prior of La Charité, praying him to recall and reconsider his judgment, and giving him a somewhat detailed account of the events which had led to the dispute. His letter has been preserved in a register or chartulary of the priory of La Charité. The fourth volume of the Bibliothèque de l'Ecole des Chartes is not less remarkable than the third for the variety and interest of its contents, though a larger portion of the essays it contains belongs to a comparatively modern date. We notice briefly several articles of M. Pardessus on points of Medieval Jurisprudence; an article on the influence of the poetry of Provence in Italy, by M. Fauriel; a history of the Charter or Liberties of Normandy ; some inedited fragments of the valuable chronicle of George Chastellain; an article by M. Fauriel on the Sordello of Dante; several articles on points or episodes of the philosophy of the seventeenth century, by Victor Cousin; studies on the ancient administration of the towns of France, by M. Martial Delpit, a young historian of great talent and promise, who has been lately sent to England to continue the researches commenced by Brequigny in the last century; an article of some extent on the Life of Thomas à Becket, by Le Roux de Lincy; a continuation of the article on the ancient legislation with regard to Suicide; the history of Tancred, the hero of the first crusade, by M. de Saulcy; and a continuation of the article on the Minstrels of Paris, by M. Bernhard. The titles here given are only those of a few principal articles, amongst a great variety of smaller ones, all containing facts and documents of more or less novelty and importance. The second article on the Minstrels consists chiefly of the examination and history of the laws which governed that body during the fifteenth century. It is perhaps not generally known that the principal laws and ordinances by which the Minstrels in France were governed have been preserved; those in particular which concerned their internal arrangement are valuable to us because they must have been in spirit the same as those of the English minstrels at the same time. In France there were two classes, those who were masters in the art, and those who were common practisers the former only were capable of teaching and taking apprentices. Before he could be admitted to the privilege of teaching, the minstrel must have been " seen, visited, and passed for sufficient, by the king of the minstrels or by his deputies;" that is to say, he must have given before them a proof of his capacity on the instrument which he had chosen. "It would not be without interest for the history of the art, to know exactly in what consisted, at the epoch of the promulgation of the law (the beginning of the fifteenth century), the proofs of sufficience required for the musical mastership; but no document affords us any information on this subject. Variable no doubt in proportion to the daily progress of the art, these proofs must also have been proportioned to the importance of the theatre on which the candidate proposed to exercise his industry. If the execution of two or three dance tunes was sufficient for the vulgar minstrel who exercised his craft at the feasts of the workmen or the weddings of the populace of the capital and its banlieue, it would not be the same for the musician who aimed at the public profession of the art, and who performed at the balls and weddings of great families. An examination in the principal rules of the musical art, and the execution of all the finest dance tunes in fashion, formed probably the proofs of sufficiency demanded of the master in the art. .. Article V. which fixes the conditions of admission to this mastership, forbids minstrels who are not sufficient, that is, who have not been able to pass the examination for the mastership, to play at honourable weddings and assemblies, under pain of a fine of twenty sous. Article VI. adds to this that they shall not take apprentices. These two prohibitions, although intended more especially to consecrate the rights of the masters, might also be explained by the interest which the corporation took in the progress and honour of the art. Indulgent towards those who have not been able to fulfil the conditions of admission to the mastership, the corporation does not deprive them of the means of existence, but it confines their industry to the festivals of the lower orders, and prohibits them formally from showing themselves "at honourable weddings and assemblies." Our object in the foregoing observations has been chiefly to bring before our readers the value of the collection we are reviewing, and we have thought it sufficient to notice the two last volumes which have appeared. We believe that the first volumes are now difficult to procure. We might easily have made further extracts; but we have said enough for the design we aimed at, and we shall feel no little satisfaction if our remarks shall have the effect of making the Bibliothèque de l'Ecole des Chartes more generally known among English historians and antiquaries, and, above all, if they should lead even indirectly to the establishment of a similar publication in our own country. GREAT MUSGRAVE CHURCH, WESTMORELAND. (With a Plate.) THE church of Great Musgrave is neither celebrated for its extent nor the style of its architecture; in the first respect it would only vie with a good sized room. But it is celebrated as the scene of the early labours of William Paley, some of whose justly appreciated works were written in the parsonage adjoining. More recently it marked by the ministry of the Rev. John Bowstead, B.D. the uncle and preceptor of the late Bishop of Lichfield. This venerable "Father of the Church regularly performed his pa.rochial duties until near the age of ninety, and died on the 1st Nov. 1841. was Musgrave gave its name to the family who resided there for several ages, and finally settled at Eden Hall in Cumberland, which family is now represented by Sir George Musgrave, Bart. As to the church, it is of Norman foundation, the arch dividing the nave and aisle (although modernised) being of that period. The other parts are of the early-English, Decorated, and Perpendicular periods, but there is nothing of importance to mark these differences of style, excepting the remains of the Decorated chancel screen, shewn in the plate. Previous to 1248 the church was appropriated to St. Mary's Abbey at York, but it was then transferred to the bishopric of Carlisle, saving a small pension to St. Mary's reserved out of its revenues. There is a brass in the chancel ornamented with the four evangelists at the angles (in roundels), of the early Decorated period, to Thomas Ouds, who was rector previous to 1298. On the north wall of the nave is a monument to the founder and endower of Musgrave Grammar School, the Rev. Septimus Collinson, Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, who was a native of this parish, and died Jan. 24, 1827 (of whom a memoir will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. XCVII. i. 178). Externally there is nothing material to notice, but the churchyard formerly had several carved coffin-lids belonging to the Musgraves, of ancient date. The counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland contain many, and there are some specimens engraved in Lysons's Cumberland, but only one is now left at Musgrave, and that is built into the eastern wall of the church. When an inquiry was made after somę others which were in existence here only some twenty years back, the quiet answer of the mason who "" did the job" was, that he had "mashed "them up and built the remains in the wall. Over the chancel screen and walls are several garlands. These denote an ancient annual custom which takes place in July, called "Rush-bearing," when the female children of the village go in procession to the church, and each deposits an offering of flowers, which remain there until the following year. A representation of this ceremony is given in the work known as "Westmoreland and Cumberland il lustrated," accompanied by the following account of it : "In some places, to the present day, the church floor is annually strown with rushes; and in several others, as at Ambleside, the ceremonial is still preserved. We have collected from various sources the characteristic features of recorded rush-bearings, in which, though the object is the same, the materiel of the festivity is somewhat different. "At Rochdale in Lancashire, the rushes are laid transversely on the rushcart, and are cut with sharp knives into the desired form. When the cart is finished, the load of rushes is decorated with carnations and other flowers in various devices, and surmounted by branches of oak, and a person rides on the top. The cart is sometimes drawn by horses, but more frequently by men, to the number of twenty or thirty couple, profusely adorned with ribands and finery. They are generally preceded by men with horsebells about them, grotesquely jumping from side to side, and jingling the bells. After these is a band of music, and sometimes a set of morris-dancers (but without the ancient appendage of bells), followed by young women bearing garlands. Then comes the rush-banner of silk, tastefully adorned with roses, stars, and tinsels; this is generally from four to five yards broad, by six or eight yards long, having on either side, in the centre, a painting of Britannia, the King's arms, or some other device. The whole procession is flanked by men with long cartwhips, which they keep continually cracking to make a clear path. A spirit of rivalry exists amongst the neighbouring villages, as to which shall produce the best cart and banner, and sometimes a serious fracas takes place between the parties. "At Warton, in Yorkshire, they cut hard rushes from the marsh, which they make up into long bundles, and then dress them up in fine linen, silk ribands, flowers, &c. Afterwards the young women of the village who perform the ceremony for that year, take up the bundles erect, and begin the procession, which is attended with multitudes of people, with music, drums, and ringing of bells. When they arrive at the church, they go in at the west door, and setting down their burdens in the church, strip them of their ornaments, leaving the heads or crowns of them decked with flowers, cut papers, &c. in some part of the church, generally over the cancelli, or chancel [-screen]. The company on their return partake of a plentiful collation, and conclude the day, weather permitting, with a dance round a Maypole tastefully decorated. "The church of St. Oswald, at Grasmere, is annually strown with rushes, and paper garlands, tastefully cut, are deposited in the vestry by the girls of the village. "The custom is still extant of strewing Norwich cathedral on the mayor's day, when all the corporation attend divine service. The sweet-scented flag was accustomed to be used on this occasion, its roots, when bruised, giving forth a powerful and fragrant odour; but the great consumption of the roots by the brewers (under the name of quassia) has rendered it too valuable, and the yellow water-iris is therefore substituted in its stead. The flags were formerly strewn from the great west door to the entrance of the mayor's seat; but they are now laid no further than the entrance to the choir. Twelve shillings per annum are allowed by the dean and chapter for this service. "The strewing of rushes was not, however, confined to churches; private houses, and even palaces, had no better garniture for the floors in olden times, as we may gather from fragments of history. In Newton's Herball to the Bible,' mention is made of 'sedge and rushes, with the which many in the country do use in sommer time to strawe their parlors and churches, as well for coolness as for pleasant smell.' Hentzner, in his Itinerary, speaking of Queen Elizabeth's presencechamber at Greenwich, says, 'The floor, after the English fashion, was strewed with hay.' "At Ambleside, the tasteful and elegant garlands are deposited in the church on Saturday, and remain there during divine service on the Sunday, when each girl takes her respective garland, and all the bearers walk in procession, preceded by a band of music. The children receive a pennyworth of gingerbread, and a small gratuity at the door of the church." The site of Musgrave church is extra |