were committed during the fair. This fpecial protection caused multitudes of loofe and diforderly people to refort to that fair; which afterwards proved of fig nal benefit to one of his fucceffors. For Ranulph the laft Earl of Chester, marching into Wales with a flender attendance, was constrained to retire to his castle of Rothelan or Rhuydland; in which he was ftraightly befieged by the Welth. Finding himself hard preffed, he contrived to give notice of his danger to Lord Roger (or John) de Lacy, Conftable of Chefter, who making ufe of the MINSTRELS then affembled at Chefter fair: These men, like fo many Tyrtæus's, by their Mufic and their Songs fo allured and infpirited the multitudes of loofe and lawless perfons then brought together, that they refolutely marched against the Welsh: Hugh de Dutton, a gallant youth, who was steward to Lacy, putting himself at their head. The Welsh alarmed at the approach of this rabble, fuppofing them to be a regular body of armed and difciplined veterans, inftantly raised the fiege and retired."

For this good service, Ranulph granted to the Lacies by charter a peculiar patronage over men of this fort: who devolved the fame again upon Dutton and his heirs +. And the MINSTRELS his affiftants, enjoyed for many ages peculiar honours and privileges under the defcendants of that family. For even fo late as the reign of Elizabeth, when this profeffion had fallen into fuch difcredit, that it was confidered in law as a nuifance, the Minstrels under the protection of the family of Dutton, are exprefsly excepted out of all acts of parliament made for their fuppreffion; and have continued to be fo excepted ever fince (W).

The ceremonies attending the exercife of this jurifdiction, are thus defcribed by Dugdale as handed down to his time, viz. "That at Midfummer fair, "all

See a very curious ancient record, upon this fubje&, in Blount's Law Dictionary, 1717. fol. (article MINSTREL.)

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"all the minstrels of that country reforting to Chefter, "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 furcoat of his arms depicted on taffata; the reft of his fellows proceeding two and two, and playing on their feve"ral forts of mufical inftruments. And after divine "fervice is' ended, they' 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 ufually made for the better government of "that Society, with Penalties to those who shall tranfgrefs them."

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To refume the thread of this flight hiftory, in the reign of Edward I. (fevere as that monarch was in extirpating the Bards of Wales), a MULTITUDE OF MINSTRELS are exprefsly mentioned to have given their attendance in his court at the folemn act of knighting his fon (X): and under the reign of his fon, fuch extenfive privileges were claimed by these men, and by diffolute perfons affuming their character, that it be came a matter of public grievance, and was obliged to be reformed by an exprefs regulation in the year 1315 (Y). Notwithstanding which, an incident is recorded in the enfuing year, which shows that MINSTRELS ftill retained the liberty of entering at will into the royal prefence, and had fomething peculiarly splendid in their drefs. It is thus related by Stow (Z).

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"In the year 1316, Edward the fecond did folem"nize his feast of Pentecoft at Westminster, in the great "hall where fitting royally at the table with his 66 peers about him, there entered a woman ADORNED LIKE A MINSTREL, fitting on a great horfe trapped, 66 AS MINSTRELS THEN USED, who rode round about "the tables, shewing paftime: and at length came up to the king's table, and laid before him a let

2

tera

ter, and forthwith turning her horse saluted every one and departed." The fubject 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 fervants.

It was a Minstrel who was deputed to this office, as one of that character was fure of gaining an easy admittance and a Female Minstrel was the rather chofen, I fuppofe, as more likely to difarm the king's refentment: for there fhould feem to have been women of this profeflion, as well as thofe of the other fex (Aa).

In the fourth year of Richard II. † John of Gaunt erected at Tutbury in Staffordshire, a COURT OF MINSTRELS, with a full power to receive fuit and fervice from the men of this profeffion within five neighbouring counties, to enact laws, and determine their controverfies; and to apprehend and arrest such of them, as fhould refuse to appear at the faid court, annually held on the 16th of Auguft. For this they had a charter by which they were empowered to appoint a KING OF THE MINSTRELS with four officers to prefide over them (Bb). These were every year elected with great ceremony, the whole form of which is described by Dr. Plott; in whose time however they appear to have lost their finging talents, and to have become mere muficians.

Even fo late as the reign of Henry VIII. a stated number of Minstrels were retained in all great and noble families, as appears from the Establishment of the Houshold of the then EARL OF NORTHUMBER LAND (CC): and we find, that it was at that time a common entertainment to hear verses recited, or moral fpeeches learned for that purpose, by a fet of men who got their livelihood by repeating them, and who intruded without ceremony into all companies; not only in VOL. 1. taverns,

Anno Dom. 1381.

b

Hift. of Staffordsh. ch. 10. § 69---7§. p. 435, &C2

taverns, but in the houses of the nobility themselves. 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 (Dd).

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 charac ter far fuperior to any thing we can conceive at prefent of the fingers of old ballads +.

When Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Killingworth Castle 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, whofe appearance and drefs are fo minutely defcribed by a writer there prefent (Ee), and give us fo diftinct an idea of the character, that I fhall quote the paffage at large.

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"A PERSON very meet seemed he for the purpose, of a xlv years old, apparelled partly as he would himfelf. 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 fhine 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 fhoes, marfhalled in good order with a fetting stick, and ftrut, that' every ruff stood up "like a wafer. A fide [i. e. long] gown of Kendale green, after the freshness of the year now, gathered at the neck with a narrow gorget, faftened afore with "a white clafp and a keeper close up to the chin; but. "eafily, for heat, to undo when he lift. Seemly be"girt in a red caddis girdle: from that a pair of cap

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86

+ See Vol. 2. p. 167, &c.

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

ped

દ

ped Sheffield knives hanging a' two fides. Out of "his bofom drawn forth a lappet of his napkin+ edgied with a blue lace, and marked with a D for Da"mian, for he was but a batchelor yet.

"His gown had fide [i. e. long] fleeves down to "mid-leg, flit from the shoulder 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 cross cut at his toes for corns: not new "indeed, yet cleanly blackt with foot, ànd 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 hang"ing 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 worship"ful mens houfes. From his chain hung a fcutcheon, "with metal and colour, refplendant upon his breast, " of the ancient arms of Iflington."

-This Minstrel is defcribed as belonging to that village. I fuppofe fuch as were retained by noble families, wore the arms of their patrons hanging down by a filver chain as a kind of badge . From the expreffion

b z

tie. handkerchief, or cravat.
Perhaps, Points.
*The key, or fcrew, 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 Minstrel.

As the HOUSE of NORTHUMBERLAND had anciently THREE MINSTRELS attending on them in their caftles in Yorkshire, fo they fill retain THREE in their fervice in Northumberland, who

wear