This is the second recension of the Holy Cross Breviary, compiled by Francis Cardinal Quinonez, a revision that tries to address the problems in the first addition by adding back some elements of the classical Roman Office (Beginnings, Antiphons). Originally commissioned by Paul III, it was alternately rescinded and then re-approved by subsequent popes, before finally being banned by St Pius V in his Apostolic Constitution, Quod a nobis, the Breviary equivalent of Quo Primum. Quinonez appealed to antiquity, but evidence of antiquity was wanting.
The Breviary of Quinonez is truly a humanist, rationalist breviary, a breviary meant to be recited, perhaps alone, but most definitely not in choir. In this respect it is worse than the LoTH - All chapters, versicles, and responsories - save the reponsory at the Dirge/Office of the Dead - are omitted. Yet it keeps many characteristics of the traditional office, by keeping a one week psalter and traditional beginnings and endings, and preserves, in the face of the later Roman reforms (that of Urban VIII, Pius X, John XXIII), the traditional hymnary, canticles, and even some elements of the traditional ranking system, complete with the transfer of feasts and the notion that doubles outrank Sundays. Each hour has three psalms, most notably even the major hours, though the psalms are distributed in such a way that the major hours get the longest psalms, thereby in practice still being somewhat reminiscent of their original character. To this end, the psalms are not ordered numerically, but distributed by length. Since there are 7 days x 8 hours x 3 psalms = 168 slots, with 7 filled by Old Testament Canticles, that leaves 161, so with 150 Psalms plus the 11 divisions of Psalm 118, that leaves 160, with the remaining Psalm being the first part of Psalm 30 used at Compline and Psalm 94 duplicated at Tuesday Lauds, although it is the Gallican version recited and not the version said at the Invitatory.
By far the most controversial aspect is that the Psalter is fixed for each day of the week, unyielding to any feast or season. The later neo-offices that came about, from Neo-Gallican, Anglican and even the LoTH all allowed for some flexibility on the more solemn feasts. The psalms are chosen such that Thursday Psalms can be appropriate for Maundy Thursday, Corpus Christi, and Ascension, and the Friday Psalms are chosen with Good Friday in mind. This means any feast the falls on a Friday, be it Christmas or the Assumption, will have a penitential character. The Quicumque is prescribed thus every Sunday no matter if a feast takes precedence or not, while on other days, the Apostle's Creed is said in its place.
The rankings are Major and Minor Doubles and Simples. On Doubles, the Major hours have proper Antiphons, which are doubled before and after the psalms, but otherwise are semidoubled according to Roman Use. Only Doubles have first Vespers; Sundays and Simples begin at Matins and end at Vespers, something mirrored in the Roman Rite later in 1955. Octaves take precedence over Sundays, unless noted otherwise.
On Sundays and ferias of Lent, simples are commemorated at the Pretiosa by Oration only, and Lauds & Vespers retain some sense of the Suffrages (Advent and Per Annum), and Compline the Final Antiphon (Salve and Regina) of the Blessed Virgin. Prime and Compline have unchanging Orations, and during Lent, Psalm 50 is prescribed at Matins in place of the Te Deum, unless a double feast occurs. Notice that Prime ends with the blessing formerly reserved for the Short Lesson, which mirrors the LoTH Compline, which also ends with the former blessing.
There is a curious way of reciting the Invitatory: First the Antiphon is said in whole, then the Venite is recited without saying any part of the Antiphon, then it is repeated at the end, but if reciting the office with two or more people, then after the first time it is said, the other party repeats it in whole, then alternating the Venite, then all together recite the Antiphon at the end.
For feasts, the Antiphons for Vespers and Lauds usually come from the Magnificat or Benedictus Antiphon of the Roman Office, with the New Testament Canticles said as a "fourth" psalm.
Commemoration of occuring or concurring offices are also said in a Roman fashion: The Antiphon and then the Oration, omitting the (non-existent) versicles.
Matins begins with a Pater, Ave, and a Confiteor. None of the hours end with Pater. It is of (n)one nocturne, with no versicles as expected, but a Pater noster is said with no absolution (cf Dominican), but the three lessons prescribed have blessings (except for the Dirge), with the first two fixed, and the last being variable, either being for the Gospel, Saint, or of Mary. The first lesson is from the Old Testament, while the 2nd is from the New Testament. The response is Deo Gratias, except during the Triduum, when these things are omitted. Feasts only have proper third lessons, of which can be a sermon, a hagiography, or if ferial, then a reading St Paul's Epistles, otherwise prescribed throughout the year in full, but at different times.
The Ave Maria follows the older form without the second half, Sancta Maria.
Vespers and Compline have their hymns, moved to the beginning, but the Lauds hymn is omitted. It is worth noting that despite its appeal to antiquity, hymns are still prescribed. It is well-known that hymns were one of the newer parts of the Roman Office.
The Penitential Psalms and Office the Dead are prescribed for Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent, alternating, that is the first saying the Penitential Psalms, then starting on Friday the Dirge, then the next week the Penitential Psalms, and so on. These are not said on doubles. It is worth noting that every Saturday not impeded by a double is of the Blessed Virgin, except during Lent, thus Advent is included. There is no prescription to in any way recite the Gradual Psalms.
The Dirge is also been redacted to follow the new schema, with three psalms each, but still runs from First Vespers to Lauds.
The Ember days are only prescribed for Wednesdays on their proper days, but nothing is to be mentioned or noted in any way in the Office.
Also notable is the numbering of Sundays after Epiphany, separating them into Sundays after Advent and Sundays <<Vagantibus>> (Wandering, Vagrant, or Drifting Sundays), of which a rubric and table is provided on how they ought to be distributed thoughout the year such that there are enough Sundays before Advent. These include placing them within Octaves, such as Peter & Paul, Nativity of Mary, and Assumption.
Also, after the Psalm index, before Sunday Matins, it includes two nice prayers for before and after recition of the office.
To this end, it is clear why it is described as not truly a divine office, but a method of reciting the Psalms in a manner similar to the Divine Office.