• Miniature of John the Evangelist writing, with his symbol, the eagle, before him, with a full border including grotesques, two angels holding a shield with the arms of Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate, London in the upper margin, and the arms of the Holand and Lovell families in the lower margin., Lectionary, imperfect (the 'Lovell Lectionary')

£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. John the Evangelist John Siferwas England, S. (probably Glastonbury)

• Detail of a miniature of John the Evangelist writing, with his symbol, the eagle, before him., Lectionary, imperfect (the 'Lovell Lectionary')

Detail of a miniature of John the Evangelist writing, with his symbol, the eagle, before him. ff. 1-3 are paper leaves.The name John Siferwas occurs in the Sherborne Missal with 'Illuminator': see Scoft 1996 p. 62. Large miniature in colours

• Detail of a miniature of the Nativity of John the Baptist, with Zacharias., Lectionary, imperfect (the 'Lovell Lectionary')

Detail of a miniature of the Nativity of John the Baptist, with Zacharias. ff. 1-3 are paper leaves.The name John Siferwas occurs in the Sherborne Missal with 'Illuminator': see Scoft 1996 p. 62. Large miniature in colours of the patron,

• Miniature of John the Baptist, with Agnus Dei, faceing the text of a prayer to St John the Baptist., Added prayers to saints

of Anne of York.Part 2:Margaret Beauchamp (b. 1405/6, d. 1482), duchess of Somerset, daughter of John Beauchamp of Bletsoe, married to Sir Oliver St John,John Beaufort, and Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles, probably made for her before 1443:

• Miniature of a Venetian nobleman kneeling in prayer before a seated Virgin and Child with the infant John within an ornate border of scroll-work with putti, maidens, garlands, the lion of Mark and the Pasquaglio family arms., Leaf of a Doge's Commission (index commissione dogale) to a member of the Pasquaglio family of Venice

before a seated Virgin and Child with the infant John within an ornate border of scroll-work with putti, maidens, garlands, the lion of Mark and the Pasquaglio family arms. Italian cutting.The present leaf is one of 33 leaves and cuttings

• Puzzle initial 'A(nno), with penwork decoration in the form of leaves., Polychronicon to the year 1352, with table

or blue. Diagrams in red or brown. Polychronicon to the year 1352, with table Added, near comtemporary text (ff. 238v-239v). John Macclesfield, in 1416-1417: inscription (f. 6v).John Hunt: 18th-century inscription (f. 2). W. Ford: his note about the manuscript pasted

• Detail of decorated headpiece., Homilies on John (index In Ioannem), imperfect

initials in red with penwork decoration, a few also with black penwork decoration. Small simple letters in red. Homilies on John (index In Ioannem), imperfect 16th-century (?) note of 8 missing leaves (f. 330v; see also ff. 10v, 12v).? Thomas

• Illluminated initials in the Friar's tale., The Canterbury Tales

Dorothie, née Leuenthorp: inscribed with their names (f. 286v; see Wright 1972).Other inscriptions include 'John Martant', 16th century (ff. 144, 180), and 'John Thomsyn' and 'John Thomsun Symond, late 16th-early 17th century (ff. 165v, 284v).John Somers, 1st baron Somers (b.

• Puzzle initial 'I'(n), developing three-sided extensions, at the beginning of Oon of foure, John Wycliffe's English translation of Clement of Llanthony's Harmony of the Gospels., New Testament in the later Wycliffe version (ends imperfect), including Oon of foure (ff. 19-86)

at the beginning of Oon of foure, John Wycliffe's English translation of Clement of Llanthony's Harmony of the Gospels. 1 large puzzle initial in red and blue with foliate pen-flourishing in purple and red, developing three-sided extensions in red and

• Puzzle initial 'I'(n), and part of the three-sided extensions, at the beginning of Oon of foure, John Wycliffe's English translation of Clement of Llanthony's Harmony of the Gospels., New Testament in the later Wycliffe version (ends imperfect), including Oon of foure (ff. 19-86)

extensions, at the beginning of Oon of foure, John Wycliffe's English translation of Clement of Llanthony's Harmony of the Gospels. 1 large puzzle initial in red and blue with foliate pen-flourishing in purple and red, developing three-sided extensions in red

• Original foliate headpiece and decorated initial 'K' in John Chrysostom's Commentary in Matthaeum., Homilies on Matthew (index In Matthaeum), imperfect

decorated initial 'K' in John Chrysostom's Commentary in Matthaeum. ff. 1, 8, 137-138, and 180-187 are replacements in a 13th- (?) century hand. 3 pink foliate headpieces and large decorated pink initials (ff. 138v, 180v, and 187v) added in the

• Miniature in four segments: 1. Pierre Bersuire presenting the book to John II; 2. the wolf with Romulus and Remus; 3. John II enthroned; 4. Knights fighting, at the beginning of the prologue., Ab urbe condita (Les decades de Titus Livius)

Miniature in four segments: 1. Pierre Bersuire presenting the book to John II; 2. the wolf with Romulus and Remus; 3. John II enthroned; 4. Knights fighting, at the beginning of the prologue. Contains the 'Ab urbe condita' of Livy,

• Historiated initial 'J'(ohannes) of a lawyer holding a book, with a partial border, at the beginning of the preface (the introductory bull of John XXII), and a foliate initial 'J'(ohannes), at the beginning of the gloss; with birds and a hybrid grotesque in the margin., Constitutiones Clementinae; Extravagantes; Decretal on Franciscans; Lectura super Clementinis; Breviarium sive Repertorium

bull of John XXII), and a foliate initial 'J'(ohannes), at the beginning of the gloss; with birds and a hybrid grotesque in the margin. Contains the Constitutuions Clementinae, a collection of constitutions of Clement V promulgated by John II in

• Detail of a miniature of the capture of John de St John and others by the French., Chroniques de France ou de St Denis (from 1270 to1380)

Detail of a miniature of the capture of John de St John and others by the French. Includes the series of nine miniatures illustrating the visit of the Emperor Charles IV to the King of France, Charles V, which occur

• Illuminated border and initial 'A'(nti) with floral penwork decoration, and the signature of Lord William Howard (b. 1563, d. 1640), antiquary and landowner, the younger son of Thomas Howard (b. 1538, d. 1572), 4th duke of Norfolk, with the date 1589, in the upper margin., Historical and theological miscellany, including excerpts from the Granarium, part II, and a commentary on Sacrobosco's De sphaera (ff. 183-198)

15th century notes in a hand similar to those in Oxford, Bodleian, Bodl. MS 585, which includes the Granarium of John Whethamstede, according to Howlett 1974 p. 199. 1 partial border and puzzle initial in blue and gold, with penwork

• Puzzle initial 'A'(lphica), at the beginning of the Catalogus medicam., Catalogus medicam (ff. 1-78), Receipes in English (ff. 79-200)

plain red or blue. Catalogus medicam (ff. 1-78), Receipes in English (ff. 79-200) Inscription, 15th-century: 'Richard Flint' (f. 207).Inscription, 15th-century: 'John …(?)' (f. 207).Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), baronet, physician and collector. Purchased as part of the Sloane

• Flourished initials, in the Catalogus medicam., Catalogus medicam (ff. 1-78), Receipes in English (ff. 79-200)

plain red or blue. Catalogus medicam (ff. 1-78), Receipes in English (ff. 79-200) Inscription, 15th-century: 'Richard Flint' (f. 207).Inscription, 15th-century: 'John …(?)' (f. 207).Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), baronet, physician and collector. Purchased as part of the Sloane

• Decorated initial 'A'., Medical miscellany, including the Liber Medicinarum (ff. 1-40v)

Liber Medicinarum (ff. 1-40v) Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), baronet, physician and collector. Purchased as part of the Sloane collection from Sloane's executors and incorporated into the newly founded British Museum in 1753. Decorated initial John Arderne England

• Detail of a miniature in four segments: 1. Pierre Bersuire presenting the book to John II; 2. the wolf with Romulus and Remus; 3. John II enthroned; 4. Knights fighting, at the beginning of the prologue., Ab urbe condita (Les decades de Titus Livius)

Detail of a miniature in four segments: 1. Pierre Bersuire presenting the book to John II; 2. the wolf with Romulus and Remus; 3. John II enthroned; 4. Knights fighting, at the beginning of the prologue. Contains the 'Ab urbe

• Historiated initial 'P'(rimo) of the Nativity with a partial foliate border., Breviary, use of Sarum, imperfect

of saints, including David Chad, Winifred and John of Beverley 15th century (ff. 288-290), with an early 15th century initial pasted down (f. 290).Inscribed 'By me Cornishe Simpsone', 16th century (f. 291).? John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: his