. Although Julian Sharman, author of "The library of Mary Queen of Scots", judges the work to be "not one of much numismatic interest", he notes that, "This work has been pronounced to be one of the marvels of early wood-engraving." The book includes a total of 950 woodcut portraits. Many of the figures portrayed are of English origin. The images begin with Adam and Eve. In the preface, the publisher praises the work.