.. (E) The Poet and the Minstrel early with us became two perfons."] The word SCALD comprehended both characters among the Danes, nor do I know that they had any peculiar name for either of them feparate. But it was not fo with the AngloSaxons. They called a POET Sceop, and Leodpynta: the laft of these comes from Leod, a SONG; and the former answers to our old word MAKER (Gr. Horns) being derived from Scippan or Sceopan, formare, facere, fingere, creare (Ang. to fhape). As for the MINSTREL, they diftinguished him by the peculiar appellation of digman, and perhaps by the more fimple title of peanpene, Harper: [See below, notes H, I.] This laft title, at leaft, is often given to a Minstrel by our most ancient English rhymifts. See in this work Vol. I. p. 69, c. Vol. III. p. 43, &c. (F) The Minstrels were ftill hofpitably received, "&c."] Du Cange affirms, that, in the middle ages, the courts of princes fwarmed so much with this kind of men, and fuch large fums were expended in maintaining and rewarding them, that they often drained the royal treafuries: efpecially, he adds, of fuch as were delighted with their flatteries (præfertim qui ejufmodi Minifiellorum affentationibus delectabantur.) He then confirms his affertion by feveral paffages out of monastic writers, who fharply inveigh against this extravagance. Of thefe I fhall here felect only one or two, which show what kinds of rewards were beflowed on thefe old Songfters. * "Rigordus de Geftis Philippi Aug. an. 1185. Cum in curiis regum feu aliorum principum, frequens turba HISTRIONUM Convenire foleat, ut ab eis AURUM, ARGEN“TUM, EQUOS, feu VESTES, quos perfæpe mutare con"fueverunt principes, ab eis extorqueant, verba Jocula"toria variis adulationibus plena proferre nituntur. *ut magis placeant, quicquid de ipfis principibus probabi "liter fingi poteft, videlicet omnes delitias et lepores, et vifu dignas urbanitates et cæteras ineptias, trutinantibus Et buccis "buccis in medium eructare non erubefcunt. Vidimus quon"dam quofdam principes, qui VESTES diu excogitatas, et "variis florum picturationibus artificiosè elaboratas, pro quibus forfan 20 vel 30 marchas argenti confumpferant, "vix revolutis feptem diebus HISTRIONIBUS, miniftris "diaboli, ad primam vocem dediffe, &c." The curious reader may find a fimilar, though at the fame time a more candid account, in that molt excellent writer, Prefid. FAUCHET: (Recueil de la lang. Fr. p. 73.) who fays, that, like the ancient Greek Aoi dor, "Nos Trouverres, ainfi que ceux la, prenans leur fub"ject fur les faits des vaillans (qu'ils appelloyent Geste, "venant de Gefta Latin) alloyent . . . par les cours rejouir les Princes... Remportans des grandes recompençes des feigneurs, qui bien fouvent leur donnoyent jufques aux ROBES qu'ils avoyent veftues: & "lefquelles ces Jugleours ne failloyent de porter aux "autres cours, à fin d'inviter les feigneurs a pareille "liberalité. Ce qui à durè fi longuement, qu'il Ma SOUVIENT AVOIR VEU Martin Baraton (ja viel Me"neftrier d'Orleans) lequel aux feftes et nopces batoit un tabourin d'argent, femé des plaques auffi d'argent, gravees des armoiries de ceux a qui il avoit "appris a DANSER 66 66 Fontenelle even gives us to understand, that these men were often rewarded with favours of a ftill higher kind. "Les princeffes & les plus grandes dames y joignoient fouvent leurs faveurs. Elles etoient fort "foible contre les beaux efprits." (Hift. du Theat.) We are not to wonder then that this profeffion fhould be followed by men of the firft quality, particularly the younger fons and brothers of great houfes. Tel qui par les partages de fa famille n'avoit que la moitie ou le quart d'une vieux chateaux bien feigneurial, alloit quelque temps courir le monde en rimant, et reve 66 2 "noit *Here we fee that a Minftrel performed fometimes the function of a Dancing-Mafter. "noit acquirir le refte de Chateau." (Fontenelle Hift: du Theat.) We fee then, that there was no improbable fiction in those ancient Songs and Romances, which are founded on the ftory of Minstrels being beloved by kings daughters, &c. and difcovering themfelves to be the fons of fome fovereign prince, &c. The honours and rewards lavished upon the Minstrels were not confined to the continent: Our own countryman Johannes Sarifburienfis (in the time of Henry 11,) declaims no lefs lefs than the monks abroad, against the extravagant favour fhewn to these men. Non enim more nugatorum ejus feculi in HISTRIONES, & MIMOS, et hujufmodi monftra hominum, ob fama redemptionem & dilatationem nominis effunditis opes veftras, &c. [Epift. 247.*] The Monks feem to grudge every act of munificence that was not applied to the benefit of themselves and their convents. They therefore bestow great applauses upon the Emperour Henry, who, at his marriage with Agnes of Poitou, in 1044, difappointed the poor Minftrels, and fent them away empty. Infinitam HiftrioJoculatorum multitudinem, fine cibo & muneribus vacuam mærentem abire permifit. (Chronic. Virtziburg.) For which I doubt not but he was fufficiently ftigmatized in the fongs and ballads of thofe times. Vid. Du Cange, Gloff. tom. 4. p. 771, &c. num, (G) "The annals of the Anglo-Saxons are scanty "and defective."] Of the few hiftories now remaining, that were written before the Norman conqueft, almost all are fuch short and naked sketches and abridgments, giving only a concife and general relation of the more remarkable events, that fcarce any of the minute circumftantial particulars are to be found in them: nor do they hardly ever defcend to a defcription of the cuftoms, manners, or domeftic œconomy of their countrymen. The SAXON CHRONICLE, for inftance, which is the beft of them, and upon fome accounts extremely valuable, is almoft fuchan epitome *Et vid. Policraticon. Cap. &, &c. as as Lucius Florus and Eutropius have left us of the Roman hiftory. As for ETHELWARD, his book is judged to be an imperfect tranflation of the Saxon chronicle* ; and the Pfeudo-Affer or Chronicle of St. Neot is a poor defective performance. How abfurd would it be then to argue against the exift nce of cuftoms or facts, from the filence of fuch fcanty records as thefe? Whoever would carry his refearches deep into that period of history, might fafely plead the excufe of a learned writer, who had particularly studied the AnteNorman hiftorians. "Conjecturis (licet nufquam fine verifimili fundamento) aliquoties indulgemus... utpote ab Hiftoricis jejune nimis indiligenter res nofiras tractantibus coacti . . . . Noftri... nuda factorum commemoratione plerumque contenti, reliqua omnia, five ob ipfarum rerum, five meliorum literarum, five Hiftoricorum officii ignorantiam, fere intacta prætereunt." Vide plura in Præfat. ad Ælfr. Vitam a Spelman. Ox. 1678. fol. .... (H)" Minstrels and Harpers."] That the HARP (Cithara) was the common mufical inftrument of the Anglo-Saxons, might be inferred from the very word itself, which is not derived from the British, or any other Celtic language, but of genuine Gothic original, and current among every branch of that people: viz. Ang.-Sax. peanpe; peanpa. Iceland. Carpa; Haurpa, Dan. and Belg. Harpe. Germ. Harpffe, Harpffa. Gal. Harpe. Span. Harpa. Ital. Arpa. [Vid. Jun. Etym. -Menage Etym. &c.] As alfo from this, that the word peappe is conftantly ufed in the Anglo-Saxon verfions, to exprefs the Latin words Cithara, Lyra, and even Cymbalum: the word Pfalmus itfelf being fometimes tranflated peanp rang, HARP-SONG. [Gloff. Jun. R. apud Lye Anglo-Sax. Lex.] But the fact itself is pofitively proved by the express teftimony of Bede, who tells us that it was ufual at festival meetings for this inftrument to be handed round, and each of the company to fing to it in his turn. See VOL. I. C Vid. Nicholfon's Eng. Hift. Libr. &a his /a his Hift. Ecclef. Anglor. Lib. 4. c. 24. where fpeaking of their facred poet Cadmon, who lived in the times of the Heptarchy (ob. circ. 680.) he says: "Nihil unquam frivoli & fupervacui poematis facere potuit; fed ea tantummodo, quæ ad religionem pertinent, religiofam ejus linguam decebant. Siquidem in habitu fæculari, ufque ad tempora provectioris ætatis conftitutus, nil Carminum aliquando didicerat. Unde nonnunquam in convivio, cum effet lætitiæ caufa ut omnes per ordinem CANTARE deberent, ille ubi appropinquare fibi CITHARAM cernebat, furgebat a media cana, et egreffus ad fuam domum reped/bat." I fhall now fubjoin king ALFRED's own AngloSaxon tranflation of this pailage, with a literal interlineary English version. De... nærne noht leafunga, ne deler leoder pуnce an ne .... never mihte. ac epne da an da de to æfertnesre belumpon. T might; but lo! only those things which to religion [ piety] belong, and hir da ærerran tungan gedafenode ringan: pær he re man bis then pious tongue became to fing: He was the [a] man in peopole-hade gesered in worldly [fecular] ftate fet oð da tide de he pær of gelyto the time in which he was of an fedre ÿldo. he næfre ænig leop geleornode. & he advanced age; and be never any fong learned. And be Forbon oft in gebeoɲrcipe donne dæɲ pær blisse intinga therefore of T in an entertainment when there [it] was for merriment-sake gedemed. hi ealle rceoldan duph endebyrdnesse adjudged [or decreed], that they ALL fhould through their turns be heappan ringan. donne he gereah da heaɲpan him neaby [to the] HARP SING; when he saw the HARP him ap 1ӕсал. |