Queen Elizabeth's book of Oxford

the long version

"Queen Elizabeth's Book of Oxford was made in 1566 as a gift for Queen Elizabeth I on the occasion of her first royal visit to Oxford. Though she received many gifts, this manuscript history of the University illustrated with exceptionally fine drawings must have been among the most remarkable. John Bereblock's fine and detailed illustrations are the first systematic visual record of the architecture of the University of Oxford and complement Thomas Neale's inventive text, constructed as an imaginary dialogue between the Queen and her favourite, the Earl of Leicester. In his role as Chancellor of the University, he acts as the Queen's guide on a 'virtual progress' around the buildings of the University, explaining the history of their foundation and recalling the fame of their founders."--Jacket.