therefore bestow great applauses upon the Emperor Henry, who, at his marriage with Agnes of Poictou, in 1044, disappointed the poor Minstrels, and sent them away empty. "Infinitam Histrionum et Joculatorum multitudinem sine cibo et muneribus vacuam et mærentem abire permisit. (Chronic. Virtziburg.) For which I doubt not but he was sufficiently stigmatized in the songs and ballads of those times. Vid. Du Cange, Gloss. tom. iv. p. 771, &c.

(G) The annals of the Anglo-Saxons are scanty and defective.] Of the few bistories now remaining that were written before the Norman conquest, almost all are such short and naked sketches and abridgments, giving only a concise and general relation of the more remarkable events, that scarce any of the minute circumstantial particulars are to be found in them; nor do they hardly ever descend to a description of the customs, manners, or domestic economy of their countrymen. The Saxon Chronicle, for instance, which is the best of them, and upon some accounts extremely valuable, is almost such an epitome as Lucius Florus and Eutropius have left us of the Roman history. As for Ethelward, his book is judged to be an imperfect translation of the Saxon Chronicle;* and the PseudoAsser, or Chronicle of St. Neot, is a poor defective performance. How absurd would it be, then, to argue against the existence of customs or facts, from the silence of such scanty records as these! Whoever would carry his researches deep into that period of history, might safely plead the excuse of a learned writer, who had particularly studied the Ante-Norman historians. Conjecturis (licet nusquam verisimili fundamento) aliquoties indulgemus . utpote ab Historicis jejune nimis et indiligenter res nostras tractantibus coacti . . . Nostri . . . nudâ factorum commemoratione plerumque contenti, reliqua omnia, sive ob ipsarum rerum, sive meliorum literarum, sive Historicorum officii ignorantiam, fere intacta prætereunt." Vide plura in Præfat. ad Ælfr. Vitam à Spelman. Ox. 1678. fol.

(H) Minstrels and Harpers.] That the Harp (Cithara) was the common musical instrument 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. Heaɲpe, Heaɲpa. Iceland. Harpa, Haurpa. Dan. and Belg. Harpe. Germ. Harpffe, Harpffa. Gal. Harpe. Span. Harpa. Ital. Arpa. [Vid. Jun. Etym.-Menage Etym. &c.] As also from

* Vide Nicolson's Eng. Hist. Lib. &c.

this, that the word Heappe is constantly used, in the Anglo-Saxon versions, to express the Latin words Cithara, Lyra, and even Cymbalum : the word Psalmus itself being sometimes translated Heapp ranz, Harp Song. [Gloss. Jun. R. apud Lye Anglo-Sax. Lexic.]

But the fact itself is positively proved by the express testimony of Bede, who tells us that it was usual at festival meetings for this instrument to be handed round, and each of the company to sing to it in his turn. See his Hist. Eccles. Anglor., lib. iv. c. 24, where, speaking of their sacred poet Cadmon, who lived in the times of the Heptarchy, (ob. circ. 680,) he says:—

"Nihil unquam frivoli et supervacui poematis facere potuit ; sed ea tantummodo, quæ ad religionem pertinent, religiosam ejus linguam decebant. Siquidem in habitu sæculari, usque ad tempora provectioris ætatis constitutus, nil Carminum aliquando didicerat. Unde nonnunquam in convivio, cùm esset lætitiæ causa decretum ut omnes per ordinem cantare deberent, ille ubi appropinquare sibi citharam cernebat, surgebat à mediâ cœnâ, et egressus, ad suam domum repedabat."

I shall now subjoin King Alfred's own Anglo-Saxon translation of this passage, with a literal interlineary English version. "He..næfɲe noht leaɣunza.ne ideles leodes pýrcéan ne mihte. He.. never no leasings, nor idle songs compose ne might; ac efne da an da de to æfertnerre belumpon. hir da but lo! only those things which to religion [piety] belong, and his then æfertan tungan zedafenode ringan: War he re man in pious tongue became to sing: He was the [a] man in peopolt-hade geseted oð da tide de he pær of gelyfedre worldly [secular] state set to the time in which he was of an advanced ylde. he næfre ænig leop geleopnode. y he foron oft in age; and he never any song learned. And he therefore OFT in zebeonrcipe donne dæɲ pær blirre intinza zedemed an entertainment, when there was for merriment-sake adjudged [or healle rceoldan duph endebýɲdnerre be heaɲpan decreed] that they ALL should through their turns by [to the] HARP ringan. Jonne he zereah ða heaɲpan him nealæcan. Jonne SING; when he saw the HARP him approach, apar he foɲ rceome fɲam dam rymle. ham eode arose he FOR SHAME from the supper, and home yode [went] to hir hure."

then

his house. Bed. Hist. Eccl. à Smith, Cantab. 1722, fol. p. 597.

το

In this version of Alfred's it is observable, (1) that he has expressed the Latin word cantare, by the Anglo-Saxon words "be heaɲpan ringan," sing to the harp; as if they were synonymous, or as if his countrymen had no idea of singing unaccompanied with the harp (2) That when Bede simply says surgebat a mediá cœná; he assigns a motive, apar fon rceome," arose for shame that is, either from an austerity of manners, or from his being deficient in an accomplishment which so generally prevailed among his countrymen.

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(1) The word Glee, which peculiarly denoted their art, &c.] This word Glee is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Llizz, [Gligg] Musica, Music, Minstrelsy (Somn). This is the common radix, whence arises such a variety of terms and phrases relating to the minstrel art, as affords the strongest internal proof, that this profession was extremely common and popular here before the Norman conquest. Thus we have

I.

(1) Llip, [Gliw] Mimus, a Minstrel.

Gligman, zlizmon, gliman, [Glee-man*] Histrio, Mimus, Pantomimus; all common names in Middle Latinity for a Minstrel and Somner accordingly renders the original by a Minstrel, a Player on a Timbrel or Taber. He adds, a Fidler, but although the

* Gleeman continued to be the name given to a Minstrel both in England and Scotland almost as long as this order of men continued.

In De Brunne's metrical version of Bishop Grosthead's Manuel de Peche, A. D. 1303, (see Warton, i. 61,) we have this,

Fabyan (in his Chronicle, 1533, f. 32,) translating the passage from Geoffrey of Monmouth, quoted below in p. lxxvi. note (K) renders Deus Joculatorum, by God of Gleemen. (Warton's Hist. Eng. Poet. Diss. 1). Fabyan died in 1592.

Dunbar, who lived in the same century, describing, in one of his poems, entitled "The Daunce," what passed in the infernal regions amangis the Feyndis," says,

66

"Na Menstralls playit to thame, but dowt

For Gle-men thaire wer haldin out,

Be day and eke by nycht."

See Poems from Bannatyne's MS. Edinb. 1770, 12mo. p. 30. Maitland's MS. at Cambridge reads here, Glewe men.

Fythel or Fiddle was an ancient instrument, by which the Jogelur or Minstrel sometimes accompanied his song, (see Warton, i. 17,) it is probable that Somner annexes here only a modern sense to the word, not having at all investigated the subject.

Glimen, zlizmen. [Glee-men]. Histriones, Minstrels. Hence Llizmanna-yppe. Orchestra vel Pulpitus. The place where the Minstrels exhibited their performances.

(2) But their most proper and expressive name was Lliphleoppiend. Musicus, a Minstrel; and Lliphleopɲiendlica. Musicus, Musical.

These two words include the full idea of the minstrel character, expressing at once their music and singing, being compounded of Ghip, Musicus, Mimus, a Musician, Minstrel, and Leoð, Curmen, a Song.

(3) From the above word Llig3, the profession itself was

called

:

Llizenæft. [Glig- or Glee-craft.] Musica, Histrionia, Mimica, Gesticulatio which Somner rightly gives in English, Minstrelsy, Mimical Gesticulation, Mummery. He also adds, Stage= playing; but here again I think he substitutes an idea too modern, induced by the word Histrionia, which in Middle Latinity only signifies the minstrel art.

However, it should seem that both mimical gesticulation and a kind of rude exhibition of characters were sometimes attempted by the old minstrels : but

(4) As musical performance was the leading idea, so Lhiopian, Cantus musicos edere ; and

Lligbeam, glipbeam. [Glig- or Gle-ebeam]. Tympanum; a Timbrel or Taber. (So Somn.) Hence

Llypian. Tympanum pulsare; and

Llip-meden: Glypiende-maden. [Glee-maiden]. Tympanistria: which Somner renders a The-Minstrel; for it should seem that they had females of this profession; one name for which was also Lilypbýdenertɲa.

(5) Of congenial derivation to the foregoing, is

Glypc. [Glywc.] Tibia, a Pipe or Flute.

Both this and the common radix Llizz, are with great appearance of truth derived by Junius from the Icelandic Gliggur, Flatus: as supposing the first attempts at music among our Gothic ancestors, were from wind-instruments. Vide Jun. Etym. Ang. V. Glee.

II.

But the Minstrels, as is hinted above, did not confine themselves to the mere exercise of their primary arts of music and song, but occasionally used many other modes of diverting. Hence, from the above root was derived, in a secondary sense,

(1) Lleo, and pinrum glip. Facetiæ.

Lleopian, jocari; to jest, or be merry: (Somn.) and Lleopiend, jocans; jesting, speaking merrily: (Somn.) Glizman also signified Jocista, a Jester. Gliz-gamen. [Glee-games.] joci. Which Somner renders Merriments, or merry Jests, or Tricks, or Sports; Gamboles. (2) Hence, again, by a common metonymy of the cause for the effect,

Llie, gaudium, alacritas, lætitia, facetiæ; Joy, Mirth, Gladness, Cheerfulness, Glee. [Somner] Which last application of the word still continues, though rather in a low debasing sense.

III.

But however agreeable and delightful the various arts of the Minstrels might be to the Anglo-Saxon laity, there is reason to believe that, before the Norman conquest at least, they were not much favoured by the clergy; particularly by those of monastic profession. For, not to mention that the sportive talents of these men would be considered by those austere ecclesiastics as tending to levity and licentiousness, the Pagan origin of their art would excite in the monks an insuperable prejudice against it. The AngloSaxon Harpers and Gleemen were the immediate successors and imitators of the Scandinavian Scalds, who were the great promoters of Pagan superstition, and fomented that spirit of cruelty and outrage in their countrymen the Danes, which fell with such peculiar severity on the religious and their convents. Hence arose a third application of words derived from Lligg, Minstrelsy, in a very unfavourable sense, and this chiefly prevails in books of religion and ecclesiastic discipline. Thus

(1) Eliz, is Ludibrium, laughing to scorn. * So in S. Basil. Regul. 11. Hi hæfdon him to zlize halpende minegunze. Ludibrio habebant salutarem ejus admonitionem. (10.) This sense of the word was perhaps not ill-founded; for as the sport of rude uncul

*To gleek, is used in Shakspeare, for to make sport, to jest,' &c.

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