was himself of their number, and some of his poems are still extant. They were no less patronized by his favourites and chief officers. His Chancellor, William bishop of Ely, is expressly mentioned to have invited Singers and Minstrels from France, whom he loaded with rewards; and they in return celebrated him as the most accomplished person in the world. (U. 2.) This high distinction and regard, although confined perhaps in the first instance to Poets and Songsters of the French Nation, must have had a tendency to do honour to Poetry and Song among all his subjects, and to encourage the cultivation of these arts among the natives; as the indulgent favour shown by the Monarch or his great courtiers to the Provençal Troubadour, or Norman Rymour, would naturally be imitated by their inferior vassals to the English Gleeman, or Minstrel. At more than a century after the Conquest, the national distinctions must have begun to decline, and both the Norman and English languages would be heard in the houses of the great (U. 3.); so that probably about this æra, or soon after, we are to date that remarkable intercommunity and exchange of each other's compositions, which we discover to have taken place at some early period between the French and English Minstrels : the same set of phrases, the same species of characters, incidents, and adventures, and often the same identical stories being found in the old metrical Romances of both nations. (V.) The distinguished service which Richard received from one of his own Minstrels, in rescuing him from his cruel and tedious captivity, is a remarkable fact, which ought to be recorded for the honour of poets and their art. This fact I shall relate in the following words of an ancient writer.+ See a pathetic Song of his in Mr. Walpole's "Catalogue of Royal Authors," Vol. i. p. 5. The reader will find a Translation of it into modern French, in "Hist. litéraire des Troubadours," 1774, 3 Tom. 12mo. See Vol. i. (p. 58,) where some more of Richard's Poetry is translated. In Dr. Burney's "Hist. of Music," Vol. ii. p. 238, is a poetical version of it in English. † Mons. Favine's Theatre of Honour and Knighthood," "The Englishmen were more then a whole yeare, without hearing any tydings of their king, or in what place he was kept prisoner. He had trained up in his court a Rimer or Minstrill,* called Blondell de Nesle: who (so saith the Manuscript of old Poesies,+ and an auncient manuscript French Chronicle) being so long without the sight of his lord, his life seemed wearisome to him, and he became confounded with melancholly. Knowne it was, that he came backe from the Holy Land: but none could tell in what countrey he arrived. Whereupon this Blondel, resolving to make search for him in many countries, but he would heare some newes of him; after expence of divers dayes in travaile, he came to a towne (by good hap) neere to the castell where his maister king Richard was kept. Of his host he demanded to whom the castell appertained, and the host told him, that it belonged to the duke of Austria. Then he enquired whether there were any prisoners therein detained or no: for alwayes he made such secret questionings wheresoever he came. And the hoste gave answer, there was one onely prisoner, but he knew not what he was, and yet he had bin detained translated from the French. Lond. 1623. fol. Tom. ii. p. 49.-An elegant relation of the same event (from the French of Presid. Fauchet's "Recueil," &c.) may be seen in "Miscellanies in prose and verse by Anna Williams. Lond. 1766." 4to. p. 46.-It will excite the Reader's admiration to be informed, that most of the pieces of that Collection were composed under the disadvantage of a total deprivation of sight. " Favine's words are "Jongleur appellé Blondiaux de Nesle (Paris, 1620. 4to. p. 1106.) But Fauchet, who has given the same story, thus expresses it, "Or ce roy ayant nourri un Menestrel appellé Blondel,' &c. liv. 2. p. 92. "Des anciens Poëtes François."-He is however said to have been another Blondel, not Blondel (or Blondiaux) de Nesle. but this no way affects the circumstances of the story. †This the author calls in another place, "An ancient MS. of old Poesies, written about those very times."From this MS. Favine gives a good account of the taking of Richard by the duke of Austria, who sold him to the emperor. As for the MS. chronicle, it is evidently the same that supplied Fauchet with this story. See his "Recueil de l'Origine de la Langue & Poesie Françoise, Ryme, & Romans," &c. Par. 1581. Tribales." Retrudi eum præcepit in Triballis: a quo carcere nullus ante dies istos exivit." Lat. chron. of Otho of Austria: apud Favin. When Blondel there more then the space of a yeare. The following old Provençal lines, are given as the very original song which I shall accompany with an imitation offered by Dr. Burney. (ii. 237.) * : BLONDEL. Domna vostra beutas Your beauty, lady fair, While all are shun'd like me. "Comme Menestrels s' accointent legerement." (Fauchet expresses it in the same manner.) Favine. I give this passage corrected; as the English translator of Favine's book appeared here to have mistaken the original:Scil. "Et quant Blondel eut dit la moitie de la Chanson, le Roy Richart se prist a dire l'autre moitie et l'acheva." Favine. p. 1106. Fauchet has also expressed it in nearly the same words, "Recueil." p. 93. In a little romance or novel, intitled, "La Tour Tenebreuse, et les Jours lumineux, Contes Angloises, accompagnez d' Historiettes, & tirez d'une ancienne Chronique composee par Richard, surnomme Coeur de Lion, Roy d' Angleterre," &c. Paris, 1705. 12mo. In the Preface to this Romance the editor has given another song of Blondel de Nesle, as also a copy of the song written by K. Richard, and published by Mr. Walpole, mentioned above (in Note* page. xxxii.) yet the two last are not in Provençal like the sonnet printed here; but in the old French, called Langage Roman." Si bel trop affansia RICHARD. No nymph my heart can wound And smiles on all around I'd rather hatred bear Than love with others share. The access, which Blondel so readily obtained in the privileged character of a Minstrel, is not the only instance upon record of the same nature. (V. 2.) In this very reign of K. Richard I. the young heiress of D'Evreux, Earl of Salisbury, had been carried abroad and secreted by her French relations in Normandy. To discover the place of her concealment, a knight of the Talbot family spent two years in exploring that province at first under the disguise of a Pilgrim, till having found where she was confined, in order to gain admittance he assumed the dress and character of a Harper, and being a jocose person exceedingly skilled in "the Gests of the ancients ;"* so they called the romances and stories, which were the delight of that age; he was gladly received into the family. Whence he took an opportunity to carry off the young lady, whom he presented to the king; and He bestowed her on his natural brother William Longespee, (son of fair Rosamond) who became in her right Earl of Salisbury. (V. 3.) The next memorable event, which I find in history, reflects credit on the English Minstrels; and this was their contributing to the rescue of one of the great Earls of Chester when besieged by the Welsh. This happened in the reign of K. John, and is related to this effect.t "Hugh the first Earl of Chester, in his charter of foundation of St. Werburg's Abbey in that city, had * The words of the original, viz. "Citharisator homo jocosus in Gestis antiquorum valde peritus," I conceive to give the precise idea of the ancient minstrel. See Not. V. 2. That Gesta was appropriated to romantic stories, See Note I. Part iv. (i.) See Dugdale (Bar. i. 42. 101.) who places it after 13 John, A. D. 1212. See also Plot's Staffordsh. Camden's Britann. (Cheshire.) granted such a privilege to those, who should come to Chester fair, that they should not be then apprehended for theft or any other misdemeanor, except the crime were committed during the fair. This special protection, occasioning a multitude of loose people to resort to that fair, was afterwards of signal benefit to one of his successors. For Ranulph the last Earl of Chester, marching into Wales with a slender attendance, was constrained to retire to his castle of Rothelan (or Rhuydland) to which the Welsh forthwith laid siege. In this distress he sent for help to the Lord De Lacy Constable of Chester: Who, making use of the Minstrells of all sorts, then met at Chester Fair; by the allurement of their musick, got together a vast number of such loose people, as, by reason of the before specified priviledge, were then in that city; whom he forthwith sent under the conduct of Dutton (his steward), a gallant youth, who was also his son in law. The Welsh alarmed at the approach of this rabble, supposing them to be a regular body of armed and disciplined veterans, instantly raised the siege and retired." For this good service Ranulph is said to have granted to De Lacy by Charter the patronage and authority over the Minstrels and the loose and inferior people who retaining to himself that of the lower artificers, conferred on Dutton the Jurisdiction of the Minstrels and Harlots:* and under the descendants of this family the Minstrels enjoyed certain privileges, and protection for many ages. For even so late as the reign of Elizabeth, when this profession had fallen into such discredit, that it was considered in law as a nuisance, the Minstrels under the jurisdiction of the family of Dutton, are expressly excepted out of all acts of parliament made for their suppression; and have continued to be so excepted ever since. (W.) The ceremonies attending the exercise of this jurisdiction, are thus described by Dugdale† as handed See the ancient record in "Blount's Law Dictionary." (Art. "Minstrel.") † Bar. i. p. 101. |