down to his time, viz. "That at midsummer fair there, all the Minstrels of that countrey resorting to Chester, do attend the heir of Dutton, from his lodging to St. John's church (he being then accompanied by many gentlemen of the countrey) one of the Minstrels walking before him in a surcoat of his arms depicted on taffata; the rest of his fellows proceeding (two and two) and playing on their several sorts of musical instruments. And after divine service ended, give the like attendance on him back to his lodging; where a court being kept by his [Mr. Dutton's] Steward, and all the Minstrels formally called, certain orders and laws are usually made for the better government of that Society, with penalties on those who transgress."

In the same reign of K. John we have a remarkable instance of a Minstrel, who to his other talents superadded the character of Soothsayer, and by his skill in drugs and medicated potions was able to rescue a knight from imprisonment. This occurs in Leland's Narrative of the Gestes of Guarine (or Warren) and his sons, which he "excerptid owte of an old Englisch boke yn ryme,"* and is as follows:

Whitington castle in Shropshire, which together with the coheiress of the original proprietor had been won in a solemn turnament by the ancestor of the Guarines,+ had in the reign of K. John been seized by the Prince of Wales, and was afterwards possessed by Morice a retainer of that Prince, to whom the king out of hatred to the true heir Fulco Guarine (with whom he had formerly had a quarrel at chess ‡) not

* Leland's "Collectanea," Vol. i. pag. 261. 266. 267.

+ This old feudal custom of marrying an heiress to the knight, who should vanquish all his opponents in solemn contest, &c. appears to be burlesqued in the Turnament of Tottenham," See Vol. ii. p. 11.) as is, well observed by the learned author of "Remarks," &c. in Gent. Mag. for July 1794. p. 613.

"John, sun to K. Henry, and Fulco felle at variance at Chestes [r. Chesse]; and John brake Fulco[s] hed with the Chest borde: and then Fulco gave him such a blow, that he had almost killid hym." (Lel. Coll. i. p. 264.) A curious picture of courtly manners in that age!-Notwithstanding this fray, we' read in the next paragraph, that "K. Henry dubbid Fulco & 3 of his bretherne knightes at Winchester." ibid.

only confirmed the possession, but also made him governor of the marches, of which Fulco himself had the custody in the time of K. Richard. The Guarines demanded justice of the king, but obtaining no gracious answer, renounced their allegiance and fled into Bretagne. Returning into England, after various conflicts, "Fulco resortid to one John of Raumpayne, a Sothsayer and Jocular and Minstrelle, and made hym his spy to Morice at Whitington." The privileges of this character we have already seen, and John so well availed himself of them, that in consequence of the intelligence which he doubtless procured, "Fulco and his brethrene laide waite for Morice, as he went toward Salesbyri, and Fulco ther woundid hym; and Bracy" a knight, who was their friend and assistant, "cut of Morice['s] hedde." This sir Bracy being in a subsequent rencounter sore wounded, was taken and brought to K. John: from whose vengeance he was however rescued by this notable Minstrel ; for "John Rampayne founde the meanes to cast them, that kepte Bracy, into a deadely slepe; and so he and Bracy cam to Fulco to Whitington," which on the death of Morice had been restored to him by the Prince of Wales. As no further mention occurs of the Minstrel, I might here conclude this narrative; but I shall just add, that Fulco was obliged to flee into France, where assuming the name of Sir Amice, he distinguished himself in Justs and Turnaments; and, after various romantic adventures by sea and land; having in the true style of chivalry, rescued "certayne ladies owt of prison ;" he finally obtained the king's pardon, and the quiet possession of Whitington Castle.

In the reign of K. Henry III., we have mention of Master Ricard, the King's harper, to whom in his 36th year (1252) that monarch gave not only forty shillings, and a pipe of wine; but also a pipe of wine to Beatrice his wife. * The title of Magister, or Master,

* Burney's Hist. ii. p. 355.-Rot. Pip. An. 36. H. 3. "Et in uno dolio vini empto et dato Magistro Ricardo Citharista Regis, xl. sol. per br. Reg. Et in uno dolio empto et dato Beatrici uxori ejusdem Ricardi."

given to this minstrel deserves notice, and shows his respectable situation.

V. The Harper, or Minstrel, was so necessary an attendant on a royal personage, that Prince Edward (afterwards K. Edward I.) in his Crusade to the Holy Land, in 1271, was not without his Harper: who must have been officially very near his person; as we are told by a contemporary historian,* that, in the attempt to assassinate that heroic prince, when he had wrested the poisoned knife out of the Sarazen's hand, and killed him with his own weapon; the attendants, who had stood apart while he was whispering to their master, hearing the struggle, ran to his assistance, and one of them, to wit his Harper, seizing a tripod or trestle, struck the assassin on the head and beat out his brains.† And though the Prince blamed him for striking the man after he was dead; yet his near access shows the respectable situation of this officer; and his affectionate zeal should have induced Edward to entreat his brethren the Welsh Bards afterwards with more lenity.

Whatever was the extent of this great Monarch's severity towards the professors of music and of song in Wales; whether the executing by martial law such of them as fell into his hands was only during the heat of conflict, or was continued afterwards with more systematic rigour ; yet in his own court the Minstrels

*Walter Hemmingford, (vixit temp. Edw. I.) in Chronic. cap. 35. inter v. Hist. Ang. Scriptores, vol. ii. Oxon. 1687. fol. pag. 591.

+"Accurrentes ad hæc Ministri ejus, qui a longe steterunt, invenerunt eum [scil. Nuntium] in terra mortuum, et apprehendit unus eorum tripodem, scilicet Cithareda suus et percussit eum in capite, et effundit cerebrum ejus. Increpavitque eum Edwardus quod hominem mortuum percussisset." Ibid. These Ministri" must have been upon a very confidential footing, as it appears above in the same chapter, that they had been made acquainted with the contents of the letters, which the assassin had delivered to the Prince from his master.

See Gray's Ode; and the Hist. of the Gwedir Family in "Miscellanies by the Hon. Daines Barrington," 1781. 4to. p. 386; who in the Laws, &c. of this Monarch could find no instances of severity against the Welsh. See his "Observations on the

Statutes," 4to. 4th Edit. p. 358.

appear to have been highly favoured: for when, in 1306, he conferred the order of knighthood on his son, and many others of the young nobility, a multitude of Minstrels were introduced to invite and induce the new knights to make some military vow (X.) And

Under the succeeding reign of K. Edward II., such extensive privileges were claimed by these men, and by dissolute persons assuming their character, that it became a matter of public grievance and was obliged to be reformed by an express regulation in A. D. 1315 (Y). Notwithstanding which, an incident is recorded in the ensuing year, which shows that Minstrels still retained the liberty of entering at will into the royal presence, and had something peculiarly splendid in their dress. It is thus related by Stow (Z.)

"In the year 1316, Edward the second did solemnize his feast of Pentecost at Westminster, in the great hall where sitting royally at the table with his peers about him, there entered a woman adorned like a Minstrel, sitting on a great horse trapped, as Minstrels then used; who rode round about the tables, shewing pastime; and at length came up to the king's table, and laid before him a letter, and forthwith turning her horse saluted every one and departed."The subject of this letter was a remonstrance to the king on the favours heaped by him on his minions, to the neglect of his knights and faithful servants.

The privileged character of a Minstrel was employed on this occasion, as sure of gaining an easy admittance; and a female the rather deputed to assume it, that in case of detection, her sex might disarm the king's resentment. This is offered on a supposition,

:

that she was not a real Minstrel for there should seem to have been Women of this profession, (A a.) as well as of the other sex ; and no accomplishment is so constantly attributed to Females, by our ancient Bards, as their singing to, and playing on the Harp. (A a. 2.)

In the fourth year of K. Richard II. John of Gaunt erected at Tutbury in Staffordshire, a Court of Minstrels, similar to that annually kept at Chester (p. xxxvi.) and which, like a Court-Leet or Court

Baron, had a legal jurisdiction, with full power to receive suit and service from the men of this profession within five neighbouring counties, to enact laws, and determine their controversies; and to apprehend and arrest such of them, as should refuse to appear at the said court, annually held on the 16th of August. For this they had a charter by which they were empowered to appoint a King of the Minstrels with four officers to preside over them. (B b.) These were every year elected with great ceremony; the whole form of which, as observed in 1680, is described by Dr. Plott: * in whose time however they appear to have lost their singing talents, and to have confined all their skill to "wind and string Music." +

The Minstrels seem to have been in many respects upon the same footing as the Heralds : And the King of the Minstrels, like the King-at-Arms, was both here and on the Continent an usual officer in the courts of princes. Thus we have in the reign of K. Edward I. mention of a King Robert, and others. And in 16 Edw. II. is a grant to William de Morlee, "the king's Minstrel, styled Roy de North," of houses which had belonged to another king, John le Boteler. (B b. 2.) Rymer hath also printed a licence granted by K. Richard II: in 1387, to John Caumz, the king of his minstrels, to pass the seas, recommending him to the protection and kind treatment of all his subjects and allies.§

In the subsequent reign of K. Henry IV. we meet

Hist. of Staffordshire. Ch. 10. § 69-76. p. 433. & seqq. of which see Extracts in Sir J. Hawkins's Hist. of Music. Vol. ii. p. 64, and Dr. Burney's Hist. vol. ii. p. 360 & seqq.

N. B. The barbarous diversion of Bull running, was no part of the original Institution, &c. as is fully proved by the Rev. Dr. Pegge in "Archæologia." Vol ii. No xiii. pag. 86.

+ See the charge given by the Steward, at the time of the Election in Plot's Hist. ubi supra; and in Hawkins, p. 67. Burney, p. 363, 4.

So among the Heralds "Norrey" was anciently styled "Roy d'Armes de North." (Anstis, ii. 300.) And the Kings at Armes in general were originally called "Reges Heraldorum." (Ibid. p. 302. as these were "Reges Minstrallorum."

Rymer's "Fœdera." Tom. vii. p. 555.