British Popular Customs, Present and Past: Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People. Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year.Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. (Thomas Firminger)
History
British Popular Customs, Present and Past: Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People. Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year.
Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. (Thomas Firminger)
Folklore -- Great Britain; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
On the following day the minstrels met at the bailiff’s house in
Tutbury, where the steward of the court, and the bailiff of the manor,
with the wood-master, met them. A procession was formed to go to church,
the trumpeters walking first, and then the musicians on stringed
instruments all playing; their king, whose office ended on that day, had
the privilege of walking between the steward and bailiff; after them
came the four stewards of music, each carrying a white wand, followed by
the rest of the company. The psalms and lessons were chosen in
accordance with the occasion, and each minstrel paid a penny as a due to
the vicar of Tutbury.
On their return to the castle-hall one of the minstrels cried out,
“Oyez, oyez, oyez! all minstrels within this honour, residing in the
counties of Stafford, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, and Warwick, come in
and do your suit and service or you will be amerced.” All were then
sworn to keep the king of music’s counsel, their fellows’, and their
own; and a lengthy charge from the steward followed, in which he
expatiated on the antiquity and excellence of their noble science. After
this the jurors proceeded to choose a new king, who was taken
alternately from the minstrels of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, as well
as four stewards, and retired to consider the offences which were
alleged against any minstrel, and fine him if necessary. In the meantime
the old stewards brought into the court a treat of wine, ale, and cakes,
and the minstrels diverted themselves and the company by playing their
merriest airs. The new king entered, and was presented by the jurors,
the old one rising from his place, and giving the white wand to his
successor, pledging him in a cup of wine; the old stewards followed his
example, and at noon all partook of a dinner prepared for them by the
old king.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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