Menage derives the French words above mentioned from ministerialis or ministeriarius, barbarous Latin terms, used in the middle ages to express a workman or artificer (still called in Languedoc ministral), as if these men were styled artificers or performers by way of excellence (vid. Diction. Etym.) But the origin of the name is given perhaps more truly by Du Cange, "Ministelli ... quos vulgo menestreux vel menestriers appellamus, quod minoribus aulæ ministris accenserentur." (Gloss. iv. p. 769.) Accordingly, we are told, the word "minister" is sometimes used "pro ministellus" (Ibid.), and an instance is produced which I shall insert at large in the next paragraph.
Minstrels sometimes assisted at divine service, as appears from the record of the ninth of Edw. IV. quoted above in p. [371] by which Haliday and others are erected into a perpetual Gild, &c. See the original in Rymer, xi. 642. By part of this record it is recited to be their duty to pray (exorare: which it is presumed they did by assisting in the chant, and musical accompaniment, &c.) The same also appears from the passage in the Supplem. to Du Cange, alluded to above. "Minister ... pro Ministellus Joculator[1104]—Vetus ceremoniale MS. B. M. deauratæ Tolos. Item, etiam congregabuntur Piscatores, qui debent interesse isto die in processione cum Ministris seu Joculatoribus: quia ipsi Piscatores tenentur habere isto die Joculatores, seu Mimos ob honorem Crucis—et vadunt primi ante processionem cum Ministris seu Joculatoribus semper pulsantibus usque ad ecclesiam S. Stephani" (Gloss. 773). This may perhaps account for the clerical appearance of the minstrels, who seem to have been distinguished by the tonsure, which was one of the inferior marks of the clerical character.[1105] Thus Jeffery of Monmouth, speaking of one who acted the part of a minstrel, says, Rasit capillos suos & barbam (see note [K]). Again, a writer in the reign of Elizabeth, describing the habit of an ancient minstrel, speaks of his head as "rounded tonster-wise" (which I venture to read tonsure-wise), "his beard smugly shaven." See above, p. [375].
It must, however, be observed, that notwithstanding such clerical appearance of the minstrels, and though they might be sometimes countenanced by such of the clergy as were of more relaxed morals, their sportive talents rendered them generally obnoxious to the more rigid ecclesiastics, and to such of the religious orders as were of more severe discipline; whose writings commonly abound with heavy complaints of the great encouragement shewn to those men by the princes and nobles, and who can seldom afford them a better name than that of scurræ, famelici, nebulones, &c. of which innumerable instances may be seen in Du Cange. It was even an established order in some of the monasteries, that no minstrel should ever be suffered to enter their gates.[1106]
We have, however, innumerable particulars of the good cheer and great rewards given to the minstrels in many of the convents, which are collected by T. Warton (i. 91, &c.) and others. But one instance, quoted from Wood's Hist. Antiq. Univ. Ox. i. 67. (Sub. An. 1224) deserves particular mention. Two itinerant priests, on a supposition of their being mimi or minstrels, gained admittance. But the cellarer, sacrist, and others of the brethren, who had hoped to have been entertained with their diverting arts, &c. when they found them to be only two indigent ecclesiastics, who could only administer spiritual consolation, and were consequently disappointed of their mirth, beat them and turned them out of the monastery. (Ibid. p. [92].) This passage furnishes an additional proof that a minstrel might by his dress or appearance be mistaken for an ecclesiastic.
[B] [The minstrels use mimicry and action, and other means of diverting, &c.] It is observable that our old monkish historians do not use the words cantator, citharædus, musicus, or the like, to express a minstrel in Latin, so frequently as mimus, histrio, joculator, or some other word that implies gesture. Hence it might be inferred that the minstrels set off their songs with all the arts of gesticulation, &c. or according to the ingenious hypothesis of Dr. Brown, united the powers of melody, poem, and dance. (See his History of the Rise of Poetry, &c.)
But indeed all the old writers describe them as exercising various arts of this kind. Joinville, in his Life of S. Lewis, speaks of some Armenian minstrels, who were very dextrous tumblers and posture masters. "Avec le Prince vinrent trois Menestriers de la Grande Hyermenie (Armenia) ... et avoient trois cors—Quand ils encommenceoient a corner, vous dissiez que ce sont les voix de cygnes, ... et fesoient les plus douces melodies.—Ils fesoient trois merveilleus saus, car on leur metoit une touaille desous les piez, et tournoient tout debout ... Les deux tournoients les testes arieres," &c. (See the extract at large, in the Hon. D. Barrington's Observations on the Anc. Statutes, 4to. 2nd edit. p. 273, omitted in the last impression.)
This may also account for that remarkable clause in the press warrant of Henry VI. "De Ministrallis propter solatium regis providendis," by which it is required, that the boys, to be provided in arte Ministrallatûs instructos, should also be membris naturalibus elegantes. See above, p. [370]. (Observ. on the Anc. Stat. 4th edit. p. 337.)
Although by minstrel was properly understood, in English, one who sang to the harp, or some other instrument of music, verses composed by himself or others; yet the term was also applied by our old writers to such as professed either music or singing separately, and perhaps to such as practised any of the sportive arts connected with these.[1107] Music, however, being the leading idea, was at length peculiarly called minstrelsy, and the name of minstrel at last confined to the musician only.
In the French language all these arts were included under the general name of menestraudie, menestraudise, jonglerie, &c. (Med. Lat. menestellorum ars, ars joculatoria, &c.) "On peut comprendre sous le nom de jonglerie tout ce qui appartient aux anciens chansonniers Provençaux, Normands, Picards, &c. Le corps de la jonglerie etoit formé des trouveres, ou troubadours, qui composoient les chansons, et parmi lesquels il y avoit des improvisateurs, comme on en trouve en Italie; des chanteurs ou chanteres qui executoient ou chantoient ces compositions; des conteurs qui faisoient en vers ou en prose les contes, les recits, les histoires; des jongleurs ou menestrels qui accompagnoient de leurs instrumens,—L'art de ces chantres ou chansonniers, etoit nommé la Science Gaie, Gay Saber." (Pref. Anthologie Franç. 1765, 8vo. p. 17.) See also the curious Fauchet (De l'Orig. de la Lang. Fr. p. 72, &c.) "Bien tost après la division de ce grand empire François en tant de petits royaumes, duchez, & comtez, au lieu des Poetes commencerent a se faire cognoistre les trouverres, et chanterres, contëours, et juglëours: qui sont trouveurs, chantres, conteurs, jongleurs, ou jugleurs, c'est à dire, menestriers chantans avec la viole."
We see then that jongleur, jugleur, (Lat. joculator, juglator) was a peculiar name appropriated to the minstrels. "Les jongleurs ne faisoient que chanter les poesies sur leurs instrumens. On les appelloit aussi Menestrels," says Fontenelle, in his Hist. du Theat. Franc. prefixed to his Life of Corneille.