And Also When Any Messenger
Cometh And Bringeth Letters Or Any Present To The Emperor, It
Behoveth Him That He,
With the thing that he bringeth, pass through
two burning fires for to purge them, that he bring no poison
Ne
venom, ne no wicked thing that might be grievance to the Lord. And
also if any man or woman be taken in avoutry or fornication, anon
they slay him. And who that stealeth anything, anon they slay him.
Men of that country be all good archers and shoot right well, both
men and women, as well on horse-back, pricking, as on foot,
running. And the women make all things and all manner mysteries
and crafts, as of clothes, boots and other things; and they drive
carts, ploughs and wains and chariots; and they make houses and all
manner mysteres, out taken bows and arrows and armours that men
make. And all the women wear breeches, as well as men.
All the folk of that country be full obeissant to their sovereigns;
ne they fight not, ne chide not one with another. And there be
neither thieves ne robbers in that country. And every man
worshippeth other; but no man there doth no reverence to no
strangers, but if they be great princes.
And they eat hounds, lions, leopards, mares and foals, asses, rats
and mice and all manner of beasts, great and small, save only swine
and beasts that were defended by the old law. And they eat all the
beasts without and within, without casting away of anything, save
only the filth. And they eat but little bread, but if it be in
courts of great lords. And they have not in many places, neither
pease ne beans ne none other pottages but the broth of the flesh.
For little eat they anything but flesh and the broth. And when
they have eaten, they wipe their hands upon their skirts; for they
use no napery ne towels, but if it be before great lords; but the
common people hath none. And when they have eaten, they put their
dishes unwashen into the pot or cauldron with remnant of the flesh
and of the broth till they will eat again. And the rich men drink
milk of mares or of camels or of asses or of other beasts. And
they will be lightly drunken of milk and of another drink that is
made of honey and of water sodden together; for in that country is
neither wine ne ale. They live full wretchedly, and they eat but
once in the day, and that but little, neither in courts ne in other
places. And in sooth, one man alone in this country will eat more
in a day than one of them will eat in three days. And if any
strange messenger come there to a lord, men make him to eat but
once a day, and that full little.
And when they war, they war full wisely and always do their
business, to destroy their enemies.
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