LADY NEVILL'S MUSIC-BOOK: MODE OF READING THE ANCIENT VIRGINAL MUSIC.
(Vol. vii., p. 59.)
The index to Lady Nevill's Music-book, printed by your correspondent L. B. L., was made known to the public in 1789, in the third volume of Dr. Burney's History of Music. In addition to the information given in "N. & Q.," the doctor adds:
"Besides the great number of Bird's compositions for keyed instruments, which are preserved in the Virginal book of Queen Elizabeth (now in the Fitzwilliam Museum), another manuscript collection of his pieces still subsists, under the title of Lady Nevil's Music-book. It is a thick quarto, very splendidly bound and gilt, with the family arms beautifully emblazoned and illuminated on the first page, and the initials H. N. at the lowest left-hand corner."—P. 91.
The MS. in question was the property of Dr. Burney, at whose sale, in 1814, it was purchased for 10l. 10s. by Mr. Thomas Jones, of Nottingham Place. At the sale of the latter, about ten years afterwards, it was bought by Triphook, the bookseller, and by him sold to Lord Abergavenny. I remember seeing the book when in Triphook's possession, since which time I had lost sight of it, until the notice by L. B. L. in your pages.
Mr. Thomas Jones was a well-known musical antiquary, and possessed many rare treasures in this department. One of the most important was the original MS. of Lady Nevill's Music-book, in the handwriting of William Byrd the composer. This valuable relic is now in my library.
John Baldwine, the person who made the splendid copy for the use of Lady Nevill, was a singular character. I have some materials for his biography which may one day see the light. He was a poet in his own time, and wrote a metrical
account of famous musicians. The latter part, which I extract from the MS. now before me, relates to the composer of Lady Nevill's Music-book:
"An Englishe man, by name William Birde, for his skill,