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4. Benjamin Cosyn's Virginal Book. This fine folio volume, like the last-mentioned collection, is the property of Her Majesty, and is preserved at Buckingham Palace. The binding is of English workmanship, and contemporary with the MS. It consists of calf with gold tooling. The letters 'B. C.' are stamped both on the front and the back, and part of the tooling has been stamped above the letters 'M. O.'—probably the initials of an earlier owner. The book has been shut by brass clasps, but these are now broken off. At the beginning is an index, divided into 'A Table of these Lessons followinge made and sett forth by Ben Cos,' 'A Table of these Lessons followinge made by Mr. Docter Bull,' 'A Table of these Lessons following made by Mr. Or. Gibbons,' 'These lessons following are made by Tallis and Byrd,' after which comes a list of six services contained in the same volume, at the end of which is written 'These are y$e$ six services for the Kings Royall Chappell.' The same page also contains 'A Catch of 9 parts in one,' 'Let us goe pray for John Cook's soul,' and 'A Table of all these lessons generally contained in this Booke are in Nomber: 96. By me Beniamin Cosyn Right owner of this Booke.' Hawkins (History, vol. iii. p. 421) says that Benjamin Cosyn was 'a famous composer of lessons for the harpsichord, and probably an excellent performer on that instrument,' that he flourished about the year 1600, and that 'there are many of his lessons extant that seem in no respect inferior to those of Bull.' The last statement looks as if Hawkins had been acquainted with the Virginal Book, for many of the lessons in it against which Cosyn's name appears, are undoubtedly the compositions of Bull and of other authors: indeed it is probable that further research would show that Cosyn had very little to do with any of the compositions in the book. His name is found in no other collection, and who he was is not known. A John Cosyn is mentioned by Anthony à Wood (Bodleian Library, Wood, 19 D. (4) 10b) as organist of Charterhouse.

The following is a complete list of the contents of the volume: as the old pagination is in places irregular, the pages have been numbered freshly. The titles in the index are sometimes different from those in the body of the book: when these variations occur, they have been noted in the last column:—