• Decorated initial 'U'(pon) with foliate feathering including a male figure, extending between the columns and into the margins at the beginning of book 4., Confessio amantis, imperfect

£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 John Gower London England, S. E. (?London)

• Marginal image of king Lucius in a baptismal font, with a caption reading 'Rex luci[us] p[ri]mu[s] in Anglia', next to a fragment referring to the origins of the christianity in England during the reign of Lucius, with a marginal note by Matthew Paris beginning 'Luciu[s] rex britannie p[ri]m[us] fuit in anglia/ baptizat[us]'., Series causae inter Henricum regem et Thomam archiepiscopum, Abbreviationes chronicorum, and Imagines historiarum

recto-i verso);Abbreviationes chronicorum (ff. 1-48);Imagines historiarum, with a table of contents (ff. 49-136). The text ends with the coronation of John in 1199.According to Stubbs 1876, this manuscript was copied from Lambeth Palace, 8, considered to be the author's own

• Illuminated initial 'Q'(uod) enclosing flowers combined with a full panel border with flowers and a bird. The roses, greyhound, and dragon are heraldic motifs referring to the royal Tudor family., Quaestiones de observantia quadragesimali (index Matters concerning Lenten observance)(ff. 1v-67); Poem in praise of Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth of York and of the birth of prince Arthur (ff. 67v-86v)

quadragesimal observance was originally written for John Russell, described as keeper of the privy seal (1473-83) and bishop of Lincoln (1480-94) (rubric on f. 2): the text therefore must date from 1480-83 when John Russell occupied both of these positions.

• Illuminated initial 'C'(ui) enclosing flowers combined with a full panel border with flowers, acorns, and a greyhound holding a banner with the coat of arms of Henry VII., Quaestiones de observantia quadragesimali (index Matters concerning Lenten observance)(ff. 1v-67); Poem in praise of Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth of York and of the birth of prince Arthur (ff. 67v-86v)

quadragesimal observance was originally written for John Russell, described as keeper of the privy seal (1473-83) and bishop of Lincoln (1480-94) (rubric on f. 2): the text therefore must date from 1480-83 when John Russell occupied both of these positions.

• Coloured initials., Miscellany, including De regimine principum (ff. 1-97) (see Notes)

of a table of contents (f. 1* verso) and a few medical recipes (ff. 167v-168, 169). John Kymbell: 16th-century inscription 'Iste liber constatt John Kymbell' (f. 2*); 'Jhon Kymbell' (f. 170v); and a receipt of money owed to him dated

• Text page with marginal drawings relating to the fistula., Medical miscellany, including excerpts from Arderne's 'Extracta emoroidarum' (ff. 13-22v), 'Liber medicinarum' (ff. 22v-24 and 40-80), and 'Practica sive Fistula in ano' (ff. 24-40 and 107-109v)

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. Text page with marginal drawings John of Arderne (index Johannis de Arderne) England

• Foliate initial 'D'(omine) with a full border, at the beginning of Matins., Book of Hours, Use of Sarum

in a different hand (ff. 4-9v).'Oratio valde bona ad dicendum in mane' with a reading from John and a prayer 'Deprecor te, domina mea' omitted after readings from Luke, Matthew and Mark (ff. 64v-68) and added by the same hand

• Miniature of a woman with a crown-like halo, a cross, and a chalice with the eucharist, with a full border in gold and colours with all' antica elements, at the beginning of the text., Epistolae and various dialogues

Miniature of a woman with a crown-like halo, a cross, and a chalice with the eucharist, with a full border in gold and colours with all' antica elements, at the beginning of the text. f. [ii] is a former

• Miniature and full border in gold and colours with all' antica elements, at the beginning of the text., Epistolae and various dialogues

Miniature and full border in gold and colours with all' antica elements, at the beginning of the text. f. [ii] is a former pastedown.The letter concerning the death of Cardinal Theanensis (ff. 17-35v) was written in 1492.Vertical catchwords. Full

• Text page with a full floral border., Books Three and Five of the Canon of Avicenna in Hebrew translation of Nathan ha-Meati

Text page with a full floral border. Two unfoliated blank leaves after f. 212. Watermark, f. [214], unidentified.Colophon was partially erased and overwritten in [5]243, that is, 1483. Full floral border, in colours and gold (f. 209). Books Three

• Detail of a miniature of a peacock in a flask., Splendor Solis (an alchemical treatise) (index Splendor of the Sun)

of the Sun) Charles II, king of England (b. 1630, d. 1685): a manuscript answering to 3469 was seen by John Evelyn in the library of Charles II at Whitehall Palace, 2 Sept. 1680, being described by him as follows:

• Detail of a miniature of amorous couples drinking, reading, and playing music, from the lower border of the folio., Splendor Solis (an alchemical treatise) (index Splendor of the Sun)

of the Sun) Charles II, king of England (b. 1630, d. 1685): a manuscript answering to 3469 was seen by John Evelyn in the library of Charles II at Whitehall Palace, 2 Sept. 1680, being described by him as follows:

• Text page., Breviary, use of Sarum

before 1505 by Antonius Van Gavere (burgher of Bruges from 18th July 1458 and admitted into the Guild of St John the Evangelist in 1459; d. 1505): tooled inscription on the book cover, 'ob laudem xpristi librum hunc recte ligavi

• Miniature of a man warming himself by a fire, in a calendar page for December., Breviary, Use of Vallombrosa

Miniature of a man warming himself by a fire, in a calendar page for December. Damage done to the book by a Thames flood in the early 19th century (see S. C. Cockerell, ~The Book of Hours of Yolande

• Historiated initial of a man praying, at the beginning of Psalm 101., Breviary, Use of Vallombrosa

Historiated initial of a man praying, at the beginning of Psalm 101. Damage done to the book by a Thames flood in the early 19th century (see S. C. Cockerell, ~The Book of Hours of Yolande of Flanders: A

• Decorated initial 'E'(va) and border with leaves and foliate decoration., Meditationes, Soliloquia (ff. [28-74v]), and Manuale (ff. [74v-97v]); Liber Supputationum (suspiria) (ff. 97v-[114]); and various prayers or meditations

1897, d. 1977), businessman and book collector: his book-plate (inside upper cover); and manuscript number-plate 'HD M27' (first folio).The Henry Davis Gift of book-bindings was donated to the British Museum in 1968. Decorated initial Pseudo-Augustine; John of Fécamp Netherlands, N.

• Drawing of an interior space., Stimulus Conscientiae (Prick of Conscience); The Abbey of the Holy Ghost, and other devotional texts.

in red. Stimulus Conscientiae (Prick of Conscience); The Abbey of the Holy Ghost, and other devotional texts. 16th-century inscription 'Jhn John Danyell oethe this boke' (f. 26).16th-century inscriptions 'Roberte Holgate', or 'Robert Holgate' (ff. 93, 109v, 110).Cox Macro (b. 1683,

• Drawing of the world, with God wearing a crown above, Christ in Majesty, and the devil bound below., Tractatus de sphaera (index De sphera)

by Halliwell-Phillipps, using the Bridgewater fund (£12,000 bequeathed in 1829 by Francis Henry Egerton, 8th Earl of Bridgewater (b. 1756, d. 1829). The world Johannes de Sacro Bosco (index Johannes de Sacrobosco, Iohannes de Sacro Bosco, John de Sacrobosco) England

• White vine initial 'V'(rbis) combined with a white vine border and penwork, flowers and a coat of arms in a wreath forming a full border at the beginning of the text., Facta et dicta memorabilia

White vine initial 'V'(rbis) combined with a white vine border and penwork, flowers and a coat of arms in a wreath forming a full border at the beginning of the text. Beginning with a list of chapters (f. 1r-v).Leaf

• Partial border with birds and a leopard and an historiated initial 'D'(um) of Petrarch, holding a book., De remediis utriusque fortunae

Partial border with birds and a leopard and an historiated initial 'D'(um) of Petrarch, holding a book. f. [iv] is a former pastedown.There are 3 unfoliated ruled folios after f. 6*.The table of contents (ff. 1*-6*) is in a