Unbeknownst to Peter Schöffer, Jacquet of Mantua was the second most published composer in his 1539 Cantiones, between Gombert (nine motets) and Willaert (three motets). Schöffer had attributed three motets to ‘Iaquet’, but a fourth motet, Mirabile mysterium, was mistakenly attributed to Jean Le Brung (fl. early 16th century). In addition, Veni electa mea, although probably by Gombert, is also believed by some scholars to have been composed by Jacquet of Mantua. In fact, given the frequency with which Jacquet of Mantua's works have been misattributed to other composers – including Jacques Brunel, Jacques Buus, and Jacques du Pont, but especially Jacquet de Berchem, with whom Fétis confused our Jacquet – Schöffer may well have been hedging his bets by simply ascribing Cantiones nos 9, 14, and 19 to ‘Iaquet’, without providing further details about the identity of the composer. The suffix ‘of Mantua’ may have first been introduced by the Venetian printers, who often used this description in their publications from 1539 onwards, presumably to distinguish him from Jacquet de Berchem, whose works were increasingly appearing in print. However, modern attributions to Jacquet of Mantua are to be considered relatively secure, owing to work carried out by scholars including George Nugent, whose doctoral thesis dealt with this precise topic. In fact, we largely owe our modern understanding of Jacquet of Mantua to Nugent's thorough research, which remains critically foundational – albeit largely unpublished – half a century later.

Jacquet of Mantua, also known as Jacquet Colebault (1483–1559), was born in the prosperous and fortified town of Vitré in northwest France, on the modern-day boundary between Brittany and Normandy. Although little is known about the early decades of his life, his longevity provided ample opportunity for his fame to spread. He is believed to be related to Antoine Colebault, an esteemed singer and favourite of Pope Leo X. Jacquet is likely to have arrived in northern Italy in 1515; several of his works appear (attributed to him) in the Rusconi Codex, Bologna Q.19, believed to date from around 1518.