FRIAR BEATUS ODORICUS a.d. 



1330- 

 off the fathers head, giving it unto his sonne, which 

 being done, they divide the whole body into morsels, 

 and so leave it behinde them, returning home with 

 prayers in the company of the sayd sonne. So soone . 

 as they are departed, certaine vultures, which are accus- 

 tomed to such bankets, come flying from the mountaines, 

 and cary away all the sayd morsels of flesh : and from 

 thenceforth a fame is spread abroad, that the sayd party 

 deceased was holy, because the angels of God carried him 

 into paradise. And this is the greatest and highest 

 honour, that the sonne can devise to performe unto his 

 deceased father. Then the sayd sonne taketh his fathers ^-^^ ^^^^ 

 head, seething it and eating the flesh thereof, but of Jf "y'^J""" 

 the skull he makes a drinking cup, wherein himselfe same people is 

 with all his family and kinred do drinke with great In William de 

 solemnity and mirth, in the remembrance of his dead Subnets. 

 and devoured father. Many other vile and abominable 

 things doth the sayd nation commit, which I meane not 

 to write, because men neither can nor will beleeve, 

 except they should have the sight of them. 



Of a certaine rich man, who is fed and nourished 

 by fiftie virgins. 



WHile I was in the province of Mancy, I passed 

 by the palace of a certaine famous man, which 

 hath fifty virgin damosels continually attending upon 

 him, feeding him every meale, as a bird feeds her yoong 

 ones. Also he hath sundry kindes of meat served in 

 at his table, and three dishes of ech kinde : and when 

 the sayd virgins feed him, they sing most sweetly. This 

 man hath in yeerely revenues thirty thuman of tagars 

 of rise, every of which thuman yeeldeth tenne thousand 

 tagars, and one tagar is the burthen of an asse. His 

 palace is two miles in circuit, the pavement whereof is 

 one plate of golde, and another of silver. Neere unto 

 the wall of the sayd palace there is a mount artificially 

 wrought with golde and silver, whereupon stand turrets 

 and steeples and other delectable things for the solace 



437 



