"... Stoden ... the castell all aboutin
Of all maner of mynstrales
And jestours that tellen tales
Both of wepyng and of game,
And of all that longeth unto fame:
There herde I play on a harpe
That sowned both well and sharpe
Hym Orpheus full craftily;
And on this syde fast by
Sate the harper Orion;
And Eacides Chirion;
And other harpers many one,
And the Briton Glaskyrion."
After mentioning these, the great masters of the art, he proceeds:—
"And small harpers with her glees
Sat under them in divers sees."
* * * * *
Again, a little below, the poet having enumerated the performers on all the different sorts of instruments, adds:—
"There sawe I syt in other sees
Playing upon other sundry glees,
Which that I cannot neven[1116]
More than starres ben in heven," &c.
Upon the above lines I shall only make a few observations:
(1) That by jestours, I suppose we are to understand gestours; scil. the relaters of gests (Lat. gesta) or stories of adventures both comic and tragical; whether true or feigned; I am inclined to add, whether in prose or verse. (Compare the record below, in marginal note, subjoined to v. 2.) Of the stories in prose, I conceive we have specimens in that singular book the Gesta Romanorum, and this will account for its seemingly improper title. These were evidently what the French called conteours, or story-tellers, and to them we are probably indebted for the first prose romances of chivalry, which may be considered as specimens of their manner.
(2) That the "Briton Glaskeryon," whoever he was, is apparently the same person with our famous harper Glasgerion, of whom the reader will find a tragical ballad, in vol. iii. book 1, No. 7. In that song may be seen an instance of what was advanced above in note [E] of the dignity of the minstrel profession, or at least of the artifice with which the minstrels endeavoured to set off its importance.
Thus "a king's son is represented as appearing in the character of a harper or minstrel in the court of another king. He wears a collar (or gold chain) as a person of illustrious rank; rides on horseback, and is admitted to the embraces of a king's daughter."
The minstrels lost no opportunity of doing honour to their art.