The Henry VIII Manuscript contributes considerably to our critical understanding of the connections between poetry and power in early Renaissance society — because of the prominence of its chief author, the king himself, and also because of its literary reflection of the social and political elements of the early Tudor court. The lyrics of the Henry VIII Manuscript thoroughly document the fictions of the early Tudor court constructed and upheld by the courtiers of the day. As such, the Henry VIII Manuscript provides a rare opportunity for examining the light, earlier lyrical works of Henry VIII.

Renaissance English Text Society v39.