• Historiated initial 'H'(odie) of the Nativity of Mary, with a partial 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

• Historiated initial 'O'(mnes) of the Adoration of the Magi, with a partial 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

• Historiated initial 'D'(ominus) of the Virgin and Child, with the donor, Thomas Besforde, in a Benedictine habit with a scroll reading 'In te confidit a[n]i[m]a / mea', in the margin, with a full border containing a dragon and two shields with arms of the Reading abbey (three escallops) and of the donor (a fesse between six pears)., Commentary on Wisdom

manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae~ (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697', but 1698?), no. 7746).Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. Virgin and Thomas Besforde John Lutton John Lutton Reading England, S. E. (Reading?)

• Blue initial 'T'(his) with red pen-flourishing at the beginning of John's prologue. Explicit of Luke's gospel in red. A red star of David, affixed to the margin, marks the beginning of John. The star was used to mark display pages in an 1884 British Museum exhibition of Wycliffite writings., Gospels (Luke and John) in the later Wyclifitte version

gospel in red. A red star of David, affixed to the margin, marks the beginning of John. The star was used to mark display pages in an 1884 British Museum exhibition of Wycliffite writings. The later version of the Wycliffite

• Blue initial 'A'(fter) with red pen-flourishing at the beginning of John, verse 5., Wycliffite Gospels in the later version, imperfect

Blue initial 'A'(fter) with red pen-flourishing at the beginning of John, verse 5. Later version of Wycliffite gospels with prologues. Imperfect, wanting Matt. I: 20 - 8. 26 and John 20: 28 to the end.A red star is affixed to

• Decorated initials with pen-flourishing in book 4., Polychronicon to the reign of Edward II (r. 1307, d. 1337)

Edward II (r. 1307, d. 1337) Oxford, Queen's College, early 16th century: perhaps the manuscript John Bale saw in Queen's College and subsequently owned (see John Bale, ~Index Britanniae Scriptorum [Oxford, Bodl. Libr. MS. Selden Supra 64 (SC3452)]~, ed. by

• Decorated initial 'R'(egistrum) with penwork decoration of leaves, at the beginning of the cartulary of John Blaunchard., Cartulary of John Blaunchard

6v, 7, 12v). Spaces for initials left blank from ff. 45-47 and f. 62 to the end. Cartulary of John Blaunchard John Blaunchard, archdeacon of Worcester (reigned 1371-1383), relating to the manor of Barford St Martin, Wiltshire.William George Richard Stanley

• Decorated initial 'R'(egistrum) with penwork decoration of leaves, at the beginning of the cartulary of John Blaunchard., Cartulary of John Blaunchard

6v, 7, 12v). Spaces for initials left blank from ff. 45-47 and f. 62 to the end. Cartulary of John Blaunchard John Blaunchard, archdeacon of Worcester (reigned 1371-1383), relating to the manor of Barford St Martin, Wiltshire.William George Richard Stanley

• Miniature of pope Clement V, surrounded by clerical figures, and in the initial 'I'(ohannes), the canonist Johannes Andreae offering the book, at the beginning of the Papal constitutions of Clement V., Papal constitutions of Clement V and John XXII (index Constitutiones clementis pape V; Constitutiones Clementinae), with gloss by Johannes Andreae (Giovanni d'Andrea), ends imperfectly

to the large initial below, in colours and gold (f. 3). Large initial with the standing figure of the pope John XXII, in colours and gold (f. 59v). Large decorated foliate initials, some including human heads or half-length figures, in

• Decorated initials including a human head and a half-length figure, and initials with pen-flourishing, in the Papal constitutiones of Clement V., Papal constitutions of Clement V and John XXII (index Constitutiones clementis pape V; Constitutiones Clementinae), with gloss by Johannes Andreae (Giovanni d'Andrea), ends imperfectly

to the large initial below, in colours and gold (f. 3). Large initial with the standing figure of the pope John XXII, in colours and gold (f. 59v). Large decorated foliate initials, some including human heads or half-length figures, in

• Decorated initials including a human head and a half-length figure, in the Papal constitutiones of Clement V., Papal constitutions of Clement V and John XXII (index Constitutiones clementis pape V; Constitutiones Clementinae), with gloss by Johannes Andreae (Giovanni d'Andrea), ends imperfectly

to the large initial below, in colours and gold (f. 3). Large initial with the standing figure of the pope John XXII, in colours and gold (f. 59v). Large decorated foliate initials, some including human heads or half-length figures, in

• Cadels., Confessio Amantis, imperfect

'Henry Swynbourne' (f. 73); 'William erosl' (?) (f. 138v); 'John Maks' (f. 174).Inscription: 'Robert Willmer' and 'RW' with the date 'June 1620' (f. 55v).17th-century inscriptions: 'Anthony Chest' and 'Anthony Chester', and 'John Ch Chester' (upper pastedown).Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d.

• Decorated initial 'N'(ow)., Confessio Amantis, imperfect

'Henry Swynbourne' (f. 73); 'William erosl' (?) (f. 138v); 'John Maks' (f. 174).Inscription: 'Robert Willmer' and 'RW' with the date 'June 1620' (f. 55v).17th-century inscriptions: 'Anthony Chest' and 'Anthony Chester', and 'John Ch Chester' (upper pastedown).Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d.

• Diagram called 'arbre de dueil' of a tree surmounted by Fortune with her wheel, with two claimants to the papacy, Clement VII and Urban VI (with erased faces); the kings of France (Charles VI) and England (Richard II); the king of Jerusalem and Naples (Louis of Anjou) and the duke of Burgundy (Philip the Bold) ; the kings of Castile and Leon (John I) and of Portugal (Ferdinand) ; and the kings of the Romans (Ferdinand) and of Hungary and Poland (Louis I the Great)., L'Arbre des batailles

beginning 'Je may pouoir de vivre en joye...', and 'Triste playsir et doloureuse joye...', 15th century (f. 165). John Gamston (or John of Gamston, Nottinghamshire): inscribed with his name, 'Iste liber constat Joh[an]i Gamston[i] generoso', early 16th century (f. 164v).Henry

• Detail of a diagram called 'arbre de dueil' of a tree surmounted by Fortune with her wheel, with two claimants to the papacy, Clement VII and Urban VI (with erased faces); the kings of France (Charles VI) and England (Richard II); the king of Jerusalem and Naples (Louis of Anjou) and the duke of Burgundy (Philip the Bold) ; the kings of Castile and Leon (John I) and of Portugal (Ferdinand) ; and the kings of the Romans (Ferdinand) and of Hungary and Poland (Louis I the Great)., L'Arbre des batailles

beginning 'Je may pouoir de vivre en joye...', and 'Triste playsir et doloureuse joye...', 15th century (f. 165). John Gamston (or John of Gamston, Nottinghamshire): inscribed with his name, 'Iste liber constat Joh[an]i Gamston[i] generoso', early 16th century (f. 164v).Henry

• Decorated initial 'I'(n principio) with interlaced and zoomorphic ornament, at the beginning of John., Gospels

spectral comparator, 10th century (see Keynes, 1985, pp. 167-69).Inscribed, 'Diamate', and 'Umfridus me fecit', 14th century (f. 3).Thomas Lee, John Birchyton, John Hinstyde [or Lynstyde], inscribed with their names, 15th century (f. 8v).N. Hersth, inscribed with his name, 15th century.John

• Miniature of the patron, Lord Lovell, to the left, with a canon or monk. The inscription on the winding states that he commissioned the manuscript as a gift to Salisbury Cathedral, so that the canons would pray for his soul, and for that of his wife, Maud de Holand: 'Orate pro anima domini iohannis lovell qui hunc librum orinavit ecclesie cathedrali Sarum pro speciali memoria sui et uxoris'. Below, a very faint inscription identifies the other man as, John Siferwas, a monk or friar: 'frater Johes Siferwas'. It is not clear whether this is Lovell receiving the book from Siferwas, or Lovell presenting it to a canon of Salisbury., Lectionary, imperfect (the 'Lovell Lectionary')

as, John Siferwas, a monk or friar: 'frater Johes Siferwas'. It is not clear whether this is Lovell receiving the book from Siferwas, or Lovell presenting it to a canon of Salisbury. ff. 1-3 are paper leaves.The name John Siferwas

• Illuminated initials 'O'(prior) and 'D'(eus) at the beginning of the prayer to John of Bridlington, 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:

• Decorated initial 'W'(hen)., Testament and The reignes of the kyngis of England, A Treatise between Information and Truth; On the Death of the Earl of Northumberland; Le assemble de dyeus; Descent of the Lords Percy

two works by John Lydgate, the Troy Book, a translation from Historia destructionis Troiae of Guido delle Colonne, originally presented by Lydgate to Henry V in 1420, and the Siege of Thebes of 1421-1422.Part 3 includes: John Lydgate, Testament (ff.

• Illuminated border and initial 'A'(nno) at the beginning of the life of Christ., Martinus's 'Chronica pontificum et imperatorum' (ff. 118-174v), with additions possibly by John Merelynch (ff. 174v-186v), followed by the 'Proceedings against Dame Alice Kyteler' (1324) (index Rerum Hibernicarum quarundam pracipue ecclesiasticarum descriptio) attributed to Ledrede (ff. 186v-206v)

one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated initial and border John Merylynch John Merelynch The Oriel Master Martinus Polanus (index Martin of Troppau) (d. 1278), John Merelynch, Richard Ledrede, bishop of Ossory Glastonbury England, W. (Glastonbury ?)