Elgar's baton is also on display at the cathedral

Pages from the Canterbury Tales and the first printed English translation of the Bible, as well as King John's will, are included in the display.

A baton belonging to Worcestershire composer Sir Edward Elgar, which he handed over to the cathedral after a concert in 1917, is also on show.

The items are on display until Friday in the cathedral's medieval library.

'Rare opportunity'

King John, who died in 1216, was one of the most controversial kings of England and is known for signing the Magna Carta.

A cathedral spokesman said King John's will was particularly significant because his tomb is in the cathedral.

"His will states that he wanted to be buried in Worcester and that he left his fortune to his sons with some of it going to the poor and religious houses."

Extracts from the first printed editions of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and John Wycliffe's translation of the bible, both from the early 15th Century, are usually locked away.

Janet Sinclair, the cathedral's deputy steward, said the display gives visitors a chance to find out more about the library.

"It is a rare opportunity to find out the secrets of the medieval library. Some of them (the manuscripts) date back to Anglo Saxon times and are in their original bindings."