they might be fometimes countenanced by fuch of the clergy as were of more relaxed morals, their fportive talents rendered them generally obnoxious to the more rigid Ecclefiaftics, and to fuch of the religious orders as were of more fevere difcipline; whofe writings commonly abound with heavy complaints of the great encouragement fhewn to thefe men by the princes and nobles, and who can feldom afford them a better name than that of Scurra, Temelici, Nebulones, &c. of which innumerable inftances may be feen in Du Cange. It was even an established order in fome of the monafteries, that no Minstrel should ever be suffered to enter their gates. (B) "The Minstrels ufed mimicry and action, and "other means of diverting, &c."] It is obfervable, that our old monkish hiftorians feldom ufe the words Cantator, Citharadus, Muficus, or the like, to exprefs a MINSTREL in Latin, but either Mimus, Hiftrio, Joculator, or fome other word that implies gefture. Hence it might be inferred, that the Minstrels fet off their fongs with all the arts of gefticulation, &c. or, according to the ingenious hypothefis of Dr. Brown, united the powers of melody, poem, and dance. [See his Hiftory of the Rife of Poetry, &c.] But this is alfo proved by more pofitive evidence ; for all the old writers defcribe them as exercifing various arts of this kind. We have a remarkable instance of this in Joinville's life of S. Lewis *; which shews, that the MINSTRELS were fometimes very dextrous Tumblers and Pofture-mafters. "Avec le Prince vin rent trois Meneftriers de la Grande Hyermenie [Armenia).... et avoient trois cors.- -Quand ils encommenceoient a corner, vous diffiez que ce font les " voix *The curious reader may fee the extract at large, in the Obfervations on the Ancient Statutes, p. 273. Joinvil.e however feems to fpeak of this as a rare inftance. [Vid. p. 117.] " voix de cygnes,.. "melodies. et fefoient les plous douces Ils fefoient trois merveilleus SAUS, car on leur metoit une touaille defous les piez, et tournoi65 ent tout debout. . . . Les deux tournoient les teftes "arieres." &c. &c. ... This will account to us for that remarkable clause in the prefs warrant of Henry VI. "De Miniftrallis propter folatium regis providendis," by which it is required, that the boys to be provided in arte Miniftraliatus infructos, should also be membris naturalibus elegantes. See the warrant at large in Rymer, 34. Hen. VI. (Obferv. on the Anc. Stat. p. 273.) By MINSTREL was properly understood in English, One who fung to the harp, or fome other inftrument of mufic, verfes compofed by himself or others: Not but the term was fometimes applied by our old writers to fuch as profeffed either mufic or finging feparately, and perhaps to fuch as practifed any of the sportive arts connected with thefe*. Mufic however being the leading idea, was at length peculiarly called MINSTRELSY, and the name of MINSTREL at laft confined to the Mufician only. In the French language all these Arts were included ander the general name of Meneftraudie Meneftraudife, Jonglerie, &c. [Med. Lat. Menestellorum ars, Ars Joculateria, &c.]"On peut comprendre fons le nom de JoN GLERIE tout ce qui appartient aux anciens chanfon"niers Provençaux, Normands, Picards, &c. Le corps de la Jonglerie etoit formé des Trouveres, ou Troubadours, qui compofoient les chanfons, et parmi lefquels il y "avoit des Improvifateurs, comme on en trouve en Ita lie; des Chantecurs ou Chanteres qui executoient ou "chanteoient ces compofitions; des Conteurs qui fai"foient en vers ou en profe les contes, les recits, les hif"toires; des Jongleurs ou Meneftrels qui accompagnoient "de leurs inftrumens.-L'art de ces Chantres ou Chanfonniers, etoit nommé la Science Gaie, Gay Sater." (Pref. Anthologie Franç. 1765. 8vo. p. 17.)See alfo 66 * Vid. infra, Not. A a. the 66 the curious FAUCHET (De l'Orig. de la Lang. Fr. p. 72, c.) Bien toft apres la divifion de ce grand empire "François en tant de petits royaumes, duchez, & " comtez, au lieu des Poetes commencerent a se faire "cognoiftre les Trouverres, et Chanterres, Contëours, et "Fugleours: qui font Trouveurs, Chantres, Conteurs, JONGLEURS, ou JUGLEURS, c'eft à dire, MENESTRIERS chantans avec la viole." We see then that Jongleur, Fugleur, (Lat. Foculator, Juglator) was the peculiar name appropriated to the Minstrels. Les Jongleours ne faifoient que chanter les poefies fur leurs inftrumens. On les appelloit auffi MENESTRELS: fays Fontenelle, in his Hift. du Theat. Franç. prefixed to his Life of Corneille. دو (C) "Succeffors of the ancient BARDS."] That the MINSTRELS in many respects bore a strong refemblance both to the British BARDS and to the Danish SCALDS, appears from this, that the old Monkish writers exprefs them all.without diftinction by the fame names in Latin. Thus Geoffery of Monmouth, himfelf a Welshman, fpeaking of an old pagan British king, who excelled in finging and mufic, fo far as to be esteemed by his countrymen the Patron Deity of the BARDS, ufes the phrafe Deus JoCULATORUM; which is the peculiar name given to the English and French Minftrels +. In like manner, William of Malmesbury, fpeaking of a Danish king's affuming the profeffion of a SCALD, expreffes it by, Profeffus MIMUM; which was another name given to the Minstrels in Middle Latinity*. Indeed DU CANGE, in his Gloffary, quotes a writer, who pofitively afferts that the MINSTRELS of the middle ages were the fame with the ancient BARDS. I fhall give a large extract from this learned gloffographer, as he relates many curious particulars concerning the profeffion and arts of the Minstrels; whom, after the monks, he ftigmatizes by the name of Scurra; though he acknowledges their fongs often tended to inspire virtue. "MINI + Vid. Not. B. K. Q. * Vid. Not. N. "latores." 66 "MINISTRELLI, dicti præfertim Seurre, Mimi, JocuEjufmodi Scurrarum munus erat "principes non fuis duntaxat ludicris oblectare, fed et 68 eorum aures variis avorum, adeoque ipforum prin"cipum laudibus, non fine ASSENTATIONE, Cum canti.. "lenis & muficis inftrumentis demulcere. "Interdum etiam virorum infignium & heroum gefta, aut explicata & jocunda narratione comme"morabant, aut fuavi vocis inflexione, fidibufque de cantabant, quo fic dominorum, cæterorumque qui "his intererant ludicris, nobilium animos ad VIRTU66 TEM capeffendam, et fummorum virorum imitatio nem accenderent: quod fuit olim apud Gallos Bar"dorum minifterium, ut auctor eft Tacitus. Neque "enim alios à Miniftellis, veterum Gallorum Bardos "fuiffe pluribus probat Henricus Valefius ad 15 Am"miani.... "Nicolaus de Braia defcribens folenne convivium, quo poft inaugurationem fuam proceres excepit "Lud. VIII. rex Francorum, ait inter ipfius convivij "apparatum, in medium prodiiffe MIMUM, qui regis "laudes ad cytharam decantayit.". Our author then gives the lines at length, which begin thus, "Dumque fovent genium geniali munere Bacchi, The reft may be seen in Du Cange, who thus proceeds, "Mitto reliqua fimilia, ex quibus omnino patet ejuf" modi Mimorum & Miniftellorum cantilenas ad virtutem principes excitaffe..... Id præfertim in pugnæ præcincty, dominis fuis occinebant, ut martium ardo. "rem rem in eorum animis concitarent: cujufmodi cantum "Cantilenam Rollandi appellat Will, Malmesb. lib. 3. -Aimoinus, lib. 4. de Mirac. S. Bened. c. 37. "Tanta vero illis fecuritas. . . ut SCURRAM fe precedere "facerent, qui mufico inftrumento res fortiter geftas et priorum bella præcineret, quatenus bis acrius incitarentur, " &c." As the writer was a monk, we fhall not wonder at his calling the Minstrel, Scurram. (D) "The BARDS in Gaul, Britain, Ireland, and "the North.... held in rude admiration."] For a more full account of the SCALDS or Bards of the ancient DANES, the reader may confult the books referred to in pag. xx, note (I). and he may fee fpecimens of their compofition in almost all the ancient writers of Scandinavian history; not to mention the "Five pieces of "Runic Poetry," &c. 9. Concerning the BARDS of GAUL, See Pelloutier Hift. des Celtes, Tom. I. L. 2. c. No remains of their poetry are now extant; but as for thofe of BRITAIN and IRELAND, they have been more fortunate. A curious account of the ancient WELSH BARDS may be feen in GIRALDI CAMBRENSIS Cambria Defcript. Lond. 1585, 12mo. Dr. PowEL's Hift. of Wales, by Wynne, 1697, &c. and Specimens of their Poetry in the late publication of the learned Mr. EVAN EVANS, in 4to. 1764.-For an account of the IRISH Bards, the curious reader may confult O CONNOR'S "Differtations on the Hift. of Ireland." Dublin, 1766, 8vo. SPENCER'S "View "of the State of Ireland," &c. &c. But no pieces of their poetry have been tranflated, unless their claim may be allowed to those beautiful pieces of ERSE POESY, which were lately given to the world in an Englifh dress by Mr. MAC-PHERSON : Several fragments of which the editor of this book has heard fung in the original language, and translated vivâ voce, by a native of the Highlands, who had, at the time, no opportunity of confulting Mr. Macpherson's book. 3 (E) "The |