"tériorité de plus d'un demi fiecle a l' epoque des pré"miers Troubadours, que leur historien, Jean de Noftre"dame, fixe à l'an 1162, &c." Pref. a l'Anthologie Franç. 8vo. 1765.

(T) "The minstrel profeffion... acquire new pri"vileges," &c.] See what has been already fuggested in the preceding notes. See pag. liii, liv, lv, lix, &c.

The Reader will obferve, that, in the foregoing part of this Effay, I am careful to trace the Defcent of the French and English Minstrels only from the itinerant oral Poets of their Gothic ancestors the Franks and Saxons, and from the SCALDS of their Danish brethren in the North. For though the BARDS of the ancient Gauls and Britons might feem to have a claim of being confidered as their more immediate predeceffors and inftructors; yet thefe, who were Celtic nations, were ab origine fo different a race of men from the others who were all of Gothic origin, that I think one cannot, in any degree, argue from the manners of the one to thofe of the other; and the conquering Franks, Saxons, and Danes, were much less likely to take up any customs from their enemies the Gauls and Britons, whom they every where expelled, extirpated, or inflaved, than to have received and tranfmitted them from their own Teutonic ancestors in the North, among whom fuch cuftoms were known to have prevailed from the earliest ages.

(U)"They celebrated him as the most accomplished "monarch," &c.] See Roger de Hoveden, (in Ricardo I.) who gives rather an invidious turn to this circumftance: "Hic ad augmentum et famam fui nominis, • emendicata carmina, et rythmos adulatorios comparabat ; et de regno Francorum CANTORES et JOCULATORES Mu→ neribus allexerat, ut de illo canerent in plateis: et jam dicebatur ubique, quod non erat talis in orbe."

(V)" That

(V) "That remarkable intercommunity, &c. be"tween the French and English minstrels, " &c.] This might, even in a great measure, be referred back perhaps to the Norman conqueft itself, when along with their French language and manners, the victors doubtlefs brought with them all their native prejudices, opinions, and fables; which would not fail to be adopted by the English minstrels, who folicited their favour. This interchange, &c. between the Minstrels of the two nations, once begun, would be afterwards kept up by the great intercourfe that was produced among all the nations of Christendom in the middle ages, by their uniting in the general Crufades; and by that spirit of Chivalry, which led the knights and their attendants, the heralds and minstrels, &c. to ramble about continually from one court to another, in order to be prefent at folemn turnaments, and other feats of arms.

(W) The Minstrels under the protection of the "family of Dutton, &c."] See Statut. Anno 39. R. Eliz. Chap. IV. "An Act for punishment of Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars."

§ II... All Fencers, Bearwards, Common Players ' of Enterludes, and MINSTRELS, wandering abroad, (other than Players of Enterludes belonging to any 'Baron of this Realm, or any other honourable Perfonage of greater degree, to be authorised to play, under the hand and feal of arms of fuch Baron or Perfonage :) all JUGLERS †, Tinkers, Pedlers, &c. .... fhall be adjudged and deemed Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars, &c.

§ X. Provided always that this Act, or any thing therein contained, or any authority thereby given, 'fhall not in any wife extend to difinherit, prejudice,

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' or

What was the precife meaning of this word at that time, and in what respects the MINSTRELS and JUGLERS differed, I have not difcovered.

..or hinder JOHN DUTTON of DUTTON in the County of Chefter, Efquire, his heirs or affigns, for, touching or concerning any liberty, preheminence, authority, jurifdiction, or inheritance, which the faid John • Dutton now lawfully ufeth, or hath, or lawfully may or ought to ufe within the County-Palatine of Che'fter, and the County of the City of Chefter, or either of them, by reafon of any ancient Charters of any Kings of this Land, or by reafon of any prescription, ufage, or title whatsoever.'

The fame Claufes are renewed in the laft A&t on this Subject, paffed in the present Reign of GEO. III.

(X) "Edward I. ... at the knighting of his fon," &c.] See Nic. Triveti Annales, Oxon 1719. 8vo. p. 342. "In fefto Pentecoftes Rex filium fuum armis militaribus cinxit, & cum eo Comites Warennia & Arundeliæ, aliofque, quorum numerus ducentos & quadraginta dicitur exceffiffe. Eodem die cum fediffet Rex in menfa, novis militibus circumdatus, ingreffa MINISTRELLORUM MULTITUDO, portantium multiplici ornatu amictum, ut milites præcipue novos invitarent, & inducerent, ad vovendum factum armorum aliquod coram figno.”

(Y)" By an exprefs regulation, &c."] See in Hearne's Append. ad Lelandi Collectan. Vol. VI. p. 36. "A "DIETARIE. Writtes published after the Ordinance of "Earles and Barons, Anno Dom. 1315."

EDWARD by the grace of God, &c. to Sheriffes, &c. greetyng. Forafmuch as.... many idle perfons, ⚫ under colour of MYNSTRELSIE, and going in meffages, and other faigned bufinefs, have ben and

be receaved in other mens houfes to meate and drynke, and be not therwith contented yf they be not largely confydered with gyftes of the Lordes of the houfes: ' &c. ... WE wyllyng to reftrayne fuche outrageous ⚫ enterprises and idlenes, &c. have ordeyned.... that to the houfes of Prelates, Earles and Barons none re

• fort to meate and drynke, unlesse he be a MYNSTREL, and of these MINSTRELS that there come none ex'cept it be three or four MINSTRELS OF HONOUR at the 'most in one day, unleffe he be defired of the Lorde of the Houfe. And to the houses of meaner men that none come unleffe he be defired, and that fuch as fhall come fo, holde themselves contented with meate and drynke, and with fuch curtefie as the Maifter of the House wyl fhewe unto them of his owne good wyll, ⚫ without their afkyng of any thyng. And yf any one do agaynft this Ordinaunce, at the firfte tyme he to lofe his MINSTRELSIE, and at the fecona tyme to 'forfweare his craft, and never to be receaved for a 'MINSTREL in any house. . . . . Yeven at Langley the 'vi. day of Auguft, in the ix. yere of our reigne.'

Thefe abuses arofe again to as great a height as ever in little more than a century after; in confequence, I fuppofe, of the licentiousness that crept in during the civil wars of Lancaster and York. This appears from an Extract inferted by Du Cange, in his Gloffary, Ex Litteris Edwardi IV. Ann. 1439. [apud Rymert, Tom. II. p. 642.] "MINISTRALLORUM noftrorum accepimus qualiter nonnulli rudes agricolæ & artifices diverfarum misterarum regni noftri Angliæ, finxerunt fe fore MINISTRALLOS, quorum aliqui liberatam noftram eis minime datam portarent, feipfos etiam fingentes effe MINISTRALLOS NOSTROS PROPRIOS, cujus quidem liberate ac dicta artis five occupationis MINISTRALLORUM colore, in diverfis partibus regni noftri prædicti grandes pecuniarum exactiones de ligeis noftris deceptive colligunt, &c."

This kind of abuses prevailed much later in Wales, as appears from the famous commiffion iffued out in 9. Eliz. 1569. for beftowing the SILVER HARP on the beft Minstrel, Rhythmer, or Bard in that Principality, &c. See the Commiffion at large in Mr. EVAN EVANS'S Specimens of Welsh Poetry," &c. pag. v.

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(2) "It

Not having Rymer at hand, I can only give it from Du Cange, Col. 772.

(Z)"It is thus related by Stow."] See his Survey of London, &c. fol. 1633. p. 521. [Acc. of Westm. Hall.] Stow had this paffage from Walfingham's Hift. Ang. "Intravit quædam mulier ornata HISTRIONALI habitu, equum bonum infidens HISTRIONALITER phaleratum, quæ menfas more HISTRIONUM circuivit ; & tandem ad Regis menfam per gradus afcendit ↑, & quandam literam coram rege pofuit, & retracto fræno (falutatis ubique difcumbentibus) prout venerat ita receffit, &c." Anglica, Norm. Script. &c. Franc. 1603. fol. p. 109.

The Anfwer of the Porters (when they were afterterwards blamed for admitting her) deferves attention. "Non effe moris domus regia HISTRIONES ab ingreffu quomodolibet prohibere, &c. Walfingh.

The propriety of Stow's tranflating the original word Hiftrio here by Minstrel, &c. will hardly be queftioned by those who confider, that he lived before this Order of Men was extinct, and confequently was a much better judge than we can be now, how to exprefs their profeffion properly: Should his authority need any confirmation, it may be obferved, that in John of Gaunt's Charter, the French word Miniftraulx is expreffed in Latin by Hiftriones. See below Note (B b)

(A a) "There fhould feem to have been women of this profeffion," &c.] This one might infer from the variety of expreffive names for this character in the middle ages, viz. Anglo-Sax. Glip meden [Glee-maiden], &c. glypiende-maden, glypbydenertra. (vid. fupra, p. lij.) Fr. Fenglereffe. Med. Lat. Joculatrix, Miniftralifa, Fomina Minifterialis, &c. (vid. Du Cange Gloff, & Suppl.)

The fame alfo appears from the record concerning "Certain Women quoted above in p. xl.

I would

The MINSTRELS and others often rode on horfeback up to the royal table, when the Kings were feafting in their Great Halls. See in this Vol. p. 70. &c.

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