I received very comprehensive answers from Stewart McCoy and Arthur Ness which I think made it on the list (unless I misunderstand your question). Here is the summary:
What you have is the facsimile edition of the lute book copied by Mikulás Smala z Lebensdorf (Nickolaus Schmall of Lebensdorf), scribe for Jaroslav Borita, Baron of Martinic (1589-1649), a participant in the "Defenstration of Prague." (Protestants invaded the Prague Castle in 1618 and threw Jaroslave and two companions out the Chancellery window. All three surivived the fall. Catholics claimed it was a divine miracle. The Protestants claimed they fell on a pile of horse dung.) This is really a carefully and professionally copied lute book and the ciphers are quite legible, once you become accustomed to the shapes of the letters. There is a lute fingerboard depicted on folio 37v which shows the tablature ciphers, and their shapes in relation to the frets and courses. The book was compiled for Baron Borita and the pieces are of moderate difficllty, and consist of many popular dances and songs of the time. >Hi Daniel, > >which book or Manuscript is the basis of your edition? > >Best wishes >Thomas > >Am Mit, 2004-06-02 um 12.58 schrieb Daniel Shoskes: >
