Add MS 40657-40661

COMPOSITIONS for two, three, four, five and six viols, in parts, in the hand of William Lawes (d. 1645), by composers of the 16th and 17th centuries, including, in addition to Lawes himself, Thomas Lupo, [Robert ?] Chetwoode, Thomas Holmes, John Cooper al. Coprario al. Coperario, Nicholas Guy, John Ward, Thomas Ford, Simon Ive al. Ives, Alfonso Ferrabosco, Dr. John Bull, and William White. In additidn the MSS. contain arrangements for viols of madrigals by Claudio Monteverde, Luca Marenzio, Orazio Vecchi, and Benedetto Pallavicino. Five volumes, containing respectively the Cantus (Vol. I), Alto (Vol. II), Tenor (Vol. III), Bassus (Vol. IV) and Quintus (Vol. V); the sixth vol., containing the Sextus, is wanting. In Vol. V some hymn-tunes in two parts have been copied on ff. 16 b-24 in an early 19th cent. hand. Paper; ff. 50, 50, 35, 50, 35. Small folio. Early xvii cent. (except Vol. V, ff. 16 b-24; see above). Contemporary bindings of brown calf, each stamped on both covers with book-stamp bearing the arms of the Shirley family of Staunton Harrold (cf. E. P. Shirley, Stemmata Shirleiana, 1873, pp. 101, 117). Belonged to Baroness Burdett-Coutts (sale-cat., 16 May 1922, lot 336).