Copied by four scribes, all on the same type of paper made in Northern France in the late 15th or early 16th century. The main scribe (‘Scribe I’) began by copying what are now gatherings XI (ff. 79–86) and XIII (ff. 95–102) as well as a number of other gatherings now lost. In a second campaign, he copied the rest of the first section (ff. 1–78, 87–94), but still leaving the compilation incomplete with pieces left incomplete and a number of blank openings. Scribe II acted as subsequent editor, joining the existing gatherings by partially or wholly recopying ff. 22', 78', and 94' and correcting a number of errors made by Scribe I. He also added a section of his own (ff. l03–132). Both phases together are likely dateable to ca. 1505–1513 (Rifkin 2012). At some later point, but still in the sixteenth century, Scribe III added two pieces on a previously blank opening (ff. 92'–93) and an added bifolium (ff. 133'–134); Scribe IV added two further pieces on blank openings (ff. 113'–115).

Erroneously assumed by Edward Lowinsky to have been made in London in 1533, as a wedding gift for Queen Anne Boleyn by Mark Smeton, a musician at the English royal court (Lowinsky 1969 and 1970), but now universally acknowledged to be French in origin for codicological, paeleographical and repertorial reasons, given the nature of its contents probably in the environs of the French Royal court.

According to Lisa Urkevich, originally made for Louise of Savoy or Marguerite d’Angoulême and then repurposed as a gift for Anne Boleyn (Urkevich 2011); more recently, Michael O’Conner has proposed a connection to Anne of Brittany (O’Conner 2017); but these links remain speculative. The inscription 'Mris A Bolleyne nowe thus' on f. 79 indicates that the book must have come into Anne’s ownership no later than 1529 (after which she was no longer styled ‘mistress’), possibly during her own sojourn in France between 1514 and 1521; some of the later additions show traces of English notational practice so they are likely to date from a time when it was already in her possession.

Nothing is known of the later history of the book until 1854 when Robert William Haynes acquired it from the bookseller William Pickering for the Sacred Harmonic Society of London. Library of latter purchased for newly founded Royal College of Music in 1883.

Until 2016 bound in a late-nineeenth-century binding with covers of brown leather over pasteboard; spine with inscription 'MOTETS. 16TH CENT.' tooled in gold. Original gathering structure restored and rebound by Sonja Schwoll in 2016/17, decorated leather over pasteboard.

All folios except last have watermark resembling but not identical to Briquet #8416–18; last folio has watermark resembling Briquet #10794

Inscription on f. 79: 'Mris A Bolleyne nowe thus', followed by musical motto of three minims and a longa. Inscriptions on f. 116' : 'Tuo te pede metire’ (from Erasmus’ Adagia); ‘Nosce teipsum ut noris quam sit tibi curta suppellex' (from Persius’ Satire).

Inscription on f. 134': 'This MSS. is about 250 years old.' Below this, a different hand has written: 'that is in the year 1540.'

black void mensural

New pencil foliation, 1-134; new pencil pagination, 1-268

Ff. 1'-21 contain decorated initials for all voices, drawn in dark brown ink (fainter towards the end of the series) against blue and red backgrounds. They display acanthus leaves that are French in shape and movement, pruned tree trunks and branches, hybrids, masks, a siren etc. The way the initials and miniatures are shaped and executed shows an influence from woodcuts and engravings used in printed books from the same period (Airaksinen-Monier in Facsimile 2017). Ff. 92'-93 and 113' have inked calligraphic initials. Smaller plain initials for some voices on ff. 23'-24, 40', and 118'-121. Space left on most other folios for decorative initials, but initials never added.

We are grateful to Dr Nicolas Bell for providing us with an updated bibliography for this MS and to Thomas Schmidt for providing an updated description based on the facsimile edition of 2017.

39 motets (2 without text), 3 French secular pieces = 42

(Brumel)-3, (Compère)-3, (Craen/C. Festa/A. Fevin/Josquin/Morales)-1, (A. Févin)-2, (A. Fevin/Therache)-1, (Gascongne)-1, (Gascongne/Mouton)-1, Josquin-10, (Josquin/Mouton)-2, (La Rue/Sermisy)-1, (Moulu/Mouton)-1, (Mouton)-4, Obrecht [Jac. obreth]-1, anon-11

ii + 134 + ii paper folios, 287 x 190. New pencil foliation, 1-134; new pencil pagination, 1-268. Blank staves only on ff. 1, 21'-22, 23, 38'-40, 46'-47, 62'-63, 73'-78, 91'-92, 93'-94, 103, 115'-117, 132'-133, 134' (except for inscriptions on f. 116' and f. 134'; see below). Original covers of brown leather over pasteboard; new spine, with inscription "MOTETS. 16TH CENT." tooled in gold. No index.

Scribe I copied ff. l'-21, 23'-38, 40'-46, 47'-62, 63'-73, 79-91, 95-102'; scribe II copied ff. 22', 78', 94', l03'-113, 117'-132; scribe III copied ff. 92'-93, 133'134; scribe IV copied ff. 113'-115. Ff. l'-21 have initials incorporating human faces and figures, flowers, fruits, foliage, animals, fish, monsters, etc., drawn in ink, tinted with blue or red wash, now faded. Ff. 92'-93 and 113' have inked calligraphic initials. Smaller plain initials for some voices on ff. 23'-24, 40', and 118'-121. Space left on most other folios for decorative initials, but initials never added. All folios except last have watermark similar to Briquet #8418; last folio has watermark resembling Briquet #10794.

Inscription on f. 79: "Mris A Bolleyne nowe thus," followed by musical motto of three minims and a longa. Inscription on f. 116' : "Tuo te pede metire. Nosce teipsum ut noris quam sit tibi curta suppellex." Inscription on f. 134'; "This MSS. is about 250 years old." Below this, a different hand has written: "that is in the year 1540."

1533-6 (LowMB); ca. 1510-5 (NowackiPM). Copied in London, as gift for Queen Anne Boleyn; the main scribe, editor, and donor may have been Mark Smeton, a musician at the English royal court (LowMB). Copied in France (NobleMM); not originally prepared as a gift for Anne (NowackiPM). Owned in 19th century by Robert William Haynes and Sacred Harmonic Society of London. Library of latter purchased for newly founded Royal College of Music in 1883.