And After That, As Priests Amongst Us Sing For The Dead, SUBVENITE
SANCTI DEI, ETC., Right So The Priests Sing
With high voice in
their language; Behold how so worthy a man and how good a man this
was, that
The angels of God come for to seek him and for to bring
him into Paradise. And then seemeth it to the son, that he is
highly worshipped, when that many birds and fowls and ravens come
and eat his father; and he that hath most number of fowls is most
worshipped.
And then the son bringeth home with him all his kin, and his
friends, and all the others to his house, and maketh them a great
feast. And then all his friends make their vaunt and their
dalliance, how the fowls came thither, here five, here six, here
ten, and there twenty, and so forth; and they rejoice them hugely
for to speak thereof. And when they be at meat, the son let bring
forth the head of his father, and thereof he giveth of the flesh to
his most special friends, instead of ENTRE MESSE, or a SUKKARKE.
And of the brain pan, he letteth make a cup, and thereof drinketh
he and his other friends also, with great devotion, in remembrance
of the holy man, that the angels of God have eaten. And that cup
the son shall keep to drink of all his life-time, in remembrance of
his father.
From that land, in returning by ten journeys throughout the land of
the great Chan, is another good isle and a great kingdom, where the
king is full rich and mighty.
And amongst the rich men of his country is a passing rich man, that
is no prince, ne duke, ne earl, but he hath more that hold of him
lands and other lordships, for he is more rich. For he hath, every
year, of annual rent 300,000 horses charged with corn of diverse
grains and of rice. And so he leadeth a full noble life and a
delicate, after the custom of the country. For he hath, every day,
fifty fair damosels, all maidens, that serve him evermore at his
meat, and for to lie by him o' night, and for to do with them that
is to his pleasance. And when he is at table, they bring him his
meat at every time, five and five together; and in bringing their
service they sing a song. And after that, they cut his meat, and
put it in his mouth; for he toucheth nothing, ne handleth nought,
but holdeth evermore his hands before him upon the table. For he
hath so long nails, that he may take nothing, ne handle nothing.
For the noblesse of that country is to have long nails, and to make
them grow always to be as long as men may. And there be many in
that country, that have their nails so long, that they environ all
the hand. And that is a great noblesse. And the noblesse of the
women is for to have small feet and little. And therefore anon as
they be born, they let bind their feet so strait, that they may not
grow half as nature would. And this is the noblesse of the women
there to have small feet and little. And always these damosels,
that I spake of before, sing all the time that this rich man
eateth. And when that he eateth no more of his first course, then
other five and five of fair damsels bring him his second course,
always singing as they did before. And so they do continually
every day to the end of his meat. And in this manner he leadeth
his life. And so did they before him, that were his ancestors.
And so shall they that come after him, without doing of any deeds
of arms, but live evermore thus in ease, as a. swine that is fed in
sty for to be made fat. He hath a full fair palace and full rich,
where that he dwelleth in, of the which the walls be, in circuit,
two mile. And he hath within many fair gardens, and many fair
halls and chambers; and the pavement of his halls and chambers be
of gold and silver. And in the mid place of one of his gardens is
a little mountain, where there is a little meadow. And in that
meadow is a little toothill with towers and pinnacles, all of gold.
And in that little toothill will he sit often-time, for to take the
air and to disport him. For the place is made for nothing else,
but only for his disport.
From that country men come by the land of the great Chan also, that
I have spoken of before.
And ye shall understand, that of all these countries, and of all
these isles, and of all the diverse folk, that I have spoken of
before, and of diverse laws, and of diverse beliefs that they have,
yet is there none of them all but that they have some reason within
them and understanding, but if it be the fewer, and that have
certain articles of our faith and some good points of our belief,
and that they believe in God, that formed all things and made the
world, and clepe him God of Nature; after that the prophet saith,
ET METUENT EUM OMNES FINES TERRAE, and also in another place, OMNES
GENTES SERVIENT EI, that is to say, 'All folk shall serve him.'
But yet they cannot speak perfectly (for there is no man to teach
them), but only that they can devise by their natural wit. For
they have no knowledge of the Son, ne of the Holy Ghost. But they
can all speak of the Bible, and namely of Genesis, of the prophet's
saws and of the books of Moses. And they say well, that the
creatures that they worship ne be no gods; but they worship them
for the virtue that is in them, that may not be but only by the
grace of God.
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