an ancient term for a finger and instrumental performer.

The word minstrel is derived from the French menestrier, and was not in use here before the Norman conquest. It is remarkable, that our old monkish historians do not use the word citharaedus, cantator, or the like, to express a minstrel in Latin; but either mimus, histrio, joculator, or some other word that implies jesture. Hence it should seem that the minstrels set off their singing by mimicry or action; or, according to Dr Brown's hypothesis, united the powers of melody, poem, and dance.

The Saxons, as well as the ancient Danes, had been accustomed to hold men of this profession in the highest reverence. Their skill was considered as something divine, their persons were deemed sacred, their attendance was solicited by kings, and they were everywhere loaded with honours and rewards. In short, poets and their art were held among them in that rude admiration which is ever shown by an ignorant people to such as excel them in intellectual accomplishments. When the Saxons were converted to Christianity, in proportion as letters prevailed among them, this rude admiration began to abate, and poetry was no longer a peculiar profession. The poet and the minstrel became two persons. Poetry was cultivated by men of letters indiscriminately, and many of the most popular rhymes were composed amidst the leisure and retirement of monasteries. But the minstrels continued a distinct order of men, and got their livelihood by singing verses to the harp at the houses of the great. There they were still hospitably and respectfully received, and retained many of the honours shown to their predecessors the Bards and Scalds. And indeed, though some of them only recited the compositions of others, many of them still composed songs themselves; and all of them could probably invent a few stanzas on occasion. There is no doubt but most of the old heroic ballads were produced by this order of men. For although some of the larger metrical romances might come from the pen of the monks or others, yet the smaller narratives were probably composed by the minstrels who sang them. From the amazing variations which occur in different copies of these old pieces, it is evident they made no scruple to alter each other's productions, and the reciter added or omitted whole stanzas according to his own fancy or convenience.

In the early ages, as is hinted above, this profession was held in great reverence among the Saxon tribes, as well as among their Danish brethren. This appears from two remarkable facts in history, which show that the same arts of music and song were equally admired among both nations, and that the privileges and honours conferred upon the professors of them were common to both; as it is well known their customs, manners, and even language, were not in those times very dissimilar.

When King Alfred the Great was desirous to learn the true situation of the Danish army, which had invaded his realm, he assumed the dress and character of a minstrel; and taking his harp, and only one attendant (for in the earliest times it was not unusual for a minstrel to have a servant to carry his harp), he went with the utmost security into the Danish camp. Minstrel! And though he could not but be known to be a Saxon, the character he had assumed procured him a hospitable reception; he was admitted to entertain the king at table, and stayed among them long enough to contrive that assault which afterwards destroyed them. This was in the year 878.

About 60 years after, a Danish king made use of the same disguise to explore the camp of King Athelstan. With his harp in his hand, and dressed like a minstrel, Anlaff king of the Danes went among the Saxon tents, and taking his stand near the king's pavilion, began to play, and was immediately admitted. There he entertained Athelstan and his lords with his singing and his music; and was at length dismissed with an honourable reward, though his songs must have discovered him to have been a Dane. Athelstan was saved from the consequences of this stratagem by a soldier, who had observed Anlaff bury the money which had been given him, from some scruple of honour or motive of superstition. This occasioned a discovery.

From the uniform procedure of both these kings, it is plain that the same mode of entertainment prevailed among both peoples, and that the minstrel was a privileged character among both. Even as late as the reign of Edward II. the minstrels were easily admitted into the royal presence, as appears from a passage in Stow, which also shows the splendor of their appearance.

"In the year 1316, Edward II. did solemnise 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, showing 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 messenger was sent in a minstrel's habit, as what would gain an easy admission; and was a woman concealed under that habit, probably to disarm the king's resentment: for we do not find that any of the real minstrels were of the female sex; and therefore conclude this was only an artful contrivance peculiar to that occasion.

In the 4th year of Richard II. John of Gaunt erected at Tetbury in Staffordshire a court of minstrels, with a full power to receive suit and service from the men of his 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. These were every year elected with great ceremony; the whole form of which is described by Dr Plot: in whose time, however, they seem to have become mere musicians.

Even so late as the reign of King Henry VIII. the reciters of verses or moral speeches learnt by heart, intruded without ceremony into all companies; not only Minstrel only in taverns, but in the houses of the nobility themselves. This we learn from Erasmus, whose argument led him only to describe a species of these men who did not sign their compositions; but the others that did, enjoyed without doubt the same privileges.

We find that the minstrels continued down to the reign of Elizabeth; in whose time they had lost much of their dignity, and were sinking into contempt and neglect. Yet still they sustained a character far superior to any thing we can conceive at present 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 personages introduced was that of an ancient minstrel, whose appearance and dress are so minutely described by a writer there present, and gives us so distinct an idea of the character, that we shall quote the passage at large.

"A person very meet seemed he for the purpose, of a xlv. years old, appalled partly as he would himself. His cap off: his head seemingly rounded tonsilwife: fair-kembled, that, with a sponge daintily dipt in a little capon's grease, was finely smoothed, to make it shine like a mallard's wing. His beard snugly shaven: and yet his shirt after the new trim, with ruffs fair starched, flecked and glistering like a pair of new shoes, marbled in good order with a setting slick, and strut, 'that' every ruff stood up like a wafer. A side [i.e. long] gown of Kendale green, after the freshness of the year now, gathered at the neck with a narrow gorget, fastened afore with a white clasp and a keeper close up to the chin; but easily, for heat, to undo when he lift. Seemingly begirt in a red caddis girdle: from that a pair of capped Sheffield knives hanging at two sides. Out of his bosom drawn from a lappet of his napkin edged with a blue lace, and marked with a D for Damian; for he was but a bachelor yet.

"His gown had side [i.e. long] sleeves down to mid-leg, slit from the shoulder to the hand, and lined with white cotton. His doublet-sleeves of black worked: upon them a pair of pointes of tawny chambel laced along the wrist with blue threaden pointes. A wealt towards the hands of fustian-a-napes. A pair of red leather-stockings. A pair of pumps on his feet, with a crofs cut at his toes for corns; not new indeed, yet cleanly blackt with foot, and shining as a foaming horn.

"About his neck a red ribbon suitable to his girdle. His harp in good grace dependent before him. His wreft tyed to a green lace and hanging 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 summer season, unto fair and worshipful mens houses. From his chain hung a feutecheon, with metal and colour, resplendent upon his breast, of the ancient arms of Islington."

—This minstrel is described as belonging to that village. We suppose such as were retained by noble families wore their arms hanging down by a silver chain as a kind of badge. From the expression of Squire Minstrel above, we may conclude there were other inferior orders, as Yeomen Minstrels, or the like.

This minstrel, the author tells us a little below, "after three lowly courtesies, cleared his voice with a hem ... and wiped his lips with the hollow of his hand for 'filing his napkin; tempered a string or two with his wreft; and, after a little warbling on his harp for a prelude, came forth with a solemn song, warranted for glory out of King Arthur's acts, &c."

Towards the end of the 16th century, this class of men had lost all credit, and were sunk too low in the public opinion, that in the 39th year of Elizabeth a statute was passed by which "minstrels, wandering abroad," were included among "rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars," and were adjudged to be punished as such. This act seems to have put an end to the profession, for after this time they are no longer mentioned.