Copied by a single scribe. Copied and decorated in Low Countries (perhaps at Antwerp), or in England, by artisans working in Netherlandish style; not part of Netherlands court complex. Produced for Henry VIII, King of England, and his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Apparently commissioned by 'P O' (inscription on f. 1), possibly identifiable with Petrus de Opitiis, father of Benedictus, who evidently had contacts with court of Emperor Maximilian I; Benedictus de Opitiis moved from Antwerp to London in 1516 to become organist at court of Henry VIII. HugheCM suggests (less plausibly) that 'P O' may be William Peto (d. 1558), a Franciscan Observant friar who became tutor and confessor to Princess Mary. Manuscript eventually incorporated in Old Royal Library, which passed to newly founded British Museum in 1757.

New covers of white parchment on wooden boards, with gold decoration front and back, date from 1757

black void mensural.

On ff. 2'-3, bassus and contratenor of motet, 'Salve radix vários' (see above), each notated in circular format, with painted Tudor rose within each circle; formula for deriving an additional canonic voice appears at top of each page. Inscription on f. 1: 'Me fieri ac componi fecit P O [initials connected at top by inverted 'V' surmounted by inverted 'T'] 1516.'

New pencil foliation, 1-17

Flemish style painted initials, gold on orange, blue, and green grounds; inked calligraphic initials. Elaborate full-page miniature on f. 2, style resembling Ghent-Bruges illumination, symbolizes royal house of Tudor and its offspring. Miniature also contains two allegorical texts praising royal dynasty: 'Psallite felices,' in honor of Henry VIII (= text for Sampson motet on ff. 3'-9); 'Salve radix vários,' perhaps celebrating birth of Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, in 1516 (= text for motet on ff. 2'-3).

Paper and parchment

7 motets

Opitiis-1, Sampson-2, anon-4

ii paper + 17 parchment + ii paper folios, 490 x 355. New pencil foliation, 1-17. New covers of white parchment on wooden boards, with gold decoration front and back, date from 1757. No index. Copied by a single scribe. Flemish style painted initials, gold on orange, blue, and green grounds; inked calligraphic initials. Elaborate full-page miniature on f. 2, style resembling Ghent-Bruges illumination, symbolizes royal house of Tudor and its offspring. Miniature also contains two allegorical texts praising royal dynasty: "Psallite felices," in honor of Henry VIII (= text for Sampson motet on ff. 3'-9); "Salve radix vários," perhaps celebrating birth of Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, in 1516 (= text for motet on ff. 2'-3).

On ff. 2'-3, bassus and contratenor of motet, "Salve radix vários" (see above), each notated in circular format, with painted Tudor rose within each circle; formula for deriving an additional canonic voice appears at top of each page. Inscription on f. 1: "Me fieri ac componi fecit P O [initials connected at top by inverted "V" surmounted by inverted "T"] 1516."

1516 (inscription on f. 1). Copied and decorated in Low Countries (perhaps at Antwerp), or in England, by artisans working in Netherlandish style; not part of Netherlands court complex. Produced for Henry VIII, King of England, and his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Apparently commissioned by "P O" (inscription on f. 1), possibly identifiable with Petrus de Opitiis, father of Benedictus, who evidently had contacts with court of Emperor Maximilian I; Benedictus de Opitiis moved from Antwerp to London in 1516 to become organist at court of Henry VIII. HugheCM suggests (less plausibly) that "P O" may be William Peto (d. 1558), a Franciscan Observant friar who became tutor and confessor to Princess Mary. Manuscript eventually incorporated in Old Royal Library, which passed to newly founded British Museum in 1757.

We are grateful to Dr Nicolas Bell for providing us with an updated bibliography for this MS.