• Decorated initial 'B'(eatus) with foliated and interlace decoration, and animal heads and an animal mask at the beginning of Psalm 1, with the Old English gloss erased and corrected, visible in darker ink, and the ownership inscription of Sir Henry Spelman in the upper margin., Psalter, in the Gallican version, and canticles (ff. 168v-180v) with continuous English glosses, imperfect

date 'May 17 1638' and 'imprimatur' (f. 180v) for the 1640 edition of the Psalter made by his son, Sir John Spelman (b. 1594, d. 1643), royalist author.Walter Clavell, F. R.S., elected 1704, admitted to the Inner Temple in 1700,

• Decorated initial 'H'(enricus), in Henry of Huntingdon's Historia Anglorum; this manuscript is part of a collection formed by the Howard family, Dukes of Norfolk, who lived at Arundel Castle, north of Littlehampton in West Sussex; halfway down the text on this page, just after the red initial 'H', is a reference to Arundel Castle (castellu[m] Arundel), and in the left margin this has been highlighted by one of the Howards, by the note 'Arundell castellum'., Historia Anglorum

Mary, Southwick, Hampshire, 13th century: ownership inscriptions (ff. 2v-3, 10v, 58v-59, 67, 69v, 84v-85, 161); borrowed from the priory by John Leland in c. 1533 (see discussion Carley 2001).Inscribed '95' (1st parchment flyleaf).Lord William Howard, 1589 (b. 1563, d. 1640),

• Bas-de-page scene of John baptising Christ, with a woman holding a cloak to the right., Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ('The Taymouth Hours')

scene of John baptising Christ, with a woman holding a cloak to the right. The style and subject, especially the many bas-de-page narratives ranging from romance and fabliau to biblical and hagiographic material, are closely connected to two important manuscripts

• Miniature of Christ at table between a man and a woman, while Mary Magdalen, with a gold casket by her, kneels and washes Christ's feet. In the bas-de-page scene below, John the Baptist is led by a man before Herod and Herodias., Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ('The Taymouth Hours')

a gold casket by her, kneels and washes Christ's feet. In the bas-de-page scene below, John the Baptist is led by a man before Herod and Herodias. The style and subject, especially the many bas-de-page narratives ranging from romance and

• Bas-de-page scene of Salome holding a shovel with John's head in the ground under a tree, and to the right, Herodias pointing to John's head., Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ('The Taymouth Hours')

at the news that I intended to sell my collection of 100 illuminated MSS. HYT' (2nd flyleaf). Bequeathed to the British Museum in 1941 by Mrs Henry Yates Thompson. Burial of John the Baptist's head London England, S. E.? (London?)

• Bas-de-page scene of John's body being placed in a tomb by two men with pointed hats., Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ('The Taymouth Hours')

at the news that I intended to sell my collection of 100 illuminated MSS. HYT' (2nd flyleaf). Bequeathed to the British Museum in 1941 by Mrs Henry Yates Thompson. Burial of John the Baptist's body London England, S. E.? (London?)

• Text page with initials with pen-flourishing., Polychronicon (to 1327); Expugnatio Hibernia; travel writings, historical and religious texts (see Notes below for detailed contents)

Text page with initials with pen-flourishing. Detailed contents:Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon (ff. 3-165);Gerald of Wales, Expugnatio Hibernia (ff. 166-194);Jacques de Vitry, Historia Orientalis (ff. 195-215);Odoricus de Pordenone, Itinerarium (ff. 216-224);Willelmus de Rubruk (index William de Rubruque), Itinerarium ad partes orientalis

• Illuminated initials., Psalter, Use of Sarum (the 'St Omer Psalter')

same hand (1st 3 parchment flyleaves [ff. v-vii verso]). Thomas Thorpe, bookseller: his 1828 catalogue, lot 2902, priced at £25. John Wilkes the Elder (d. 1894): his sale 12 March 1847, lot 442, bought by Rodd. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797,

• Detail of an historiated initial 'C'(este) of a bishop (probably saint Edmund) holding a mirror, at the beginning of the Speculum ecclesiae., Livre de Sydrac (index Book of Sydrac; Book of Sidrac; La Fontaine de toutes sciences; Le Tresor des sciences; Le Roman du philosophe Sydrac)(ff. 1-140); Edmund's 'Mireour de seinte eglise' (index Speculum ecclesiae; Miroir de sainte eglise; Mirror of the church)(ff. 141-156); a short text in Latin attributed to Ambrose (f. 156); La vie nostre dame seinte marie' (f. 156); Robert Grosseteste's Commencement du monde (ff. 156-168)

Detail of an historiated initial 'C'(este) of a bishop (probably saint Edmund) holding a mirror, at the beginning of the Speculum ecclesiae. f. 1* is a parchment fragment, probably from a 14th-century charter, written in an English cursive hand.

• Detail of a dog chasing a hare on the lower portion of a partial foliate bar border, at the beginning of the Speculum ecclesiae., Livre de Sydrac (index Book of Sydrac; Book of Sidrac; La Fontaine de toutes sciences; Le Tresor des sciences; Le Roman du philosophe Sydrac)(ff. 1-140); Edmund's 'Mireour de seinte eglise' (index Speculum ecclesiae; Miroir de sainte eglise; Mirror of the church)(ff. 141-156); a short text in Latin attributed to Ambrose (f. 156); La vie nostre dame seinte marie' (f. 156); Robert Grosseteste's Commencement du monde (ff. 156-168)

Detail of a dog chasing a hare on the lower portion of a partial foliate bar border, at the beginning of the Speculum ecclesiae. f. 1* is a parchment fragment, probably from a 14th-century charter, written in an English

• Sales catalogue of books belonging to Symonis Bozoun, Prior of Norwich, with prices in shillings., Polychronicon (to 1327); Expugnatio Hibernia; travel writings, historical and religious texts (see Notes below for detailed contents)

Sales catalogue of books belonging to Symonis Bozoun, Prior of Norwich, with prices in shillings. Detailed contents:Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon (ff. 3-165);Gerald of Wales, Expugnatio Hibernia (ff. 166-194);Jacques de Vitry, Historia Orientalis (ff. 195-215);Odoricus de Pordenone, Itinerarium (ff. 216-224);Willelmus de

• Puzzle initial 'Q' (uinta)with zoomorphic decoration and pen-flourishing at the beginning of book 3 of the Polychronicon., Polychronicon (to 1327); Expugnatio Hibernia; travel writings, historical and religious texts (see Notes below for detailed contents)

Puzzle initial 'Q' (uinta)with zoomorphic decoration and pen-flourishing at the beginning of book 3 of the Polychronicon. Detailed contents:Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon (ff. 3-165);Gerald of Wales, Expugnatio Hibernia (ff. 166-194);Jacques de Vitry, Historia Orientalis (ff. 195-215);Odoricus de Pordenone, Itinerarium (ff.

• Text page with initials, rubric and chronological dates in the margin., Polychronicon (to 1327); Expugnatio Hibernia; travel writings, historical and religious texts (see Notes below for detailed contents)

Text page with initials, rubric and chronological dates in the margin. Detailed contents:Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon (ff. 3-165);Gerald of Wales, Expugnatio Hibernia (ff. 166-194);Jacques de Vitry, Historia Orientalis (ff. 195-215);Odoricus de Pordenone, Itinerarium (ff. 216-224);Willelmus de Rubruk (index William de

• Puzzle initial 'I'(n) with pen-flourishing at the beginning of the Polychronicon and ownership inscription of Symonis Bozoun., Polychronicon (to 1327); Expugnatio Hibernia; travel writings, historical and religious texts (see Notes below for detailed contents)

Puzzle initial 'I'(n) with pen-flourishing at the beginning of the Polychronicon and ownership inscription of Symonis Bozoun. Detailed contents:Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon (ff. 3-165);Gerald of Wales, Expugnatio Hibernia (ff. 166-194);Jacques de Vitry, Historia Orientalis (ff. 195-215);Odoricus de Pordenone, Itinerarium (ff.

• Initial 'B'(onefacius) with decoration, small initials and rubric; chronological dates with numbering for the Polychronicon in the margin., Polychronicon (to 1327); Expugnatio Hibernia; travel writings, historical and religious texts (see Notes below for detailed contents)

Initial 'B'(onefacius) with decoration, small initials and rubric; chronological dates with numbering for the Polychronicon in the margin. Detailed contents:Ranulph Higden, Polychronicon (ff. 3-165);Gerald of Wales, Expugnatio Hibernia (ff. 166-194);Jacques de Vitry, Historia Orientalis (ff. 195-215);Odoricus de Pordenone, Itinerarium

• Historiated initial 'O'(mnium) with a man with shield and spear combined with a full foliate border with acanthus leaves, grotesques and a youth playing music on a viola., Commentary on Pseudo-Cicero's Rhetorica ad Herennium

Historiated initial 'O'(mnium) with a man with shield and spear combined with a full foliate border with acanthus leaves, grotesques and a youth playing music on a viola. Catchwords written horizontally. 9 marginal drawings in metal point: head of

• Detail of historiated initial 'O'(mnium) with a soldier holding a shield and spear at the beginning of the text., Commentary on Pseudo-Cicero's Rhetorica ad Herennium

Detail of historiated initial 'O'(mnium) with a soldier holding a shield and spear at the beginning of the text. Catchwords written horizontally. 9 marginal drawings in metal point: head of a man with pointing hand (f. 10v), medallion with

• Detail of a metal point drawing of two hooded figures addressing a third one wearing an ermine collar., Commentary on Pseudo-Cicero's Rhetorica ad Herennium

Detail of a metal point drawing of two hooded figures addressing a third one wearing an ermine collar. Catchwords written horizontally. 9 marginal drawings in metal point: head of a man with pointing hand (f. 10v), medallion with two

• Detail of a metal point drawing of a figure playing the bagpipes., Commentary on Pseudo-Cicero's Rhetorica ad Herennium

Detail of a metal point drawing of a figure playing the bagpipes. Catchwords written horizontally. 9 marginal drawings in metal point: head of a man with pointing hand (f. 10v), medallion with two figures conversing (f. 13), two bust-length

• Detail of a historiated initial 'Q'(uoniam) with a man wearing an ermine collar., Commentary on Pseudo-Cicero's Rhetorica ad Herennium

Detail of a historiated initial 'Q'(uoniam) with a man wearing an ermine collar. Catchwords written horizontally. 9 marginal drawings in metal point: head of a man with pointing hand (f. 10v), medallion with two figures conversing (f. 13), two