WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS ad. 



1253. 



that a litle image or puppet looking towards the maidens 

 and women. Next unto the doore also on the womens 

 side, there is another image with a cowes udder, for the 

 women that milke the kine. For it is the duety of their 

 women to milke kine. On the other side of the doore 

 next unto the men, there is another image with the udder 

 of a mare, for the men which milke mares. And when 

 they come together to drinke and make merie, they 

 sprinckle parte of their drinke upon the image which is 

 above the masters head : afterward upon other images in 

 order : then goeth a servant out of the house with a 

 cuppe full of drinke sprinckling it thrise towards the 

 South, and bowing his knee at every time : and this is 

 done for the honour of the fire. Then perfourmeth he 

 the like superstitious idolatrie towards the East, for the 

 honour of the ayre : and then to the West for the honour 

 of the water : & lastly to the North in the behalfe of the 

 dead. When the maister holdeth a cuppe in his hande to 

 drinke, before he tasteth thereof, hee powreth his part 

 upon the ground. If he drinketh sitting on horse backe, 

 hee powreth out part thereof upon the necke or maine of 

 his horse before hee himselfe drinketh. After the ser- 

 vaunt aforesaide hath so discharged his cuppes to the 

 fower quarters of the world, hee returneth into the house : 

 and two other servants stand ready with two cuppes, and 

 two basons, to carrie drinke unto their master and his 

 wife, sitting together upon a bed. And if he hath more 

 wives then one, she with whome hee slept the night be- 

 fore, sitteth by his side the daye following : and all his 

 other wives must that day resorte unto the same house to 

 drinke : and there is the court holden for that day : the 

 giftes also which are presented that daye are layd up in 

 the chests of the sayd wife. And upon a bench stands a 

 vessell of milke or of other drinke and drinking cuppes. 



[Of their 

 237 



