genera dapum nobilium cum dulcisonæ resonantia cantilenæ, quarum aliquæ ei singulos detruncant genu flexo morsellos, aliquæ ponunt in ore, mundis tergentes comedentis labia mappis. nam ipse quidem in mensa continet iacentes manus puras et quietas. post deseruitionem ferculi primi, seruitur pro secundo in 5. alijs dapum generibus modo quo supra, et renouatur in apponendo cantus suauior melodia. ista àbsque vlla domini cura per ministros quotidiè reparantur etiam in maiori satis quam effor nobilitate, nisi dum ipse pro placito iusserit, quandoque temperari. deliciosius igitur quo vult deducit carnem, non curans animam, sed nec probitatem curans terrenam, pascit sterilem, et viduæ non benefacit. et quia viuit sicut porcus, morientem suscipit orcus. [sidenote: longitudo vnguium. vtunturetiam in florida principes longis vnguibus.] porrò quod eum dixi manus tenere quietas, noueritis nimirum nil posse manibus capere vel tenere, propter longitudinem, et recuruitatem vnguium in digitis, qui sibi nullo tempore praescinduntur. seruatur enim hoc pro nobili more patriæ, et viri diuites delicati, qui proprios possunt habere ministros nunquàm sibi dimittunt vngues resecare, vnde et nonnullis circumdantur vndique manus, acsi uiderentur armatæ. [sidenote: noua historia chinensis hoc testatur.] foeminarum autem mos est nobilis si habeant paruos pedes, vnde et generosarum in cunis strictissimè simè obuoluuntur, vt vix ad medium debitæ quantitatis excrescere possint. the english version. of the customs of kynges, and othere that dwellen in the yles costynge to prestre johnes lond. and of the worschipe that the sone dothe to the fader, whan he is dede. [sidenote: cap. xxxi.] from tho yles, that i have spoken of before, in the lond of prestre john, that ben undre erthe as to us, that ben o this half, and of other yles, that ben more furthere bezonde; who so wil, pursuen hem, for to comen azen right to pursuen hem, for to comen azen right to the parties that he cam fro; and so environne alle erthe: but what for the yles, what for the see, and what for strong rowynge, fewe folk assayen for to passen that passage; alle be it that men myghte don it wel, that myght ben of power to dresse him thereto; as i have seyd zou before. and therfore men returnen from tho yles aboveseyd, be other yles costynge fro the lond of prestre john. and thanne comen men in returnynge to an yle, that is clept casson: and that yle hathe wel 60 jorrneyes in lengthe, and more than 50 in brede. this is the beste yle, and the beste kyngdom, that is in alle tho partyes, out taken cathay. and zif the merchauntes useden als moche that contre an thei don cathay, it wolde ben better than cathay, in a schort while. this contree is fulle well enhabyted, and so fulle of cytees, and of gode townes, and enhabyted with peple, that whan a man gothe out of o cytee, men seen another cytee, evene before hem: and that is what partye that a man go, in alle that contree. in that yle is gret plentee of alle godes for to lyve with, and of alle manere of spices. and there ben grete forestes of chesteynes. the kyng of that yle is fulle ryche and fulle myghty: and natheles he holt his lond of the grete chane, and is obeyssant to hym. for it is on of the 12 provynces, that the grete chane hathe undre him, with outen his propre lond, and with outen other lesse yles, that he hathe: for he hathe fulle manye. from that kyngdom comen men, in returnynge, to another yle, that is clept rybothe: and it is also under the grete chane. that is a fulle gode contree, and fulle plentefous of alle godes and of wynes and frut, and alle other ricchesse. and the folk of that contree han none houses: but thei dwellen and lyggen all under tentes, made of black ferne, by alle the contree. and the princypalle cytee, and the most royalle, is alle walled with black ston and white. and alle the stretes also ben pathed of the same stones. in that cytee is no man so hardy, to schede blode of no man, ne of no best, for the reverence of an ydole, that is worschipt there. and in that yle dwellethe the pope of hire lawe, that they clepen lobassy. this lobassy zevethe alle the benefices, and alle other dignytees, and all other thinges, that belongen to the ydole. and alle tho that holden ony thing of hire chirches, religious and othere, obeyen to him; as men don here to the pope of rome. in that yle thei han a custom, be alle the contree, that whan the fader is ded of ony man, and the sone list to do gret worchipe to his fader, he sendethe to alle his frendes, and to all his kyn, and for religious men and preestes, and for mynstralle also, gret plentee. and thanne men beren the dede body unto a gret hille, with gret joye and solempnyte. and when thei han brought it thider, the chief prelate smytethe of the hede, and leythe it upon a gret platere of gold and of sylver, zif so be he be a riche man; and than he takethe the hede to the sone; and thanne the sone and his other kyn syngen and seyn manye orisouns: and thanne the prestes, and the religious men, smyten alle the body of the dede man in peces: and thanne thei seyn certeyn orisouns. and the fowles of raveyne of alle the contree abouten knowen the custom of long tyme before, and comen fleenge aboyen in the eyr, as egles, gledes, ravenes and othere foules of raveyne, that eten flesche. and than the preestes casten the gobettes of the flesche; and than the foules eche of hem takethe that he may, and gothe a litille thens and etethe it: and so thei don whils ony pece lastethe of the dede body. and aftre that, as preestes amonges us syngen for the dede, _subvenite sancti dei_, &c. right so the preestes syngen with highe voys in hire langage, beholdethe how so worthi a man, and how gode a man this was, that the aungeles of god comen for to sechen him, and for to bryngen him in to paradys. and thanne semethe in to the sone, that he is highliche worschipt, whan that many briddes and foules and raveyne comen and eten his fader. and he that hathe most nombre of foules, is most worschiped. thanne the sone bryngethe hoom with him alle his kyn, and his frendes, and alle the othere to his hows, and makethe hem a gret feste. and thanne alle his frendes maken hire avaunt and hire dalyance, how the fowles comen thider, here 5, here 6, here 10, and there 20, and so forthe: and thei rejoyssen hem hugely for to speke there of. and whan thei ben at mete, the sone let brynge forthe the hede of his fader, and there of he zevethe of the flesche to his most specyalle frendes, in stede of entre messe, or a sukkarke. and of the brayn panne, he letethe make a cuppe, and there of drynkethe he and his other frendes also, with great devocioun, in remembrance of the holy man, that the aungeles of god han eten