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 27
Scan 27
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
19 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1the window or lodging of any other person whatsoever, without license or leave" of the Company.
3A similar law forbids the same persons to play at any weddings, feasts, banquets, revels, or other assemblies or meetings, under the number of four, in consort or with violins.
5A fine of twelve pence is imposed upon any person "who shall go himself, or suffer his servant or apprentice to go, in any open street from house to house with an instrument uncased or uncovered, to be seen by any passing by."
7The next law dealt with strangers, who were clearly as unwelcome in those times as in many quarters we know them to be to-day. By this rule musicians were forbidden "by themselves, their servants, or apprentices, to play upon or with any instrument, or use the said art or science of music, or any other thing concerning the same in consort, or any kind of instrument whatsoever of or with any foreigner or foreigners, servants, or apprentices, upon pain to forfeit for every such offence three shillings and four pence."
9Then comes a regulation with regard to apprentices and servants. It enacts that no musicians
11"shall suffer their servants or apprentices to go
12"by themselves with any music at any feasts,
13"banquets, weddings, hunts, or at any other
14"assemblies, triumphs or occasions, either to go
15"abroad in the streets or to play at any taverns,
16"victualling houses or any other place whatsoever,
17"except they do go in with the Company of two
18"freemen at the least, well and sufficiently exer-"
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.