William Cecil, later Baron Burghley, and Elizabeth I's chief minister, entered St John's in 1535, and stayed for six years before embarking on his political career.

Gold-stamped crest of Thomas Egerton, Baron Ellesmere and Viscount Brackley, from a volume containing three works on French administrative and feudal law (all 1610) by Charles Loyseau. The volume also contains a dedicatory inscription to Egerton from John Williams. Egerton was successively Solicitor-General, Attorney-General, Lord Keeper, and Lord Chancellor for Elizabeth I.

A contemporary edition of John Fisher's Treatyse concernynge the fruytfull sayenges of Dauyd the kynge and prophete in the seuen penytencyall psalmes, deuyded in seuen sermons (London: Wynkyn de Worde, 1529), bound for the diplomatist and governo

This copy of the complete works of the leading Reformation theologian Philipp Melanchthon (printed 1562-64) bears extensive manuscript passages in Latin and Greek, dated 1564, on its endpapers and fly-leaves. These were inscribed by various of his pupils at Wittenberg University.

Bookplate of Henry Francis Lyte, author of such hymns as Praise, my soul, the king of heaven and Abide with me, from a volume of 17th century sermons by William Jenkyn. Lyte's extensive library of theology and early English poetry was sold over seventeen days in London.

Given by Francis Puryer White.

A volume containing two incunabula, both theological works printed in the 1480s, with a binding that has been repeatedly stamped with the motto "En gre" or "In good part". This was apparently the motto of the martyrologist John Foxe, whose signature also appears on the first leaf. The Library also contains a volume with a dedicatory epistle to Elizabeth I signed by Foxe.

Gilt armorial bookstamp and title-page inscription indicating that this volume of Oecumenius of Tricca's works (1532) formed part of the Library of Leonor d'Etampes de Valencay, Bishop of Chartres, and later Archbishop of Rheims.

An inscription of Thomas Cranmer, reformer and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Edward VI, and burnt by Mary I, reading 'Thomas Cantuarien.' (i.e. Thomas of Canterbury). The inscription appears at the head of the title page of both volumes of a 16th cent.

Italian brown morocco binding with gold-tooled design incorporating the arms of Pope Clement X (1670-1676), and decorative book-clasps. From a copy of an Italian translation of the Imitatio Christi (Rome, 1675).

Two of four items bearing donative inscriptions to the influential Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger.