Missing pages of priceless missing Henry VIII–era manuscript finally found

A 600-year-old book, once owned by a personal attendant of King Henry VIII, is shedding light on the religious and political shifts of the Tudor court. The book, Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, was a popular religious text in the 15th century, emphasizing Catholic orthodoxy. John Gage, a devout Catholic and court official, preserved the book during Henry VIII’s dissolution of monasteries. The book remained in Gage’s family until it was sold in 1976 and later donated to Yale University. Recently, six missing pages were discovered in a collection of Gage family estate records, revealing more about the book’s history. This discovery highlights the complex religious dynamics of the Tudor era and the book’s role in identifying heresy. QUESTION: How might the discovery of historical artifacts like this book influence our understanding of past societies and their impact on the present?