- See notes toThe Beggar's daughter of Bednal-Green, below.
- Puttenham in hisArte of English Poesie, 1589, 4to, p. 33. See the quotation in its
proper order in notes toThe Beggar's daughter of Bednal-Green, below. - Puttenham, &c. p. 69. (ibid.)
- Tottenham, &c. p. 69.
- See a very curious "Letter: whearein, part of the entertainment untoo the Queenz
Maiesty, at Killingwoorth Castle, In Warwick Sheer, in this soomers Progress 1575, iz
signified," &c. bl. l. 4to, vid. p. 46, &seqq. (Printed in Nichols's collection of Queen
Elizabeth's Progresses, &c., in 2 vols, 4to.) We have not followed above the peculiar
and affected orthography of this writer, who was named Ro. Laneham, or rather
Langham. - I suppose "tonsure-wise," after the manner of the monks.
- i.e. handkerchief. So in Shakspeare's Othello, passim.
- Perhaps, points.
- The key, or screw, with which he tuned his harp.
- The reader will remember that this was not arealminstrel, but only one
personating that character; his ornaments therefore were only such asoutwardly
represented those of a real minstrel. - As the house of Northumberland had anciently three minstrels attending on them
in their castles in Yorkshire,so they still retain three in their service in
Northumberland, who wear the badge of the family (a silver crescent on the right arm)
and are thus istributed, viz.-- One for for the barony of Prudhoe, and two for the
barony of Rothbury. These attend the court-leets and fairs held for thelord, and pay
their annual suit and service at Alnwick castle: their instrument being the ancient
Northumberland bag-pipe (very different in form and execution from that of the
Scots; being smaller, and blown, not with the breath, but with a small pair of bellows.)
This with many other venerable customs of the ancient Lord Percys, was revived by
theit illustrious representatives the late Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. - Anno Dom. 1597. Vid. Pult. Stat. p. 1110, 39 Eliz.
- See King Estmere, &c.
- Giraldus Cambrensis, writing in the reign of King Henry II., mentions a very
extraordinary habit or propensity, which then prevailed in the north of England,
beyond the Humber, for "symphonious harmony "or singing "in two parts, the one
murmuring in the base, and the other warbling in the acute or treble." (I use Dr.
Burney's version, vol. ii. p. 108.) This he describes as practised by their very children
from the cradle; and he derives it from the Danes [soDacisignifies in our old writers]
and Norwegians, who long overran and in effect new-peopled the northern parts of
England, where alone this manner of singing prevailed.-- Vide Cambriæ Descriptio,
cap. 13, and in Burney, ubi supra. Giraldus is probably right as to the origin or
derivation of this practice, for the Danish and Icelandic Scalds had carried the arts of
Poetry and Singing to great perfection at the time the Danish settlements were made
in the North. And it will also help to account for the superior skill and fame of our
northern minstrels and harpers afterwards, who had preserved and transmitted the arts
of their Scaldic ancestors.-- SeeNorthern Antiquities, vol. i. p. 13, p. 386, and Fine
barry
(Barry)
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