Books › A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904 › scan 17
Scan 17
A special loan exhibition of musical instruments, manuscripts, books, portraits, and other mementoes of music and musicians, formed to commemorate the tercentenary of the granting by King James I of a charter of incorporation to the Worshipful company of musicians in 1604 .., 1904
39 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1"nevertheless move from place to place on festival
2"days and collect all those profits by means of
3"which our aforesaid Minstrels and our other
4"Minstrels for the time being, sufficiently learned
5"and instructed in the aforesaid art or occupation
6"and practising no other craft, trade, or calling,
7"should obtain their living.
9"Furthermore, we learn that much disgrace
10"is thus brought upon that art or occupation
11"and manifold and manifest deterioration of our
12"Minstrels practising the said art or occupation,
13"and moreover no slight loss and grievance to our
14"people engaged in agriculture or otherwise."
16To remedy this state of things the King granted
17to his Minstrels power to establish a perpetual
18brotherhood or guild ("such as we learn that
19brothers and sisters of the Fraternity of Minstrels
20of our Kingdom in times past formed, established
21and ordained") into which they might admit such
22persons, whether men or women, as were likely
23to adhere loyally by them. The guild was con-
24stituted one body and community with perpetual
25succession and was empowered to elect from among
26themselves a marshal (to hold office for life) and
27two wardens yearly for the governance of the
28fraternity. To it were committed full powers for
29the supervision, examination and control of all
30Minstrels in the Kingdom (except those in the
31county of Chester), together with the appointment,
32subject to the Royal approval, of the King's
33Minstrels. It is characteristic of the age that in
34addition to these duties the guild was
36"specially bound to pray for the well-being of
37"us and of our most dear Consort, Elizabeth,
38"Queen of England, so long as we live, and for
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.