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Peter Greenfield wrote: > [...] > That said, the one regulation of travelling musicians I know makes > no distinction between those who had patrons, served towns or were indeed > masterless: to the authorities at Ware, who no doubt felt themselves > constantly afflicted with itinerant performers on the Great North Road, > they were all "foren." > > "Also that euery foren musicyon restoringe to ye towne shall not be > Suffrede to tarrie or play in any Inn or vsuall resortinge place within the > said towne ouer one night & one day vpon payne to be usede & entreted as a > commone vagabond by the officers of the said towne." (BL Add. Ms. 27,976, > fol. 109) > > See my article, "Using Dramatic Records: History, Theory, Southampton's > Musicians" in MEDIEVAL ENGLISH THEATRE 17 (1995), 76-95. I think Peter reminds us of a valuable point here -- we have to factor into the 'equation' not only what the effect of nationally-promulgated statutes, like those against rogues and vagabonds, might be but also the effect of local initiatives. Particularly places which had a large (well, largish) population of local musicians might attempt to protect them by forbidding their inhabitants to hire 'foreign' talent by fines levied against locals who retained non-local musicians to play at weddings, ales, garlands, etc. Or, as here, they might try to protect local business by threatening the 'foreigners' with prosecution (or persectution!) as 'vagabonds', whatever the actual intent of the act may have been. There's always a tension between nation and local efforts at social control, I think, because the two levels of authority were oftern trying to meet quite different needs and concerns.... Abigail -- Abigail Ann Young (Dr), Associate Editor/Records of Early English Drama/ Victoria College/ 150 Charles Street W/ Toronto Ontario Canada M5S 1K9 Phone (416) 585-4504/ FAX (416) 813-4093/ [log in to unmask] List-owner of REED-L <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/reed-l.html> <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/reed.html> REED's home page <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/stage.html> our theatre resource page <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~young> my home page