thenke make/ a book for kyng Richardis sake' (f. 1), with the reference to

• Drawings of coats of arms of knights of the Order of the Garter at the time of Henry V, founder of the order., Armorial of members of the Order of the Garter

in colours and gold with crest and garter (including Henry V (f. 2), emperor Sigismund (f. 3), John, king of Portugal (f. 3v), John, king of Denmark (f. 4), Philip, duke of Burgundy (f. 4v), etc.)). Capitals in gold. Armorial

• Miniature of the Crucifixion, with Christ's side being pierced by a lance in the centre and the grieving Virgin Mary being held by John the Baptist at the foot of the cross, with an inhabited initial 'D'(omine) and a full foliate border including arms., Book of Hours, Use of Troyes

held by John the Baptist at the foot of the cross, with an inhabited initial 'D'(omine) and a full foliate border including arms. Quaternion with the Gospel Lessons misbound, in the unusual order of Luke (ff. 15-16v), John (ff. 17-18v),

• 'Champ' initial 'I'(nsuffisaunce) combined with a bar border ending in foliate feathering forming a partial border at the beginning of the text., The Consolation of Philosophy (index De consolatione philosophiae), in verse

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. Decorated initial Boethius, translated by John Walton England

• Detail of a miniature of the battle between Genghis Khan and Prester John., Historia de proeliis, translated in French as La vraie ystoire dou bon roi Alixandre, and other romances

battle between Genghis Khan and Prester John. Includes 8 works forming a compendium of the wonders of the East combined with crusading texts: Historia de proeliis translated in French as La vraie ystoire dou bon roi Alixandre (ff.1-46); Jehan le

• Illuminated initials 'N'(unc) and 'I'(ncipit), with foliate extensions., Compendium litterale totius Scripture

61, Bibliothèque Nationale, lat. 1196, Longleat House 24, and Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. Auct. F. inf. 1. 1, associated with John Whetehamstede, abbot of St. Albans.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. 1 miniature in colours and gold, of the author preaching, with

• Detail of a miniature of Petrus Aureoli, Archbishop of Aix, preaching from the pulpit inscribed on the front with words 'quis ascendit in montem', with Christ enthroned on the mountain above him, at the beginning of the text., Compendium litterale totius Scripture

61, Bibliothèque Nationale, lat. 1196, Longleat House 24, and Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. Auct. F. inf. 1. 1, associated with John Whetehamstede, abbot of St. Albans.Catchwords and bifolium signatures. 1 miniature in colours and gold, of the author preaching, with

• Decorated initials, line fillers, and a partial trompe l'oeil border with a bee., Book of Hours ('Hours of Louis XII', or 'Hours of Henry VII'), imperfect

Philadelphia, Lewis E. M. II 19-22v, and 12 detached full page miniatures: Job, Pentecost and Annunciation from the collection of John Malcolm of Poltalloch, Add. 35254, ff. T, U, V, Luke, Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Ms. 8999, Betrayal of

• Decorated initials, line fillers, and partial trompe l'oeil borders with flowers and a butterfly., Book of Hours ('Hours of Louis XII', or 'Hours of Henry VII'), imperfect

Philadelphia, Lewis E. M. II 19-22v, and 12 detached full page miniatures: Job, Pentecost and Annunciation from the collection of John Malcolm of Poltalloch, Add. 35254, ff. T, U, V, Luke, Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Ms. 8999, Betrayal of

• Decorated initials, line fillers, and a partial trompe l'oeil border of flowers., Book of Hours ('Hours of Louis XII', or 'Hours of Henry VII'), imperfect

Philadelphia, Lewis E. M. II 19-22v, and 12 detached full page miniatures: Job, Pentecost and Annunciation from the collection of John Malcolm of Poltalloch, Add. 35254, ff. T, U, V, Luke, Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Ms. 8999, Betrayal of