Volume Ii Part 1 (2/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: M. Langlois]
It was in this chapter-house that M. Langlois[6] found, among a heap of stones, a most interesting capital, that had formerly been attached to a double column. By his kindness, I inclose you two drawings of it. One of them shews it in its entire form as a capital; the other exhibits the bas-relief carved upon it[7].
[Ill.u.s.tration: Bas-relief on capital]
The various injuries sustained by the building, render it impossible to ascertain the spot which this capital originally occupied; but M. Le Prevost supposes that it belonged to some gate of the cloister, which is now destroyed. A more curious series of musical instruments is, perhaps, no where to be found; and it is a subject upon which authors in general are peculiarly unsatisfactory. I am told that, in an old French romance, the names of upwards of twenty are enumerated, whose forms and nature are quite unknown at the present day; while, on the other hand, we are all of us aware that painting and sculpture supply figures of many, for which it would be extremely difficult or impossible to find names[8].
[Ill.u.s.tration: Musicians, from the Chapter-House at St. Georges]
The chapter-house, previously to the revolution, contained a tomb-stone[9], uninscribed and exhibiting only a sculptured sword, under which it was supposed that either Ralph de Tancarville himself, the founder of the abbey, or his grandson, William, lay interred. It is of the latter that the records of the monastery tell, how, on the fifth day after he girded himself with the military belt, he came to the church, and deposited his sword upon the altar, and subsequently redeemed it by various donations, and by confirming to the monks their right to the several benefices in his domain, which had been ceded to them by his grandfather.--Here then, I quit you: in a few days I shall have paid my devotions at the shrine of Jumieges:--meanwhile, in the language of the writers of the elder day, I close this sheet with.
EXPLICIT FELICITER Stus. GEORGIUS DE BOCHERVILLA; DEO GRATIAS.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: _Histoire de la Haute Normandie_, II. p. 266. VOL. II.]
[Footnote 2: _Ann. Benedict._ III. p. 674, 675.--This charter was not among the archives of the monastery; but I am informed by M. Le Prevost, that several are still in existence, most of them granted by the family of the founder, but some by Kings of England. One of the latter is by Richard Coeur de Lion, and his seal of red wax still remains appended to it, in fine preservation. The seal, on one side, represents the king seated upon his throne, with a pointed beard, having his crown on his head, and a sword in one hand, and sceptre in the other: on the other side, he is on horseback, with his head covered with a cylindrical helmet, surmounted with a very remarkable crest, in the form of a fan: on his s.h.i.+eld are plainly distinguishable the three lions of England.--From among the charters granted by the Tancarville family, M.
Le Prevost has sent me copies of two which have never yet been printed; but which appear to deserve insertion here. One is from Lucy, daughter of William de Tancarville, and grand-daughter of Ralph, the chamberlain.--”Notum sit Ricardo de Vernon and Willelmo Camerario de Tancarvilla, et veteribus et juvenibus, qud Lucia, filia Willelmi, Camerarii de Tancarvilla, pro anim su et pro animabus antecessorum suorum, ad ecclesiam Sti. Georgii de Bauchervilla dedit molendinum de Waldinivilla, quod est subter aliud molendinum et molendinum de Waldinval, liber et quiet, et insupr ecclesiam de Seonvilla, salv elemosin Roberti sacerdotis in vit su, si dignus est habendi eam. Et post mortem Willelmi capellani sui de Sancto Flocello, ad ecclesiam supr dictam dedit decimam de vava.s.soribus de Seolvilla, quam dedit in elemosin habendam Willelmo capellano tot vit bene et in pace et secur, et decimas de custodiis totius terre sue que est in Constantino.--Ego Lucia do hanc elemosinam pro anim me et pro antecessoribus ad ecclesiam Sanctii Georgii; et qui auferet ab e et auferetur ab eo regnum Dei. Amen.--Testibus, Ricardo de Haia et Matille uxore su et Nigello de Chetilivilla et hominibus de Sancto Flocello.”--To this is added, in a smaller hand-writing, probably the lady's own autograph, the following sentence:--”Et precor vos qud ecclesia Sancti Georgii non decrescatur in tempore vestro pro Dei amore et meo de elemosinis patris mei neque de meis.”--There is still farther subjoined, in a different hand-writing, and in a much paler ink:--”Hc omnia Ricardus de Vernon libenter concessit.”--The other charter was granted by William the Younger, and details a curious custom occasionally observed in the middle ages, in making donations:--
”Universis sancte ecclesie fidelibus. Willelmus junior camerarius in domino salutem. Notum sit presentibus et futuris, quod ego Willelmus junior camerarius quinto die post susceptum militie cingulum veni apud Sanctum Georgium, ibique c.u.m honorific processione susceprunt me Abbas Ludovicus et monachi c.u.m magno gaudio letantes; et ibi obtuli gladium meum super altare Sti. Georgii, et tunc consilio et admonitione sociorum meorum n.o.bilium virorum qui mec.u.m venerant, scilicet Roberti des Is, dapiferi mei, et Rogerii de Calli, et Johannis de Lunda, et aliorum plurium, redemi gladium meum per dona et confirmationem plurium ecclesiarum, quas ipso die concessi eisdem meo dono, et, sicut avus meus, fundator illius monasterii dederat, confirmavi; scilicet ecclesiam de Abetot et ecclesiam de Espretot c.u.m decim, et ecclesiam Sancti Romani c.u.m duabus partibus decime, et similitr ecclesiam de Tibermaisnil: confirmavi etiam dona militum meorum et amicorum qu dederunt ipso die abbatie in perpetuam elemosynam, Rogerius de Calli dedit XX Sot. annuatm; Robertus de Mortomari X Sot.; Robertus des Is X solidos; Johannes de Lunda, cognatus meus X Sot.; Andreas de Bosemuneel X solidos, vel decimam de una carrucatura terre ... Humfridus de Willerio X solid.; Willelmus de Bodevilla X acras terre; Garinus de Mois V solid.; Adam de Mirevilla X solid.; Robert. de Fuschennis X solid.; Lesra de Drumara I acram terre.”]
[Footnote 3: The following are the words of Ordericus Vitalis, upon the subject:
”Religiosi tandem viri, Clerici et Monachi, collectis viribus et intimis sensibus, processionem ordinaverunt: honest induti, crucibus et thuribus, ad Sanctum Georgium processerunt, et animam Regis, secundum morem sanct Christianitatis Deo commendaverunt.”--_d.u.c.h.esne, Scriptores Normanni_, p. 661.]
[Footnote 4: See _Cotman's Architectural Antiquities of Normandy_, t.
10. f. A. and B.]
[Footnote 5: See _Cotman's Architectural Antiquities of Normandy_, t.
11. last figure.]
[Footnote 6: My readers will join with me, I trust, in thanks to M.
Langlois, for his drawings; and will not be sorry to see, accompanying his sketch of the bas-relief, a spirited one of himself. Normandy does not contain a more ardent admirer of her antiquities, or one to whom she is more indebted for investigating, drawing, and publis.h.i.+ng them. But, to the disgrace of Rouen, his labors are not rewarded. All the obstacles, however opposed by the ”durum, pauperies, opprobium,” have not been able to check his independent mind: he holds on his course in the ill.u.s.tration of the true Norman remains; and to any antiquary who visits this country, I can promise a great pleasure in the examination of his port-folio.]
[Footnote 7: Its size at top is fourteen inches and a half, by six inches and two-thirds.]
[Footnote 8: This difficulty, in the present instance, has yielded to the extensive researches of Mr. Douce, who has afforded a.s.sistance to me, which, perhaps, no other antiquary could have bestowed. He has unravelled all the mysteries of minstrelsy with his usual ability; and I give the information in his own words, only observing that the numbers begin from the left.--”No. 1 was called the _violl_, corresponding with our _Viol de Gamba_. As this was a larger violin, though the sculptor has not duly expressed its comparative bulk, I conceive it was either used as a tenor or base, being perfectly satisfied, in spite of certain doubts on the subject, that counterpoint was known in the middle ages.--No. 2 is the largest instrument of the kind that I have ever seen, and it seems correctly given, from one part of it resting on the figure, No. 3, to support it. Twiss mentions one that he saw sculptured on the cathedral, at Toro, five feet long. The proper name of it is the _rote_, so called from the internal wheel or cylinder, turned by a winch, which caused the _bourdon_, whilst the performer stopped the notes on the strings with his fingers. This instrument has been very ignorantly termed a _vielle_, and yet continues to be so called in France. It is the modern Savoyard _hurdy-gurdy_, as we still more improperly term it; for the hurdy-gurdy is quite a different instrument.
In later times, the _rote_ appears to have lost its rank in concert, and was called the _beggar's lyre_.--No. 4 is evidently the _syrinx_, or _Pan's pipe_, which has been revived with so much success in the streets of London.--Twiss shewed me one forty years ago, that he got in the south of France, where they were then very common.--No. 5 is an instrument for which I can find no name, nor can I immediately call to memory any other representation of it. It has some resemblance to the old Welsh fiddle or _crowth_; but, as a bow is wanting, it must have been played with the fingers; and I think the performer's left hand in the sculpture does seem to be stopping the strings on the upper part, or neck, a portion of which has been probably broken off.--I suspect it to be the old _mandore_, whence the more modern _mandolin_. The rotundity of the sounding-board may warrant this conjecture.--No. 6 was called the _psalterion_, and is of very great antiquity, (I mean as to the middle ages).--Its form was very diversified, and frequently triangular. It was played with a _plectrum_, which the performer holds in his right hand.--No. 7 is the _dulcimer_, which is very common in sculpture. This instrument appears, as in the present case, to have been sometimes played with the fingers only, and sometimes with a _plectrum_.--No. 8 is the real _vielle_, or _violin_, of very common occurrence, and very ancient.--No. 9 is a female tumbler, or _tomllesterre_, as Chaucer calls them. This profession, so far as we can depend on ancient representation, appears to have exclusively belonged to women.--No. 10.
A _harp_ played with a _plectrum_, and, perhaps, also with the left hand occasionally.--No. 11. The figure before the suspended _bells_ has had a hammer in each hand with which to strike them, and the opposite, and last, person, who plays in concert with him, has probably had a harp, as is the case in an ancient ma.n.u.script psalter illumination that I have, prefixed to the psalm _Exaltate Deo_.--I have seen these bells suspended (in illumination to the above psalm) to a very elegant Gothic frame, ascending like the upper part of a modern harp.”]
[Footnote 9: _Gallia Christiana_, XI. p. 270.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: Distant View of the Abbey of St. Jumieges]
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