Note 1122 — APPENDIX I. AN ESSAY ON THE ANCIENT MINSTRELS IN ENGLAND.
Reading edition
The tabour or tabourin was a common instrument with the French minstrels, as it had also been with the Anglo-Saxon (vid. p. 393): thus in an ancient Fr. MS. in the Harl. collection (2253, 75), a minstrel is described as riding on horseback, and bearing his tabour.
"Entour son col porta son tabour, Depeynt de Or, e riche Açour."
See also a passage in Menage's Diction. Etym. (v. menestriers,) where tabours is used as synonymous to menestriers.
Another frequent instrument with them was the viele. This, I am told, is the name of an instrument at this day, which differs from a guitar, in that the player turns round a handle at the top of the instrument, and with his other hand, plays on some keys, that touch the chords, and produce the sound.
See Dr. Burney's account of the vielle, vol. ii. p. 263, who thinks it the same with the rote or wheel. See p. 270 in the note.
"Il ot un Jougleor a Sens, Qui navoit pas sovent robe entiere; Sovent estoit sans sa viele."—Fabliaux & Cont. ii. 184, 5.