Perrow—The Last Will and Testament in Literature. 715 
and all the saints of Paradise. He wishes to die “en la foy de 
Dieu.” He then provides for his burial. Everything is ar¬ 
ranged to the minutest details. He does not want his funeral 
a sad affair. The bier is to be borne by laborers and attended 
by musicians. These he wishes well paid for their service. 
He prescribes the form of mass which he wishes sung for him 
and names his executors. He closes by extending numerous 
farewells to relatives and friends. 
“Le Testament de Monseigneur des Barres. a piece in verse 
of the middle of the fifteenth century, is an example of how the 
testament might be used for political purpose. 1 It represents 
Louis des Barres, who had made war against his sovereign, the 
king of Prance, as now standing on the scaffold, telling of his 
deeds, confessing his crimes, warning others not to fall into his 
way, and giving political advice. The loyalist writer saw a 
good chance to drive home the lesson of des Barres’ fate and 
adopted the testament as a good vehicle for his instruction. 
The two Testaments which of all the genre had, perhaps, the 
widest popularity and the greatest influence were the two by 
Villon, Le Petit Testament (1456) and Le Grand Testament 
(1461). 2 In Le Petit Testament Villon complains of a fair 
one who takes no pity on his love suit. Without any fault on 
his part she has doomed him to death. He sees no escape but 
flight. So he determines to go to Angiers. But human life is 
uncertain and his return may never be made; so he wishes to 
establish this his legacy before he leaves. 
He bequeaths to his foster father his fame and the right to 
use his tents and pavilions. 3 Then to the fair one who has 
brought him to all this evil he bequeaths his heart and begs 
God’s nuercy on her. 'Numerous bequests then follow, distri¬ 
buted among many friends, acquaintances, and enemies. Some 
are tangible things which Villon possibly owned, some tangible 
things that he did not own, and some are intangible things. 
Of these some are willed seriously and some satirically. Pi- 
1 Montaiglon, Recueil , VI, 102. 
2 Paul Lacroix, OEuvres de Frangois Villon, Paris, 1877. 
s It was customary for a knight to leave these to his next of kin. 
