Marriage processions were, beyond doubt, attended by minstrels. An illustration of a band consisting of tabor, bagpipes, regal, and violin, heading a marriage procession, may be seen in the Roman d'Alexandre (Bodleian Library) at folio 173; and at folios 173 and 174 the wedding feast is enlivened by a more numerous band of harp, gittern, violin, regal, tabor, bagpipes, hand-bells, cymbals, and kettle-drums--which are carried on a boy's back.[336] CHAPTER II. SACRED MUSIC. Every nobleman and gentleman in the Middle Ages, we have seen, had one or more minstrels as part of his household, and among their other duties they were required to assist at the celebration of divine worship. Allusions occur perpetually in the old romances, showing that it was the universal custom to hear mass before dinner, and even-song before supper, _e.g._: "And so they went home and unarmed them, and so to even-song and supper.... And on the morrow they heard mass, and after went to dinner, and to their counsel, and made many arguments what were best to do."[337] "The Young Children's Book," a kind of mediæval "Chesterfield's Letters to his Son," published by the Early English Text Society, from a MS. of about 1500 A.D., in the Bodleian Library, bids its pupils-- "Aryse be tyme oute of thi bedde, And blysse[338] thi brest and thi forhede, Then wasche thi handes and thi face, Keme thi hede and ask God grace The to helpe in all thi workes; Thou schalt spede better what so thou carpes. Then go to the chyrche and here a massé, There aske mersy for thi trespasse. When thou hast done go breke thy faste With mete and drynk a gode repast." In great houses the service was performed by the chaplain in the chapel of the hall or castle, and it seems probable that the lord's minstrels assisted in the musical part of the service. The organ doubtless continued to be, as we have seen it in Saxon times, the most usual church instrument. Thus the King of Hungary in "The Squire of Low Degree," tells his daughter:-- "Then shal ye go to your even song, With tenours and trebles among; * * * * Your quere nor organ song shal want With countre note and dyscant; The other half on organs playing, With young children ful fayn synging."