Clearly divided in two parts: the first, carefully written and with a concern for clarity and coherence of contents, always by the same scribe; the second clearly with much less concern with visual presentation and handwriting; it is possible to find three more hands, different from the one in the first section: one ff. 61v to 80r and 98v-103; a second one ff. 81v-87r and a third one ff. 87v-98r. Fols. 75v-76r consist of four part-book format folios for each of four voice parts pasted onto the existing folios. From the Monastery of Santa Maria, Arouca.

Some folios show signs of exposure to humidity (guard leaf and ff. 1v-16r); torn folios (guard-leaf and folio 1r); ink corrosion in the second half of the book (especially between ff. 62v-87v)

Covers of light brown skiver

4: Trefoil/ellipse/bifoil (guard-leaf)~Gravell SPH.007.01, Heawood 3839, 3840, Melo nº 114; Fleur-de-lis/crown (f. 4r)~ 1627, 1629; “Pilgrim”~ P-Cug MM 8, MM 26, P-Ln L.C. 57 (Rees: 1995: 387, 396, 437) (f. 68r); trefoil/ellipse/bifoil/letters (added bifolium)~Heawood 3809, Melo nº117

Latin voice names in some of the items until folio 60r. ff. 2v-3r: “este mesmo verso se segue singello”; f. 3r: “seis dedos”; f. 5r: “hum dedo”; f. 12v: “Seguesse outro a cinquo”; f.13r: “outro a cinquo'; f. 15r “Hymnus”; f. 16r: “Hymnus” f. 16v-: “Hymnus”; f. 17v: “Tonus69”; f. 18f: “Tonus sextus”; f. 20r: “Altus tacet”; f. 24r: “primus tonus”; f. 25v: “tenor tacet”; f. 30r: “seis dedos no baixão”; f. 35r: “a 4”; f. 45v: “Sobre O gram senhora”; f. 60r: “mea mão no baixão”; ff. 70v e 71 r: “a seis”; ff. 72v- 73r: “a 4”; f. 73r: “primeiro falsete”; f. 87v: “este verso he deste magnificat atras”; f. 92v (ad.) “Bns das trevas”; f. 92v (ad.) “o?? Donde acaba o verso”; 93r: “por este verso se digam todosos mais do Bns acrescentando ou diminuindo mais ou menos pontos conforme o pedir a letra'; f. 93r: “na primeira contra baxa quinto trasto”; f. 92v-93r (ad.): “Ladainha pª sabbado mayor de Pascua; f.97r: “primeira corda segundo trasto”; f. 100v: “sup. ig. :A 4”; f.101r: “tempera por lamire; tange por ffau[t]”

black viod mensural

i+103+i. The number sequence is complete, although there are signs of torn folios in the two final gatherings

No illuminations; Initials with decorative designs. Some are richly decorated: initials in red with elaborate filigree designs; drawings of several motifs of Nature are drawn in the heading of each voice (flowers in the Superius Primus and Tenor, a bird in the Altus)

paper