Percy's Reliques of ancient English poetry nach der ersten ausgabe von 1765 mit den varianten der späteren originalausgaben hrsg. und mit einleitung und registern versehen

lect. Yet still they sustained a character far superior to any thing we can conceive at present of the singers 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 give us so distinct an idea of the character, that I shall quote the passage at large.

,,A PERSON very meet seemed he for the purpose, of a "xlv years old, aparelled partly as he would himself. His "cap off: his head seemly rounded tonster wise ||: fair kembed, 15 "that with a sponge daintily dipt in a little capon's greace, "was finely smoothed, to make it shine like a mallard's "wing. His beard smugly shaven: and yet his shirt after "the new trink, with ruffs fair starched, sleeked and glis"tering like a pair of new ["shoes, XX] "shoes, marshalled in b 2 20 "good order with a setting stick, 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 25 "heat, to undo when he list. Seemly begirt in a red cad"dis girdle from that a pair of capped Sheffield knives "hanging a' two sides. Out of his bosom drawn forth a "lappet of his napkin* edged with a blue lace, and marked "with a D for Damian, for he was but a batchelor 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 worsted: "upon them a pair of points of tawny chamlet laced along "the wrist with blue threaden poinets ||, a wealt towards 35 "the hands of fustian-a-napes. A pair of red neather stocks.

See vol. 2. p. 162.

R. L. [Langham] author of a letter 12 mo. describing the Queen's entertainment at Killingworth in 1575. p. 46. (This writer's orthography is not here copied.)

"Tonsure-wise", after the manner of the Monks.
* i. e. handkerchief, or cravat. Perhaps points.

"A pair of pumps on his feet, with a cross cut at his "toes for corns: not new indeed, yet cleanly blackt with "soot, and shining as a shoing horn.

"About his neck a red ribband suitable to his girdle. His "HARP in good grace dependent before him. His WREST tyed 5 "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 coun"try this summer season, unto fair and worshipful mens "houses. From his chain hung a scutcheon, with metal and 10 "colour, resplendant upon his breast, of the ancient arms "of Islington." [-This XXI] This Minstrel is described as belonging to that village. I suppose such as were retained by noble families, wore their arms hanging down by a silver chain as a kind 15 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 WREST, and "after a little warbling on his HARP for a prelude, came "forth with a solemn song, warranted for story out of King "Arthur's acts, &c." This song the reader will find 25 printed in this work, volume III. pag. 25.

Towards the end of the sixteenth century this class of men had lost all credit, and were sunk so low in the public opinion, that in the 39th year of Elizabeth a statute was passed by which "Minstrels, wandering abroad" were in- 30 cluded 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.

I CANNOT conclude this account of the ancient MINSTRELS, 35

The key, or screw, with which he tuned his harp.

The reader will remember that this was not a REAL MINSTREL, but only one personating that character: his ornaments therefore were only such as OUTWARDLY represented those of a real Minstrel.

Vid. Pulton's Stat. 1661. p. 1110. 39o Eliz. Engl. Sprach- und Literaturdenkm. VI.

without remarking that they are most of them represented to have been of the North. There is hardly an ancient Ballad or Romance, wherein a Minstrel or Harper appears, but he is characterized by way of eminence to have been 5 "OF THE NORTH COUNTRIE*" and indeed the prevalence of the Northern dialect in such kind of poems, shews that this representation is real. The reason of which seems to be this; the civilizing of nations has begun from the South: the North would therefore be the last civilized, and the old 10 manners would [longest XXII] longest subsist there. With the b 3 manners, the old poetry that painted these manners would remain likewise; and in proportion as their boundaries became more contracted, and their neighbours refined, the poetry of those rude men would be more distinctly peculiar, and 15 that peculiarity more strikingly remarked.

The Reader will observe in the more ancient ballads of this collection, a cast of style and measure very different from that of contemporary poets of a higher class: many phrases and idioms, which the Minstrels seem to have ap20 propriated to themselves, and a very remarkable licence of varying the accent of words at pleasure, in order to humour the flow of the verse, particularly in the rhimes:

Countrie harpèr battèl morning
Ladie singer damsèl loving,

instead of country, làdy, hàrper, singer, &c. This liberty is but sparingly assumed by the classical poets of the same age; or even by the latter composers of Heroical Ballads: I mean by such as professedly wrote for the press. 30 For it is to be observed, that so long as the Minstrels subsisted, they seem never to have designed their rhymes for publication, and probably never committed them to writing themselves: what copies are preserved of them were doubtless taken down from their mouths. But as the old 35 Minstrels gradually wore out, a new race of ballad-writers succeeded, an inferior sort of minor poets, who wrote narrative songs meerly for the press. Instances of both may be found in the reign of Elizabeth. The two latest pieces in the genuine strain of the old Minstrelsy that I can dis

cover, are No. III. and IV. of Book III. in this volume. Lower than these I cannot trace the old mode of writing. The old Minstrel-ballads are in the northern dialect, abound with antique words and phrases, are extremely incorrect, and run into the utmost licence of metre; they have also a ro- 5 mantic wildness, and are in the true spirit of chivalry. 2 The other sort are written in exacter mea- [sure XXIII] sure, have a low or subordinate correctness, sometimes bordering on the insipid, yed often well adapted to the pathetic; these are generally in the southern dialect, exhibit a more modern 10 phraseology, and are commonly descriptive of more modern manners. To be sensible of the difference between them, let the Reader compare in this volume No. III. of book III. with No. IX. of Book II.

Towards the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, (as is mentioned above) the genuine old Minstrelsy seems to have been extinct, and thenceforth the ballads that were produced were wholly of the latter kind, and these come forth in such abundance, that in the reign of James I. they began to be collected into little Miscellanies under the name of GARLANDS 20 and at length to be written purposely for such collections*

* In the Pepysian, and other libraries, are preserved a great number of these in black letter, 12 mo. under the following quaint and affected titles, viz.

Parker, 1656.

1. A Crowne Garland of Goulden Roses gathered out of Eng- 25 land's Royall Garden, &c. by Richard Johnson, 1612. [In the Bodleyan Library.] 2. The Golden Garland of Princely Delight. 3. The Garland of God-will, by T. D. 1631. 4. The Royal Garland of Love and Delight, by T. D. 5. The Garlaud of Love and Mirth, by Thomas Lanfier. 6. The Garlaud of De- 30 light, &c. by Tho. Delone. 7. Cupid's Garland set round with guilded Roses. 8. The Garland of withered Roses, by Martin 9. The Shepherd's Garland of Love, Loyalty, &c. 10. The Country Garland. 11. The Golden Garland of Mirth and Merriment. 12. The Lover's Garland. 13. Neptune's 35 Fair Garland. 14. England's fair Garland. 15. Robin Hood's Garland. 16. The Lover's Garland. 17. The Maiden's Garland. 18. A loyal Garland of Mirth and Pastime. - &c. &c. &c. This sort of petty publications were anciently called PENNYMERRIMENTS: as little religious tracts of the same size went 40 by the name PENNY GODLINESSES: In the Pepys Library are multitudes of both kinds.