An Orchestra of the Fourteenth Century

GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT

Fourteenth century

AFTERWARDS all came into the hall which was not ugly or dull where each was, in my opinion, honoured and served both with wine and meat as his body and appetite demanded. And there I took my sustenance by looking at the countenance, the condition, the carriage, and the bearing of her in whom is all my joy. But here come the musicians after eating, without mishap, combed and dressed up! There they made many different harmonies. For I saw there all in one circle viol, rebec, gittern, lute, micanon, citole, and the psaltery, harp, tabor, trumpets, nakers, organs, horns, more than ten pairs, bagpipes [cornemuses], flutes [flajos], bagpipes [chevrettes], krumhorns, cymbals, bells, timbrel, the Bohemian flute [la flaüste brehaingne], and the big German cornet, flutes [ flajos de saus], flute [ fistule], pipe, bagpipe [muse d'Aussay], little trumpet, buzines, panpipes, monochord where there is only one string, and bagpipe [muse de blef] all together. And certainly, it seems to me that such a melody was never seen or heard, for each of them, according to the tune of his instrument, without discord, viol, gittern, citole, harp, trumpet, horn, flute, pipe, bellows [?souffle], bagpipe, nakers, tabor, and whatever one can do with finger, feather, and bov, I have seen and heard on this floor.