• Historiated initial 'R' with Richard II, combined with a full foliate bar border, at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

in 1753 to the nation for £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. Richard II England

• Historiated initial 'H' with Henry IV, combined with a full foliate bar border, at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Text page., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Historiated initial 'A' with Henry VI, combined with a full foliate bar border, at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Puzzle initial 'N'(umquid) with pen-flourished decoration at the beginning of 'Ordinarium sive Alphabetum vitae religiosae'., Opera (index Works), imperfect at the end

(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. Puzzle initial 'I.M.' and other scribes I.M. John of Wales

• Historiated initial with king Edward III (r. 1327-1377) combined with a full foliate bar border at the beginning of his statutes., Nova Statuta (index Statuta Angliae, Statute book, Statutes of England), for the reign of Edward III (r. 1327-1377)(ff. 11-140v), Richard II (r. 1377-1399)(ff. 141-218), Henry IV (r. 1399-1413)(ff. 219-265v), Henry V (r. 1413-1422) (ff. 265v-289v), to 15 Henry VI (r. 1422-1461, 1470-1471)(ff. 289v-338v)

of the last leaf of the quire).All historiated initials were painted by the same artist except that of Henry IV (f. 219). It seems to have been written and decorated in one campaign, probably around 1436, as the rest

• Historiated initial 'D' or 'O' of Christ Disputing with the Merchants. The robe of the figure to the right is inscribed 'A. P. S. VITV. SI?S'., Cutting from an Antiphoner (index antiphonary, antiphonal)

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Robert Lehman Collection (see Pia Palladino, ~Treasures of a Lost Art: Italian Manuscript Painting of the Middle Ages and Renaissance~ (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003), cat. no. 52a); New York, The

• Puzzle initial 'E'(dwardus) at the beginning of a register of briefs., Registrum brevium, from the reign of Edward III to Henry V

1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near Buckingham.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1797, d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham

• Illuminated initial 'M' at the beginning of a chartulary for Higham Ferrers., Cartulary of the College of Sts Mary, Thomas the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor, at Higham Ferrers

d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham Place, Sussex.Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1840, d. 1913), 5th earl of Ashburnham: purchased by the

• Decorated initial 'H'(ec) at the beginning of a chartulary for Higham Ferrers., Cartulary of the College of Sts Mary, Thomas the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor, at Higham Ferrers

d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham Place, Sussex.Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1840, d. 1913), 5th earl of Ashburnham: purchased by the

• Illuminated and decorated initials 'M' and 'H' at the beginning of a chartulary for Higham Ferrers., Cartulary of the College of Sts Mary, Thomas the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor, at Higham Ferrers

d. 1861), 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos: sold in 1849 to Lord Ashburnham. Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1797, d. 1878), 4th earl of Ashburnham, of Ashburnham Place, Sussex.Bertram Ashburnham (b. 1840, d. 1913), 5th earl of Ashburnham: purchased by the

• Puzzle initial 'N' at the beginning of a chronicle., Chronicle from Noah to Henry IV, and a list of kings from William I to Henry VI (f. 71r-v)

at an auction of the Books of P. C. Webb . . . March 1771 for uuue. J Lowes' (f. 1).J. Lowes: see inscription above.Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (b. 1776, d. 1839), 1st duke of Buckingham and Chandos, of Stowe House, near

• Large display script in alternating colours of red, green and blue on each line, with portions of penwork decoration in colours, and in the upper margin, the inscription 'Liber Guilielmi Tyllotson clerici Ao 1592'., De civitate Dei (index City of God), fragment

in alternating colours of red, green and blue on each line. Portions of penwork decoration in colours and gold. De civitate Dei (index City of God), fragment ? William Flower (b. 1497/8, d. 1588), herald, Norroy King of Arms, and

• Decorated initial 'O'(mnipotens) with pen-flourishing, and 15th-century ownership inscription added in the margin stating that the manuscript once belonged to the chapel of St Giles near Brompton-on-Swale, but now belongs to the chantry of St Giles in the chapel of St John the Evangelist at Ravensworth castle., Liturgical texts including Offices, masses, etc., with a York calendar (index Breviary)

1753 to the nation for £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 and ownership

• Detail of an illuminated initial 'S'(atis) with a marginal extension forming a partial border containing hybrids, at the beginning of the De humanitate Verbi contra gentes of Athanasius., Theological treatises

14th century (ff. 1*, 132).Antonio Beccaria of Verona, translated and perhaps written by him for Humfrey [or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester (b. 1390, d. 1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron, duke of Gloucester from 1414, after he became

• Text page., Theological treatises

14th century (ff. 1*, 132).Antonio Beccaria of Verona, translated and perhaps written by him for Humfrey [or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester (b. 1390, d. 1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron, duke of Gloucester from 1414, after he became

• Illuminated initial 'P'(auli) with a hybrid and a mask., Theological treatises

14th century (ff. 1*, 132).Antonio Beccaria of Verona, translated and perhaps written by him for Humfrey [or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester (b. 1390, d. 1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron, duke of Gloucester from 1414, after he became

• Ownership inscriptions of Humfrey, duke of Gloucester, reading 'Cest livre est a moy Homfrey duc de / Gloucestre le quel Jay fait translater / de grec en latyn par Antoyne de Becaria / Veroneys mon serviteur.', Theological treatises

14th century (ff. 1*, 132).Antonio Beccaria of Verona, translated and perhaps written by him for Humfrey [or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester (b. 1390, d. 1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron, duke of Gloucester from 1414, after he became

• Illuminated Initial 'R'(erum) with a dragon, and hybrid holding a kettle and a sword, at the beginning of the Contra gentes of Athanasius., Theological treatises

14th century (ff. 1*, 132).Antonio Beccaria of Verona, translated and perhaps written by him for Humfrey [or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester (b. 1390, d. 1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron, duke of Gloucester from 1414, after he became

• Illuminated initial 'S'(atis) with a marginal extension forming a partial border containing hybrids, at the beginning of the De humanitate Verbi contra gentes of Athanasius., Theological treatises

14th century (ff. 1*, 132).Antonio Beccaria of Verona, translated and perhaps written by him for Humfrey [or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester (b. 1390, d. 1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron, duke of Gloucester from 1414, after he became