Page images
PDF
EPUB

Even fo late as the reign of Henry VIII. the Reciters of verses, or moral fpeeches learnt by heart, intruded without ceremony into all companies; not only in ta verns, but in the houfes of the nobility themfelves. This we learn from Erafmus †, whofe argument led him only to defcribe a fpecies of thefe men who DID NOT SING their compofitions; but the others that DID, enjoyed without doubt the fame privileges.

The Reader will find that the Minstrels continued down to the reign of Elizabeth; in whofe time they had loft much of their dignity, and were finking into contempt and neglect. Yet ftill they fuftained a character far fuperior to any thing we can conceive at present of the fingers of old ballads 4.

When Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Killingworth Caftle by the Earl of Leicester in 1575, among the many devices and pageants which were exhibited for her entertainment, one of the perfonages introduced was that of an ancient MINSTREL, whole appearance and drefs are fo minutely defcribed by a writer there prefent 1, and give us for diftinct an idea of the character, that I fhall quote the paffage at large.

ઠંડ

"A PERSON very meet feemed he for the purpofe, of a xly years old, aparelled partly as he would himself. "His cap off: his head feemly rounded tonfter-wife ||:

fair kembed, that with a fponge daintily dipt in a little "capon's greace, was finely fmoothed,, to make it shine "like a mallard's wing. His beard fmugly fhaven: and yet his fhirt after the new trink, with ruffs fair *ftarched, fleeked and gliftering like a pair of new

See his ECCLÉSIAST..... Irrumpunt in convivia magnatum, aut in cauponas vinarias; et argumentum aliquod quod edidicerant recitant, &c. Jortin, vol. 2. p. 193

+ See vol. 2, p. 162.

R. L. [Langham] author of a letter 12mo. defcribing the Queen's entertainment at Killingworth in 1575. p. 46. (This writer's orthography is not here copied.)

Tonfare-wife," after the manner of the Monks.

b z

fhoes,

fhoes, marshalled in good order with a fetting stick, «and strut, that' every ruff stood up like a wafer.

A

fide [i. e. long] gown of Kendale green, after the "freshnefs of the year now, gathered at the neck with "a narrow gorget, fastened afore with a white clasp and "a keeper clofe up to the chin; but eafily, for heat, "to undo when he lift. Seemly begirt in a red caddis girdle from that a pair of capped Sheffield knives hanging a' two fides. Out of his bofom drawn forth a lappet of his napkin* edged with a blue lace, and "marked with a D for Damian, for he was but a "batchelor yet.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"His gown had fide [i. e. long] fleeves down to "mid-leg, flit from the fhoulder to the hand, and lined

with white cotton. His doublet-fleeves of black "worfted upon them a pair of points of tawny cham"let laced along the wrift with blue threaden poinets ||, a "wealt towards the hands of fuftian-a-napes. A pair "of red neather ftocks. A pair of pumps on his feet, "with a crofs cut at his toes for corns: not new indeed, "yet cleanly blackt with foot, and fhining as a fhoing

horn.

"About his neck a red ribband fuitable to his girdle. "His HARP in good grace dependent before him. His "WREST tyed to a green lace and hanging by: "Under the gorget of his gown a fair flaggon chain,

(pewter for) SILVER, as a SQUIRE MINSTREL OF "MIDDLESEX, that travelled the country this fummer "feafon, unto fair and worshipful mens houses. From "his chain hung a fcutcheon, with metal and colour, refplendant upon his breast, of the ancient arms of "Iflington."

66

i. e. handkerchief, or cravat.

|| Perhaps points. †The key, or screw, with which he tuned his harp.

The reader will remember that this was not a REAL MINSTREL, but only one perfonating that character: his ornaments therefore were only fuch as OUTWARDLY represented those of a real Minftrel.

This Minstrel is defcribed as belonging to that village. I fuppofe fuch as were retained by noble families, wore their arms hanging down by a filver chain as a kind of badge. From the expreffion of SQUIRE MINSTREL above, we may conclude there were other inferior orders, as YEOMEN MINSTRELS, or the like. This Minstrel, the author tells us a little below, "after "three lowly courtefies, cleared his voice with a hem, and wiped his lips with the hollow of his hand for 'filing his napkin, tempered a string or two with his "WREST, and after a little warbling on his HARP for prelude, came forth with a folemn fong, warranted for ftory out of King Arthur's acts, &c."- -This fong the reader will find printed in this work, volume III. pag. 25.

[ocr errors]

...

[ocr errors]

Towards the end of the fixteenth century this class of men had loft all credit, and were funk fo low in the public opinion, that in the 39th year of Elizabeth † a ftatute was paffed by which "Minstrels, wandering "abroad" were included among CC rogues, vagabonds, "and fturdy beggars," and were adjudged to be punished as fuch. This act feems to have put an end to the profeffion, for after this time they are no longer mentioned,

I CANNOT conclude this account of the ancient MINSTRELS, without remarking that they are most of them reprefented to have been of the North. There is hardly an ancient Ballad or Romance, wherein a Minstrel or Harper appears, but he is characterized by way of eminence to have been "OF THE NORTH COUNTRIE*:" and indeed the prevalence of the Northern dialect in fuch kind of poems, fhews that this reprefentation is real. The reafon of which feems to be this; the civilizing of nations has begun from the South: the North would therefore be the last civilized, and the old manners would

Vid. Pulton's Stat. 1661. p. 1110. 39° Eliz.

See p. 65. of this vol.

b 3

longeft

longeft fubfift there. With the manners, the old poetry that painted thefe manners would remain likewife; and in proportion as their boundaries became more contracted, and their neighbours refined, the poetry of thofe rude men would be more diftinctly peculiar, and that peculiarity more ftrikingly remarked.

The Reader will obferve in the more ancient ballads of this collection, a caft of style and measure very different from that of contemporary poets of a higher clafs: many phrafes and idioms, which the Minstrels feem to haye appropriated to themfelves, and a very remarkable licence of varying the accent of words at pleature, in order to humour the flow of the verfe, particularly in the rhimes:

as

barpèr

battèl

Countrie morning Ladie finger damsèl loving, inftead of country, lady, barper, finger, &c.This liberty is but fparingly affumed by the claffical poets of the fame age; or even by the latter compofers of Heroical Ballads: I mean by fuch as profeffedly wrote for the prefs. For it is to be obferved, that fo long as the Minstrels fubfifted, they feem never to have defigned their rhymes for publication, and probably never committed them to writing themfelves: what copies are preferved of them were doubtless taken down from their mouths. But as the old Minstrels gradually wore out, a new race of ballad-writers fucceeded, an inferior fort of minor poets, who wrote narrative fongs meerly for the prefs. Inftances of both may be found in the reign of Elizabeth. The two latest pieces in the genuine ftrain of the old MinAtrelfy that I can difcover, are No. III. and IV. of Book III. in this volume. Lower than thefe I cannot trace the old mode of writing.

The old Minstrel-ballads are in the northern dialect, abound with antique words and phrafes, are extremely incorrect, and run into the utmoft licence of metre; they have alfo a romantic wildness, and are in the true fpirit of chivalry.-The other fort are written in exacter mea?

fure,

fure, have a low or fubordinate correctness, fometimes bordering on the infipid, yet often well adapted to the pathetic; these are generally in the fouthern dialect, exhibit a more modern phraseology, and are commonly defcriptive of more modern manners.-To be fenfible of the difference between them, let the Reader compare in this volume No. III. of book III. with No. IX. of Book II.

Towards the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, (as is mentioned above) the genuine old Minstrelfy feems to have been extinct, and thenceforth the ballads that were produced were wholly of the latter kind, and these came forth in fuch abundance, that in the reign of James I. they began to be collected into little Mifcellanies under the name of GARLANDS, and at length to be written purposely for fuch collections".

In the Pepyfian, and other libraries, are preferved a great number of thefe in black letter, 12mo. under the following quaint and affected titles, viz.

1. A Crowne Garland of Goulden Rofes gathered out of England's Royall Garden, &c. by Richard Johnson, 1612. [In the Bodleyan Library.]-2. The Golden Garland of Princely Delight.3. The Garland of Good-will, by T. D. 1631. 4. The Royal Garland of Love and Delight, by T. D.. -5. The Garland of Love and Mirth, by Thomas Lanfier. 6. The Garland of Delight, &c. by Tho. Delone. -7. Cupid's Garland fet round with guilded Rofes.- -8. The Garland of withered Rofes, by Martin Parker, 1656.. -9. The Shepherd's Garland of Love, Loyalty, &c.. 10. The Country Garland.- 11. The Golden Gailand of Mirth and Merriment.- -12. The Lover's Garland.-13. Neptune's Fair Garland.- 14. England's fair Garland.-15. Robin Hood's Garland.-16. The Lover's Garland.-17. The Maiden's Garland.-18. A loyal Garland of Mirth and Paftime.&c. &c, &c.

This fort of petty publications were anciently called PENNYMERRIMENTS: as little religious tracts of the fame fize went by the name PENNY GODLINESSES: In the Pepys Library are multitudes of both kinds.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »