The bookplate of William Bell Scott, artist and poet, associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, and especially the Rossettis, from an 1825 gift book.

Given by Ralph Hare Griffin.

The leather bookplate of Sir Arthur John Dorman, founder of a steel making firm which became a major armaments supplier during the First World War. It is to be found in five contemporary editions of the works of John Dryden held by the Library.

Gift of Arthur Guy Lee.

The autograph of one of St John's most famous alumni at the top of the title-page of Samuel Chandler's History of persecution (1736). This is one of only a few items in the Library that once belonged to the Lakeland poet.

Gift of George Ash Butterton.

Bookplate of Horace Walpole, politician and author of the first English gothic novel, The castle of Otranto, from a 1712 edition of Theophrastus.

The gold-stamped arms of the French writer Tallemant des Reaux appear on both the cover and the spine of this French edition of the Imitatio Christi (1640).

The signature of Thomas Shadwell appears here written next to the name of John Dryden at the end of the preface to one of his plays The kind keeper, or, Mr. Limberham (1680). Shadwell was poet laureate from 1688 to 1692, and also wrote dramatic works.

Sir Thomas Hoby matriculated at St John's in 1545, but left two years later, without taking a degree, in order to travel. A convinced protestant, he spent some time with the reformer Martin Bucer and avoided returning to England under Mary I. His most notable achievement was his English translation of Castiglione's Il cortegiano (The courtier), which proved highly influential both in terms of standards of etiquette and literary style.

Gold-stamped bookplate of John Drinkwater, poet and playwright, as well as founder member of the Birmingham Repertory Company. From J. Cleaveland revived, a work by the 17th century English humorist (1660).

St John's holds three volumes (including a 17th-century edition of Aristotle, and the works of Juan Luis Vives, printed 1555) which bear

Almost lost among a riot of other scribbles and flourishes the autograph of John Donne, the metaphysical poet, appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the title-page to this edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses (Cambridge, 1584).