434 MINSTRELLES, HARPERS, JOCULATORS, GESTES. Mr. Garrick's curious library of chivalry, which his friends share in common with himself, there is an edition by Copland, extremely different From the manuscript copies preserved at Cambridge1, and in the Cotton collection. [CALIG. A. 12. f. 128.] I believe it to be originally a French romance, yet not of very high antiquity. It is written in the stanza of Chaucer's sir THOPAS. [Percy's BALL. i. 306.] The incidents are for the most part those trite expedients, which almost constantly form the plan of these metrical narratives. I take this opportunity of remarking, that the MINSTRELS, who in this prologue of Nassyngton are named separately from the GESTOURS, or tale-tellers, were sometimes distinguished from the harpers. In the year 1374, six Minstrels, accompanied with four Harpers, on the anniversary of Alwyne the bishop, performed their minstrelsies, at dinner, in the hall of the convent of St. Swithin at Winchester: and during supper, sung the same GEST, or tale, in the great arched chamber of the prior: on which solemn occasion, the said chamber was hung with the arras, or tapesty, of THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE2. These minstrels and harpers belonged, partly to the royal household in Winchester castle, and partly to the bishop of Winchester. There was an annual mass at the shrine or tomb of bishop Alwyne in the church, which was regularly followed by a feast in the convent. It is probable, that the GEST here specified was some poctical legend of the prelate, to whose memory this yearly festival was instituted, and who was a Saxon bishop of Winchester about the year 10403. Although songs of chivalry were equally common, and I believe more welcome to the monks, at these solemnities. In an accompt-roll of the priory of Bicester, in Oxfordshire, [In The. Coll. Trin. Oxon.] I find a parallell instance, under the year 1432. It is in this entry. Dat. sex Ministrallis 1 MSS. Caius Coll. Class. A. 9. (2.) Registr. Priorat. S. Swithini Winton. ut supr. [vol. i. p. 89.] In festo Alwyni episcopi Et durante pietancia in aula conventus, sex MINISTRALLI, cum quatuor CITHARISA'TORIBUS, faciebant ministralcias suas. Et post cenam, in magna camera arcuata dom. Prioris, cantabant idem GESTUM, in qua camera suspendebatur, ut moris est, magnum dor'sale Prioris, habens picturas trium regum Colein. Veniebant autem dicti joculatores a castello 'domini regis, et ex familia episcopi. The rest is much obliterated and the date is hardly discernible. Among the Harleian MSS. there is an ancient song on the three kings of Cologne, in which the whole story of that favorite romance is resolved into alchemy, MSS. 2407. 13. fol. Wynkyn de Worde printed this romance in 4to. 1526. It is in MSS. Harl, 1704. 11. fol. 49. b. Imperf. Coll. Trin. Dublin. V. 651. 14. [C. 16.] MSS. More, 37. And frequently in other places. Barclay, in his ECLOGES, mentions this subject, a part of the nativity, painted on the walls of a churche cathedrall. EGL. v. Signat. D. ii. ad calc. Ship of fooles, edit. 1570. And the thre kinges, with all their company, Their crownes glistening bright and oriently, In an Inventory of ornaments belonging to the church of Holbech in Lincolnshire, and sold in the year 1548, we find this article. Item, for the COATS of the iii. kyngs of Coloyne, vs. iiiid.' I suppose these coats were for dressing persons who represented the three kings in some procession on the NATIVITY. Or perhaps for a MYSTERY on the subject, playd by the parish. But in the same Inventory we have, Item, for the apostylls [the apostles] coats, and for HAROD'S [Herod's] coate, &c. Stukeley's ITIN. CURIOS. pag. 19. In old accompts of church-wardens for St. Helen's at Abingdon, Berks, for the year 1566, there is an entry For setting up ROBIN HOODES BOWER. I suppose for a parish interlude. ARCHEOL. vol. i. p. 16. He is buried in the north wall of the presbytery, with an inscription. 'de Bokyngham cantantibus in refectorio MARTYRIUM SEPTEM DOR 'MIENTIUM in festo epiphanie, iv s.' That is, the treasurer of the monastery gave four shillings to six minstrels from Buckingham, for singing in the refectory a legend called the MARTYRDOM OF THE SEVEN SLEEPERS1, on the feast of the Epiphany. In the Cotton library, there is a Norman poem in Saxon characters on this subject"; which was probably translated afterwards into English rhyme. The original is a Greek legend3, never printed; but which, in the dark ages, went about in a barbarous Latin translation, by one Syrus; [Apud Surium, ad 27 Jul.] or in a narrative framed from thence by Gregory of Tours*. Henry Bradshaw has rather larger pretensions to poetical fame than William of Nassington, although scarcely deserving the name of an original writer in any respect. He was a native of Chester, educated at Gloucester college in Oxford, and at length a Benedictine monk of saint Werburgh's abbey in his native place. [Athen. Oxon. i. p. 9. 1 In the fourth century, being inclosed in a cave at Ephesus by the emperour Decius 372 years, they were afterwards found sleeping, and alive. MSS. Cott. CALIG. A. ix. iii. fol. 213, b. Jci commence la vie de Seint dormanz.' La uertu deu iur tut ius dure Leve iurz ert certeine epure. 3 MSS. Lambecc. viii. p. 375. Photius, without naming the author, gives the substance of this Greek legend, Bibl. COD. CCLIII. pag. 1399. edit. 1591. fol. This story was common among the Arabians. The mussulmans borrowed many wonderful narratives from the christians, which they embellished with new fictions. They pretend that a dog, which was accidently shut up in the cavern with the seven sleepers, become rational. Herbelot, DICT. ORIENT. p. 139. a. V. ASHAB. p. 17. In the British Museum there is a poem, partly in Saxon. characters, De puerilia domini nostri Jhesu Christi. Or, the childhood of Christ, MSS. iHarl. 2399. 10. fol. 47. It begins thus. Alle myzhty god yn Trynyte, That bowth [bought] man on rode dere; Who would suspect that this absurd legend had also a Greek original? It was taken, I do not suppose immediately, from an apocryphal narrative ascribed to St. Thomas the apostle, but really compiled by Thomas Israelites, and entitled, Λόγος εἰς τὰ παιδικὰ καὶ μεγαλεία τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, Liber de pueritia et miraculis doimini, &c. It is printed in part by Cotelerius, Not. ad Patr. Apostol. p. 274. Who there mentions a book of St. Matthew the Evangelist, De Infantia Salvatoris, in which our Lord is introduced learning to read, &c. See Iren. lib. i, c. xvii, p. 104. Among other figments of this kind, in the Pseudo-Gelasian Decree are recited, The history and nativity of our Saviour, and of Mary and the midwife. And, The history of the infancy of our Saviour. Jur. Can. DisTINCT- can. 3. The latter piece is mentioned by Anastasius, where he censures as suppositi tious, the puerile miracles of Christ. Odŋy. c. xiii. p. 26. On the same subject there is an Arabic book, probably compiled soon after the rise of Mahometanism, translated into Latin by Sikius, called EVANGELIUM INFANTIE, Arab. et Latin. Traject. ad Rhen. 1697. 8vo. In this piece, Christ is examined by the Jewish doctors, in astronomy, medicine, physics, and metaphysics. Sikius says, that the PUERILE MIRACLES of Christ were common among the Persians. Ibid. in Not. p. 55. Fabricius cites a German poem, more than 400 years old, founded on these legends. Cod. Apocryph, Nov. TEST. tom. i, pag. 212. Hamburg, 1703. Qod At the end of the English poem on this subject above cited, is the following rubric. 'dnus Johannes Arcitenens canonicus Podminie et natus in illa.' Whether this canon of Bodmin in Cornwall, whose name was perhaps Archer, or Bowyer, is the poet, or only the transcriber, I cannot say, See fol. 48. In the same MSS. volume, [8.] there is an old English poem to our Saviour, with this note. Explicit Contemplationem bonam. Quod duus Johannes Arcuarius Canonicus Bodminie.' See what is said, below, of the PSEUDO-EVANGELIUM attributed to Nichodemus. 4 Historia Septem Dormientium. Paris. 1511. 4to. Ibid. 1640. And apud Ruinart. p. 1270. Præf. Ruinart. § 79. And Gregory himself De gloria martyrum, cap. 95. pag. 326. This piece is noticed and much commended by the old chronicler Albericus, ad ann. 319. 436 METRICAL LEGENDS OF MONKS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. Pits. 690.] Before the year 1500, he wrote the LIFE OF SAINT WERBURGH, a daughter of a king of the Mercians, in English verse1. This poem, beside the devout deeds and passion of the poet's patroness saint, comprehends a variety of other subjects; as a description of the kingdom of the Mercians, [Lib. i. c. ii.] the lives of St. Etheldred and St. Sexburgh [Lib. i. cap. xviii. xix.] the foundation of the city of Chester, [Lib. i. cap. iii.] and a chronicle of our kings2. It is collected from Bede, Alfred of Beverly, Malmesbury, Girardus Cambrensis, Higden's Polychronicon, and the passionaries of the female saints, Werburgh, Etheldred, and Sexburgh, which were kept for public edifi 1 He declares, that he does not mean to rival Chaucer, Lydgate sententious, pregnaunt Barklay, ane inventive Skelton. The two last were his cotemporaries. L. ii. c. 24. 2 Lib. ii. cap. xv. The fashion of writing metrical Chronicles of the kings of England grew very fashionable in this century. Many of these are evidently composed for the harp: but they are mostly mere genealogical deductions. Hearne has printed, from the Heralds office, a PEDEGREE of our kings, from William the conqueror to Henry VI. written in 1448. [APPEN. to Rob. Gloucestr. vol. ii. p. 585. p. 588.] This is a specimen. Then regnyd Harry nought full wyse, At Wodestoke for hure he made a toure, The son of Mold [Maud] the emperyse. At Caunterbury marteryd was. Gret sorwe hit was for the queen: That is called ROSEMOUNDES BOURE.— A man that was never aferd: Worthily upon goddis enemyse. Atte castle Gailard there he was. He regnyd almost two yere.--Was entredyted alle Engelonde : For prestus would nought synge before hym, &c. Lydgate has left the best chronicle of the kind, and most approaching to poetry. The reguynge of kyngys after the conquest by the monk of Bury. MSS. Farif. Bibl. Bodl. 16. [And MSS. Ashmol. 59. ii. MSS. Harl. 2251. 3. And a beautiful copy, with pictures of the kings, MSS. Cotton. JULIUS. E. 5.] Never printed. [Unless printed by Wynkyn de Worde, 1530. "This myghty Wyllyam duke of Normandy.' This is one of the stanza. [MSS. Bodl. B. 3. 1999. 6.] RICARDUS PRIMUS. 4to. Rychard the next by successyon, First of that name, strong, hardy, and notable, Roon, atte highe autere. Compare MSS. Harl. 372. 5. There was partly a political view in these deductions: to ascer tain the right of our kings to the crowns of France, Castile, Leon, and the dutchy of Normandy. See MSS. Harl. 326. 2.-116. 11. fol. 142. I know not whether it be worth observing, that about this time a practice prevailed of constructing long parchment-rolls in Latin, of the Pedigree of our kings. Of this kind is the Pedigree of British kings from Adam to Henry VI written about the year 1450, by Roger Alban, a Carmelite friar of London. It begins,Con'siderans chronicorum prolixitatem. The original copy, presented to Henry VI. by the compiler, is now in Queen's college library at Oxford. MSS. [22]. B. 5. 3. There are two copies in Winchester college library, and another in the Bodleian. Among bishop More's MSS. there is a parchment-roll of the Pedigree of our kings from Ethelred to Henry IV. in French, with pictures of the several monarchs. MSS. 495. And, in the same collection, a Pedigree from Harold to Henry IV. with elegant illuminations. MSS. 479. In the same rage of genealogising, Alban abovementioned framed the Descent of Jesus Christ, from Adam through the Levitical and regal tribes, the Jewish patriarchs, judges, kings, prophets, and priests. The original roll, as it seems, on vellum, beautifully illuminated, is in MSS. More, ut supr. 495. But this was partly copied from Peter of Poictou, a disciple of Lombard about the year 1170, who, for the benefit of the poorer clergy, was the first that found out the method of forming and reducing into parchment-rolls, HISTORICAL TREES of the old testament. Alberic. in Chron. p. 441. See MSS. Denb. 1627. 1. Rot. membr. As to Bradshaw's history of the foundation of Chester, it may be classed with the FOUNDATION OF THE ABBEY OF GLOUCESTER, a poem of twenty-two stanzas, written in the year 1534, by the last abbot William Malverne, printed by Hearne, Ubi supr. p. 378. This piece is mentioned by Harpsfield, HIST. ECCLES. ANGL. p, 264. Princip. In sundrie fayer volumes of antiquitie' MSS. Harl. 539, 14. fol. 111. cation in the choir of the church of our poet's monastery1. Bradshaw is not so fond of relating visions and miracles as his argument seems to promise. Although concerned with three saints, he deals more in plain facts than in the fictions of religious romance; and, on the whole, his performance is rather historical than legendary. This is remarkable, in an age, when it was the fashion to turn history into legend2. His fabulous origin of Chester is not so much to be imputed to his own want of veracity, as to the authority of his voucher Ranulph Higden, a celebrated chronicler, his countryman, and a monk of his own abbey3. 1 For as declareth the true PASSIONARY, A boke where her holie lyfe wrytten is, Which boke remayneth in Chester monastery. Lib. i. c. vii. Signat. C ii. And again, ibid. After an humble stile and from it lytell vary. Untoo this rude worke myne auctors these, First the true Legends, and the venerable Bede, Even scripture-history was turned into romance. The story of Esther and Ahasuerus, or of AMON or Hamon, and MARDOCHEUS or Mordecai, was formed into a fabulous poem. MSS. Vernon, ut supr. fol. 213. Mony wynter witerly Of AMON and MARDOCHEUS. A rich kynge, hizte AHASWERE, But thing that tovcheth to vre matere The kyng lovede a knight so wele, Of heore kynd the kyng hym tok Or Crist weore boren of vre ladi, That he commaunded men should knele A qwene to wyve as telleth the bok, &c. In the British Museum, there is a long commentitious narrative of the Creation of Adam, and Eve, their Sufferings and Repentance, Death and Burial. MSS. Harl. 1704. 5. fol. 18. This is from a Latin piece on the same subject, ibid. 495. 12. fol. 43. imperf. In the English, Peter Comestor, the maister of stories, author of the historia scholastica, who flourished about the year 1170, is quoted. fol. 26. But he is not mentioned in the Latin, at fol. 49. In Chaucer's MILLER'S TALE, we have this passage, v. 3538. Hast thou not herd, quod Nicholas also, Or that he might get his wif to ship? I know not whether this anecdote about Noah is in any similar supposititious book of Genesis. It occurs, however, in the Chester Whitsun Playes, where the authors, according to the established indulgence allowed to dramatic poets, perhaps thought themselves at liberty to enlarge on the sacred story. MSS. Harl. 2013. This altercation between Noah and his wife, takes up almost the whole third pageaunt of these interludes. Noah, having reproached his wife for her usual frowardness of temper, at last conjures her to come on board the ark, for fear of drowning. His wife insists on his sailing without her; and swears by Christ and saint John, that she will not embark, till some of her old female companions are ready to go with her. She adds, that if he is in such a hurry, he may sail alone, and fetch himself a new wife. At length Shem, with the help of his brothers, forces her into the vessel; and while Noah very cordially welcomes her on board, she gives him a box on the ear. There is an apocryphal book, of the expulsion of Adam from Paradise, and of Seth's pilgrimage to Paradise, &c. &c. MSS. Eccles. Cathedr. Winton. 4. In one 3 There is the greatest probability, that RALPH HIGDEN, hitherto known as a grave historian and theologist, was the compiler of the Chester-plays, mentioned above, vol. i. p. 243. of the Harleian copies [2013, 1,] under the Proclamation for performing these plays in the year 1522, this note occurs, in the hand of the third Randal Holme, one of the Chester antiquaries. Sir John Arnway was mayor, A.D. 1327, and 1328. At which tyme these playes were written by RANDALL HIGGENET, a monke of Chester abbey, &c.' In a Prologue to these plays, when they were presented in the year 1600, are these lines, ibid. 2. 438 LEGENDS OF CHESTER, THE FIRST INTERLUDES IN ENGLISH. He supposes that Chester, called by the ancient Britons CAIR LELON, or the city of Legions, was founded by Leon Gaur, a giant, corrupted from LEON VAUR, or the great legion. The founder of this citie, as sayth Polychronicon, He adds, with an equal attention to etymology: But kinge Leir a Britan fine and valiaunt, And was named Guar Leir by the kyng. [Lib. ii. c. iii.] But a greater degree of credulity would perhaps have afforded him a better claim to the character of a poet: and, at least, we should have conceived a more advantageous opinion of his imagination, had he been less frugal of those traditionary fables, in which ignorance and superstition had cloathed every part of his argument. This piece was first printed by Pinson in the year 1521. 'Here begynneth the holy ' lyfe of SAYNT WERBURGE, very frutefull for all cristen people to rede1. He traces the genealogy of St. Werburg with much historical accuracy2, That some tymes ther was mayor of this citie The Devise of one Done RONDALL, Moonke of Chester abbaye. Done Rondall is Dan (dominus) Randal. In another of the Harleian copies of these plays, written the year 1607, this note appears, seemingly written in the year 1628. [MSS. Harl. 2124] The Whitsun playes first made by one Don Rondle Heggenet, a monke of Chester abbey: who was thrise at Rome before he could obtaine leave of the pope to have them in 'the English tongue.' Our chronicler's name in the text, sometimes written Hikeden, and Higgeden, was easily corrupted into Higgenet, or Heggenet: and Randal is Ranulph or Randolph, Ralph. He died, having been a monk of Chester abbey 64 years, in the year 1363. În PIERS PLOWMAN, a frier says, that he is well acquainted with rimes of RANDALL OF CHESTER,' fol. 26, edit. 1550. I take this passage to allude to this very person, and to his compositions of this kind, for which he was probably soon famous. In an anonymous CHRONICON, he is styled Ranulphus Cestrensis, which is nothing more than RANDALL OF CHESTER. MSS. Ric. James, xi. 8. Bibl. Bodl. And again we have, RANULPHI Cestrensis 'ars componendi sermones.' MSS. Bodl. sup. N. 2. Art. 10. And in many other places. By the way, if it be true that these MYSTERIES were composed in the year 1328, and there was so much difficulty in obtaining the pope's permission that they might be presented in English, a presumptive proof arises, that all our MYSTERIES before that period were in Latin. These plays will therefore have the merit of being the first English interludes. 1 In oct. With a wooden cut of the Saint Princip. When Phebus had ronne his cours in 'Sagittari. At the beginning is an English copy of verses, by J. T. And at the end two others. 2 A descrypayon of the genaalogy of saynt WerburgE, &c. The floure of vertu, and vyrgyn gloryous, To conuert this regyon, unto our fauyoure 1 That is, her Legend. |