• Decorated initial 'B'(ritannia) at the beginning of Bede's text., Historia Ecclesiastica; Epistola de obitu venerabilis Bedae (ff. 173v-175v); tract on the resting places of English saints, imperfect

decoration in purple, green, red, and blue, a few also with yellow highlighting at the beginning of the prologue, books, or texts (ff. 2, 4v, 36v, 63, 100, 137v ). Initials in red, green, blue or purple, some with penwork

• Decorated initial 'H'(is) at the beginning of Book II., Historia Ecclesiastica; Epistola de obitu venerabilis Bedae (ff. 173v-175v); tract on the resting places of English saints, imperfect

decoration in purple, green, red, and blue, a few also with yellow highlighting at the beginning of the prologue, books, or texts (ff. 2, 4v, 36v, 63, 100, 137v ). Initials in red, green, blue or purple, some with penwork

• Decorated initial 'S'(uccessit) at the beginning of Book V. The roman numeral 'xvii' at the lower edge of the page is a quire signature., Historia Ecclesiastica; Epistola de obitu venerabilis Bedae (ff. 173v-175v); tract on the resting places of English saints, imperfect

decoration in purple, green, red, and blue, a few also with yellow highlighting at the beginning of the prologue, books, or texts (ff. 2, 4v, 36v, 63, 100, 137v ). Initials in red, green, blue or purple, some with penwork

• Ownership inscription: 'Liber sancti Andree Roffensis ecclesie' (book of the church of St. Andrew, Rochester). The inscription above ('5 die Novembris A.D. 1723') was written by Humfrey Wanley, librarian of Robert and Edward Harley, 1st and 2nd earls of Oxford., Historia Ecclesiastica; Epistola de obitu venerabilis Bedae (ff. 173v-175v); tract on the resting places of English saints, imperfect

decoration in purple, green, red, and blue, a few also with yellow highlighting at the beginning of the prologue, books, or texts (ff. 2, 4v, 36v, 63, 100, 137v ). Initials in red, green, blue or purple, some with penwork

• Decorated initial 'G'(loriossimo), and in the lower margin is an added inscription recording that the book belonged in the cloister of Rochester Cathedral, and was given by Hubert the precentor., Historia Ecclesiastica; Epistola de obitu venerabilis Bedae (ff. 173v-175v); tract on the resting places of English saints, imperfect

decoration in purple, green, red, and blue, a few also with yellow highlighting at the beginning of the prologue, books, or texts (ff. 2, 4v, 36v, 63, 100, 137v ). Initials in red, green, blue or purple, some with penwork

• Decorated initial 'A'(t) at the beginning of Book III. In the top margin and top right corner are the book number '3', and the folio number '63'; the sketch of a horse's head in the lower margin is a doodle by a later reader., Historia Ecclesiastica; Epistola de obitu venerabilis Bedae (ff. 173v-175v); tract on the resting places of English saints, imperfect

decoration in purple, green, red, and blue, a few also with yellow highlighting at the beginning of the prologue, books, or texts (ff. 2, 4v, 36v, 63, 100, 137v ). Initials in red, green, blue or purple, some with penwork

• Display script with penwork decoration and reserved lines., Epistolae

(added by later medieval hand). Text block on ff. 64-79 (quires 9-10) measures 270 x 175. Large initials in red, blue or green, frequently with reserved lines and with penwork decoration including arabesque and foliate motifs in the two alternate

• Dedtail of display script with penwork decoration and reserved lines., Epistolae

(added by later medieval hand). Text block on ff. 64-79 (quires 9-10) measures 270 x 175. Large initials in red, blue or green, frequently with reserved lines and with penwork decoration including arabesque and foliate motifs in the two alternate

• Detail of decorated initial 'H'(abens) with reserved lines, arabesque and foliate motifs., Epistolae

(added by later medieval hand). Text block on ff. 64-79 (quires 9-10) measures 270 x 175. Large initials in red, blue or green, frequently with reserved lines and with penwork decoration including arabesque and foliate motifs in the two alternate

• Detail of decorated initial 'A'(ugustinus) with reserved lines, arabesque and foliate motifs., Epistolae

(added by later medieval hand). Text block on ff. 64-79 (quires 9-10) measures 270 x 175. Large initials in red, blue or green, frequently with reserved lines and with penwork decoration including arabesque and foliate motifs in the two alternate

• Detail of display script with reserved lines., Epistolae

(added by later medieval hand). Text block on ff. 64-79 (quires 9-10) measures 270 x 175. Large initials in red, blue or green, frequently with reserved lines and with penwork decoration including arabesque and foliate motifs in the two alternate

• White vine initial 'N'(el) and full border at the beginning of the text., Trionfi (index Triumphs)

the text (f. 2). 10 large initials in blue ink marking each chapter (ff. 5, 8v, 12, 15v, 19, 23, 26v, 29, 34v, 37v). Smaller initials and paragraph marks in alternating blue or dark red. Trionfi (index Triumphs) Defaced arms

• Calendar with diagrams of lunar eclipses., Scientific miscellany, including a calendar (from 1387 to 1462) (ff. 2-14), Canon minoris calendarii and Canon majoris calendarii by John Somer (ff. 16-18), treatise on the use of the astrolabe attributed to Simon de Bredon (ff. 24v-28), various other astrological tables and treatises

the movements of the moon (f. 29). Large initials in blue with red pen-flourishing. Smaller initials in red with brown penwork decoration. Plain initials in red. Paraphs in red or blue. Capitals marked in red. Scientific miscellany, including a calendar

• Historiated initial 'D'(ominus) with king David pointing at his eyes at the beginning of Psalm 26., Psalter, imperfect, beginning in Psalm 16

(a larger initial at the beginning of Psalm 21 (f. 11v)). Initials in gold with blue or red pen-flourishing. Line-fillers in gold, red and blue. Coloured initials in red. Psalter, imperfect, beginning in Psalm 16 ?Added litany including Livine, Servati,

• Decorated initial 'O'(mnipotens) and musical notation., Pontifical

contemporary hand including Secundiane, Viriane, Marcelliane, Iuste, Blasi, Brixti, and Egidi (ff. 86-87). Initials with white foliage on a pale blue, dark blue/green, dark purple and red ground (ff. 1 (damaged), 2v, 3v, 11, 14v, 17v, 20, 21v, 34v, 48,

• Zoomorphic initial 'P'(auci) with grotesque and knot-work motifs, at the beginning of Jerome's 'Contra Iouinianum'., De mysteriis (ff. 1-4v); De sacramentis (ff. 4v-16v); Sermo de corpore et sanguine Domini (serm. 17, ff. 16v-18v); Contra Iouinianum (ff. 18v-69v); Hypomnesticon (ff. 69v-90)

ink, red and green and some blue, with knot-work and foliate motifs, in the shape of a bird or grotesque(s) (ff. 6, 16v, 19, 69v). Large and smaller Initials in red, green or occasionally blue, some with penwork decoration including

• Initials 'P'(rima), 'Q'(uatuor), 'N'(on), 'T'(abernaculum) with penwork decoration., Liber Exceptionum, Part II (ff. 1-55v); sermons, and other texts (see Notes for contents)

beginning of this manuscript is now Harley 261. 1 parted initial in red and blue (f. 16v). Some large and numerous smaller initials in red or blue, occasionally with penwork decoration in the alternate colour or in green. 1 small

• Illustration of the lyre, for the sign Lyra, with text or scholia within the figure of the constellation., Aratea, with extracts from Hyginus's Astronomica in the constellation figures

of the solar system in brown and red (f. 19). Small initials in brown or red. Text in red or blue. Aratea, with extracts from Hyginus's Astronomica in the constellation figures f. 1 is a slightly later addition (c. 1000,

• Historiated initial 'I'(n principio) of the days of Creation, at the beginning of book 1., Antiquitates iudaicae

and other books (ff. 1, 17v, 33, 47, 61v, 77v, 96v, 115v, 134v, 147, 158v, 171, 186, 201v). Initials in blue or red. Antiquitates iudaicae The Benedictine abbey of St Albans: inscribed, 'Hic est lib[er] s[an]c[t]I Alb[a]ni que[m] q[ui] abstulerit

• Detail of an historiated initial 'I'(n principio) of the days of Creation, at the beginning of book 1., Antiquitates iudaicae

and other books (ff. 1, 17v, 33, 47, 61v, 77v, 96v, 115v, 134v, 147, 158v, 171, 186, 201v). Initials in blue or red. Antiquitates iudaicae The Benedictine abbey of St Albans: inscribed, 'Hic est lib[er] s[an]c[t]I Alb[a]ni que[m] q[ui] abstulerit