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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Menstral(l, -ale, -el(l, n. Also: menstrail(l, menstrele, manestral. [ME. menestral servant (a 1225), menestrel minstrel (1297), e.m.E. menstorell (1508), OF. menestral, -terel servant, artisan, poet, musician, mountebank. Cf. Minstral(l n.]

1. A professional entertainer. Also attrib.As a jester, story-teller, juggler or buffoon, singer, dancer or musician. a1400 Leg. S. xix. 55.
A menstrale Come before the kinge … & sad a cheste with voice clere Ib. xl. 890.
His menstrale Jak trumpoure That ves gud man & gud burdoure 1471 Acts II. 100/1.
Na man sal weir silkis … in gown doublate & clokis except knychtis menstrallis & herraldis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 216.
With menstralis myrthfully makand thame glee 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. III. 534.
Ane fine menstraill with mony mow and sport 1531 Bell. Boece I. 187.
He wes gevin to honest pleseiris and nurist with him crafty menstralis of all sortis Ib. 199. Ib. II. 294 (M).
That na vagabound pepill, menstrallis nor iugillouris be ressauit in ony toun [etc.] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 98.
Scho [a parrot] wald … Clym on ane corde, syne lauch & play the fule, Scho mycht haue bene ane menstrall agane ȝule 1535 Stewart 51504.
That bard, or fuill, or menstrall sould nocht be Within his boundis thoillit to byde in 1549 Elgin Rec. I. 96.
Alexander Lillie, menstrall to my lord abbot 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10295.
Menstrallis maid mirth, ceissit was all sadnesattrib. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 165.
Na menstrell myrth nor ȝit na merines Into his hall was sene

2. Chiefly spec. A (chiefly professional) musician.Applied chiefly to players of musical instruments, but also to singers.(a) 1442 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 10.
The baxsteiris sal fynd the menstralis c1450-2 Howlat 711.
Syne at the myddis of the meit in come the menstralis, The mavis and the merle syngis [etc.] Ib. 756. 1456 Hay II. 43/31. 1494 Edinb. Hammermen 5.
To ane menstrale c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 8.
Wp raise the lark, the hevyns menstrale fyne 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 102. 1501–2 Ib. 131. 1506–7 Ib. III. 360.
To divers menstrales, schawmeris, trumpetis, taubronaris [etc.] 1512 Ib. IV. 338.
To four scolaris menstralez to by thame instrumentis in Flandris 1513 Doug. viii. v. 13.
The menstralis, syngaris and danseris … Assemblit ar ful swyth Ib. xiii. Prol. 182. 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 292.
Lyke menstralis that can nocht play nor sing 1549 Edinb. Hammermen 179 b.
To the viollaris harperis pypparis fidlaris & vther menstralis 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 197.
To … pay the xij menstralis that past afoir the convoy and the plaaris on Sonday last bypast(b) ?1438 Alex. ii. 10770.
Than menstrallis changit thame notes new c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1169. c1460 Regim. Princ. 9. a1500 Colk. Sow i. 242.
Thair menstrall Diky Doyt Fur befoir with a floyt Ib. 269, 290. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 371.
Diapason of mony sindrie sortis War soung and playit be seir cunning menstrall c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvii. 23. 1535 Stewart 8249.
Menstrallis playit with dulce musick and sang 15.. Christis Kirk 38 (B). 1565 Mill Mediæv. Plays 153.
For the cumyng throw the toune … with ane menstrall playand befor thaim 1574 Acts III. 87/2.
All menstrallis sangstaris and taill tellaris not avowit in speciall seruice be sum of the lordis of parliament a1578 Pitsc. II. 125/8.
Than the menstrallis of musick played and the ladyes dansit 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 660.
The menstrallis and the bairdis … About his ludgene loudlie played a1605 Montg. Flyt. 528.
Sick ane mirthles music thes menstrallis did mak 1590 Crail B. Ct. 3 Nov. 1603 Elgin Rec. II. 108.(c) c1475 Wall. viii. 1451.
Till menstraillis, harroldis, scho delt haboundanle 1494 Loutfut MS. 115 a.
The partiis bringis thair menstraillis with thaim & rewardis thaim thairfor 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 416.
To ane menstrail and ane woman that sang to the King 1533 Boece v. vii. 177 b.(d) 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 393.
For … cote armouris for heraldis, menstreles [etc.] 1529 Mill Mediæv. Plays 233.
For our part of the menstrelis lavingis 15.. Clar. ii. 1713.
On instruments menstrelles playit curiouslie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8966.
Was neuer … menstrell sa blyith of his rewaird, as was Lodwik 1629 Black Cal. Witchcraft 919/1.
Gawin Bannatyne, menstrell in Laidlie 1622-6 Bisset II. 220/10.
Menstrellis [sc. trumpeters, in warships](e) a1500 Colk. Sow Proh. 15.
Manestralis among mvsicianis merely To haif hairtis in hevinly armony

b. The (commoun) (= public) minstrel or musician, of a burgh. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 29.
Ȝour commone menstrallis hes no tone Bot ‘Now the day dawis’ and ‘Into Joun’ 1567 Peebles B. Rec. I. 306.
The counsall admittis William Purwis colmoun menstraill for ane ȝeir 1568 Crail B. Ct. 13 Oct.
Troulus Messour our commoun menstrall 1573–4 Glasgow Burgesses i.
Ane common drwme gevin to the commone menstrale to playe with 1574 Acts III. 87/2. 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 18.
Admitted to be menstrales to the towne 1582 Inverness B. Rec. I. 292. 1583 Anal. Scot. I. 283.
Andrew Lauson, comond menstrall of Aberdeen 1599 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 194.
The … tua menstrallis to have sa meikill reid stamyng as wilbe … ane mantill, with … the townes armes on the schoulder thairoff 1605 Ib. 242.