"Il ne creoient Dieu, Mahon, ne Tervogant,
Ydole, cruchefis, deable, ne tirant." P. 300.
Their only belief was this, that when a man died a great fire should be
made beside his tomb, in which should be burned all his clothes, arms, and
necessary furniture, whilst his horse and servant should be put to death,
and then the dead man would have the benefit of all these useful
properties in the other world.[15] Moreover, if it was the king that
died -
"Se li rois de la terre i aloit trespassant,
* * * * *
Si fasoit-on tuer, .viij. jour en un tenant,
Tout chiaus c'on encontroit par la chite passant,
Pour tenir compaingnie leur segnor soffisant.
Telle estoit le creanche ou pais dont je cant!"[16] P. 301.
Baudin arrives when the king has been dead three days, and through dread
of this custom all the people of the city are shut up in their houses. He
enters an inn, and helps himself to a vast repast, having been fasting for
three days. He is then seized and carried before the king, Polibans by
name. We might have quoted this prince at p. 87 as an instance of the
diffusion of the French tongue:
"Polibans sot Fransois, car on le doctrina:
j. renoies de Franche.
