Books › The violin and its music, 1885 › scan 99
Scan 99
The violin and its music, 1885
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 78. See the scan on archive.org.
1of Edward IV. were not neglected; and there is evidence of even earlier appreciation of the followers of the musical art in the curious, though profane fact that minstrels were better paid than the clergy, since we are told that at the annual feast of the fraternity of the Holy Cross at Abingdon, in 1441, eight priests were hired from Coventry to celebrate an obit in the Church of the neighbouring priory, and six minstrels belonging to the family of Lord Clinton were employed to "sing, harp, and play," in the hall of the monastery during the extraordinary reflection allowed to the monks on that anniversary. Two shillings were given to the priests, and four to the minstrels, and the latter are said to have supped in the painted chamber of the convent with the sub-prior, on which occasion the chamberlain furnished eight massive tapers of wax.
3The minstrels derived their knowledge from the schools belonging to the monasteries. They learnt something of the theoretical principles of music, the practical part of singing, and the elements of grammar; including also, perhaps, as much knowledge of poetry as was sufficient for the composition of a song or ballad. Persons already acquainted with the principles of music, could find little difficulty in acquiring sufficient skill to play on the Viol or some such instrument, a simple melody; together forming a sufficient body of theoretical science and practical skill, to enable them to compose and play a variety of simple tunes.
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