• Initials with foliate decoration and pen drawing of a war machine., Illustrated miscellany of military treatises, including Athenaeus's 'De machinis' (ff. 1-8), Biton's 'De constructione machinarum bellicarum', imperfect (ff. 8-10), 'De velitatione bellica' once attributed to Nicephorus Phocas, imperfect (ff. 11v-21), and Leo VI's 'Tactica', imperfect (ff. 22-32v)

1608/10) of Crete, apparently at Venice in 1563 (see Andrés 1969; Gamillscheg and Harlfinger 1981).? Jean Hurault de Boistaillé (d. 1572 or 1582), French ambassador to Venice and Constantinople: possibly copied for him in Venice in 1562-1563 together with other

• null, Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of Old Testament history (ff. 69-73v)

his marginal annotations (e.g. f. 11)Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice (inscription '7899', f. 1, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7899): his London sale, 2

• null, Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of Old Testament history (ff. 69-73v)

his marginal annotations (e.g. f. 11)Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice (inscription '7899', f. 1, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7899): his London sale, 2

• Title page with coloured pen scrolling line fillers and ivy leaves, the display capitals in the alternating colours of blue, olive green, mauve, and pink, and gold initial 'A'(d) with white vine scroll decoration, of Augustine's City of God., De civitate dei (index City of God)

with the arms of the Donati family of Venice inside a wreath in the upper border and hanging from the outside border, and the arms possibly of the Capodilista family of Venice inside a wreath in the lower border (f.

• Illuminated initial 'I'(nterea) with red, green, and blue interlace; a full border of white vine scroll, with putti engaged in various activities, such as playing musical instruments or climbing the vines, and two heads in medallions in the upper corners at the beginning of the prologue of Augustine's City of God; the Donati family of Venice’s arms inside a wreath in the upper border and hanging from the outside border, and in the lower border, surrounded by a wreath with fruit and flowers, different arms of a lion rampant on an azure field and an eagle in the chief, crested with a crowned eagle’s head, possibly those of Capodilista family of Padua., De civitate dei (index City of God)

with the arms of the Donati family of Venice inside a wreath in the upper border and hanging from the outside border, and the arms possibly of the Capodilista family of Venice inside a wreath in the lower border (f.

• Decorated initial 'P'(receptis), and the Pinelli number '7899' in the upper left-hand corner., Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of Old Testament history (ff. 69-73v)

his marginal annotations (e.g. f. 11)Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice (inscription '7899', f. 1, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7899): his London sale, 2

• Decorated initials 'N'(eminem) and 'R'(ex); the lower margin with a note stating that from the creation of the world (5199 years before the birth of Christ) to the present is 6,434 years., Historia adversus paganos (ff. 1-68v), and an anonymous compilation of Old Testament history (ff. 69-73v)

his marginal annotations (e.g. f. 11)Maffeo Pinelli (d. 1785) of Venice (inscription '7899', f. 1, corresponding to his inventory number, see Iacobo Morelli, ~Bibliotheca Maphaei Pinellii Veneti~, 6 vols (Venice: Typis Palesii, 1787), III, no. 7899): his London sale, 2

• Headpiece and initial 'H'(Eta) with foliate decoration executed in reddish-brown, at the beginning of the homily for the third Sunday after Epiphany, or of the Publican and Pharisee., Homilies on the Gospels for each Sunday of the ecclesiastical year

the British Museum as part of Burney’s library from his son Charles Parr Burney in 1818. Decorated headpiece and initial Nikolaos Malaxos Nikolaos Malaxos Collected by Philotheos Kokkinos, Patriarch of Constantinople Venice Italy, N. E. (Venice) or Eastern Mediterranean (Crete)

• Drawing of a siege engine as described by Biton in De constructione bellicarum machinarum., De machinis (ff. 1-9), De constructione bellicarum machinarum (ff. 9v-16)

purchased by Burney: note (f. 359v).Charles Burney (b. 1757, d. 1817), D.D., classical scholar.Acquired by the British Museum as part of Burney’s library from his son Charles Parr Burney in 1818. Siege engine Athenaeus, Biton Venice Italy, N. E. (Venice)

• Miniature of Antonio Foscarini being presented to the Virgin and Child by (left to right) Anthony Abbot (bearded, in a hooded robe holding a staff), Nicholas of Bari (in bishop's robes, holding and three golden balls) and Bernardino of Siena (holding Christ's monogram IHS), in a zoomorphic cartouche made up of two sphinxes. Below the winged lion of Mark (symbolising Venice), the inscription in gold square capitals 'Nos Leonardus Lau / redanus Dei Gratia / Dux / Venetiarum et cae', and the Foscarini arms, or a bend lozengy azure. The whole on a ground decorated with scrolling foliage and classical armour within a painted frame. On the recto, a small decorated initial ‘C’ in colours and gold, beginning the text ‘Comittimus tibi nobili viro An / tonio fuschareno dilecto civi / [et] fideli nostro qui in bona gratia vadas et sis / Capitaneus Ripperi[a]e Brixiensis et Provisor / Salodii…’., Leaf of a Doge's Commission (index commissione dogale) from Leonardo Loredan to Antonio Foscarini as capitano of the Riviera of Brescia and provisor of Salò

1855, lot 2249/1 (f. 3v); lot purchased for £3 18s by the British Museum, according to an annotated Western Manuscripts departmental copy of the sale catalogue. Commission from Leonardo Loredan to Antonio Foscarini Benedetto Bordon Venice Italy, N. E. (Venice)

• Detail of a miniature illustrating book V of Virgil's Aenied, with the Sicilian games, including archery, wrestling with poles, and racing, and in the background, the burning of the Trojan fleet., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues)(ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics)(ff. 17-58), with argumenta; Aeneis (index Aeneid)(ff. 58v-244v), with argumenta and verse preface, omitting 2:567-588 ('The King's Virgil')

of an apostolic protonotary, his device of a lamb (ff. 1, 17, 59). ? Probably Zaccaria Sagredo (b. 1653, d. Venice, 1729), Venetian collector of paintings, prints and drawings, purchased for 2,000 Venetian lire, and sold to Smith: 18th-century inscription

• Detail of a miniature of several episodes from book IV of Virgil's Aeneid: on the right, the hunt during which Dido and Aeneas meet; on the left, Dido and Aeneas ride into a cave together, and in the middle of the image, Dido is on her funeral pyre, committing suicide after the departure of Aeneas., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues)(ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics)(ff. 17-58), with argumenta; Aeneis (index Aeneid)(ff. 58v-244v), with argumenta and verse preface, omitting 2:567-588 ('The King's Virgil')

of an apostolic protonotary, his device of a lamb (ff. 1, 17, 59). ? Probably Zaccaria Sagredo (b. 1653, d. Venice, 1729), Venetian collector of paintings, prints and drawings, purchased for 2,000 Venetian lire, and sold to Smith: 18th-century inscription

• Detail of a miniature of Aeneas with the Sibyl at the entrance to the Underworld; with Charon in his boat and Cerberus at the gate at the beginning of book VI of Virgi's Aeneid., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues)(ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics)(ff. 17-58), with argumenta; Aeneis (index Aeneid)(ff. 58v-244v), with argumenta and verse preface, omitting 2:567-588 ('The King's Virgil')

of an apostolic protonotary, his device of a lamb (ff. 1, 17, 59). ? Probably Zaccaria Sagredo (b. 1653, d. Venice, 1729), Venetian collector of paintings, prints and drawings, purchased for 2,000 Venetian lire, and sold to Smith: 18th-century inscription

• Miniature illustrating book VII of Virgil's Aeneid, with Ascanius wounding the stag in the foreground, as the Trojans feast on the shore, and the Trojan fleet in the background and decorated initial 'T'(u)., Bucolica (index Bucolics, Eclogues)(ff. 1-16v); Georgica (index Georgics)(ff. 17-58), with argumenta; Aeneis (index Aeneid)(ff. 58v-244v), with argumenta and verse preface, omitting 2:567-588 ('The King's Virgil')

of an apostolic protonotary, his device of a lamb (ff. 1, 17, 59). ? Probably Zaccaria Sagredo (b. 1653, d. Venice, 1729), Venetian collector of paintings, prints and drawings, purchased for 2,000 Venetian lire, and sold to Smith: 18th-century inscription

• Tinted drawing of Rotokritos disclosing his love for Aretusa to Polidoros., Erotokritos, romance in 15-syllable rhymed couplets, prededed by a table of contents (ff. 1-8)

2004, xi-xii.Old pagination '1-509' (ff. 20-263), omits pp. '191-192' excised after f. 104. Watermark: 3 Crescents.The text was printed in Venice by Antonio Bortoli in 1713 from a manuscript no longer extant (see ~Summary Catalogue~ 1999). One tinted drawing (f.

• Partial foliate border inhabited by birds, at the beginning of the book., Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel (ff. 1v-142v); portion of Shaar Etz Hayyim by Benjamin Anaw (f. 143)

to Edward Heawood, ~Watermarks~ (Monumenta Chartae Papyraceae Historiam Illustrantia, I) (Hilversum: Paper Publication Society, 1950), no. 874 but without inscription (Venice, 1783). Watermark, f. [146] of a letter V, unidentified.Recipe for making ink (f. 145). 2 partial foliate borders inhabited

• Foliate scroll and a dragon next to the chapter title, at the chapter 10 on disgrace., Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel (ff. 1v-142v); portion of Shaar Etz Hayyim by Benjamin Anaw (f. 143)

to Edward Heawood, ~Watermarks~ (Monumenta Chartae Papyraceae Historiam Illustrantia, I) (Hilversum: Paper Publication Society, 1950), no. 874 but without inscription (Venice, 1783). Watermark, f. [146] of a letter V, unidentified.Recipe for making ink (f. 145). 2 partial foliate borders inhabited

• Two dragons with their neck intertwined around the chapter title, at chapter 14 on mercifulness., Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel (ff. 1v-142v); portion of Shaar Etz Hayyim by Benjamin Anaw (f. 143)

to Edward Heawood, ~Watermarks~ (Monumenta Chartae Papyraceae Historiam Illustrantia, I) (Hilversum: Paper Publication Society, 1950), no. 874 but without inscription (Venice, 1783). Watermark, f. [146] of a letter V, unidentified.Recipe for making ink (f. 145). 2 partial foliate borders inhabited

• Foliate scroll and a dragon next to the chapter title, at chapter 15 on good name., Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel (ff. 1v-142v); portion of Shaar Etz Hayyim by Benjamin Anaw (f. 143)

to Edward Heawood, ~Watermarks~ (Monumenta Chartae Papyraceae Historiam Illustrantia, I) (Hilversum: Paper Publication Society, 1950), no. 874 but without inscription (Venice, 1783). Watermark, f. [146] of a letter V, unidentified.Recipe for making ink (f. 145). 2 partial foliate borders inhabited

• Foliate scroll around the author's colophon., Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel (ff. 1v-142v); portion of Shaar Etz Hayyim by Benjamin Anaw (f. 143)

to Edward Heawood, ~Watermarks~ (Monumenta Chartae Papyraceae Historiam Illustrantia, I) (Hilversum: Paper Publication Society, 1950), no. 874 but without inscription (Venice, 1783). Watermark, f. [146] of a letter V, unidentified.Recipe for making ink (f. 145). 2 partial foliate borders inhabited