is deveer, in
suche cruelle wise, as thoughe he wolde have him slayn therfore. But after
the firste nyght, that they ben leyn by, thei kepen hem so streytely, that
thei ben not so hardy to speke with no man. And I asked hem the cause, whi
that thei helden suche custom: and thei seyden me, that of old tyme, men
hadden ben dede for deflourynge of maydenes, that hadden serpentes in hire
bodyes, that stongen men upon hire zerdes, that thei dyeden anon: and
therfore thei helden that custom, to make other men, ordeyn'd therefore, to
lye be hire wyfes, for drede of dethe, and to assaye the passage be
another, rather than for to putte hem in that aventure.

Aftre that, is another yle, where that wommen maken gret sorwe, whan hire
children ben y born: and whan thei dyen, thei maken gret feste and gret
joye and revelle, and thanne thei casten hem into a gret fuyr brennynge.
And tho that loven wel hire husbondes, zif hire husbondes ben dede, thei
casten hem also in the fuyr, with hire children, and brennen hem. And thei
seyn, that the fuyr schalle clensen hem of alle filthes and of alle vices,
and thei schulle gon pured and clene in to another world, to hire
husbondes, and thei schulle leden hire children with hem. And the cause whi
that they wepen, when hire children ben born, is this, for whan thei comen
in to this world, thei comen to labour, sorwe and hevynesse: and whi thei
maken ioye and gladnesse at hire dyenge, is be cause that, as thei seyn,
thanne thei gon to Paradys, where the ryveres rennen mylk and hony, where
that men seen hem in ioye and in habundance of godes, with outen sorwe and
labour. In that yle men maken hire kyng evere more be eleccioun: and thei
ne chese him nought for no noblesse ne for no ricchesse, but suche an on as
is of gode maneres and of gode condiciouns, and therewith alle rightfulle;
and also that he be of gret age, and that he have no children. In that yle
men ben fulle rightfulle, and thei don rightfulle iuggementes in every
cause, bothe of riche and pore, smale and grete, aftre the quantytee of the
trespas, that is mys don. And the kyng may nought deme no man to dethe,
with outen assent of his barouns and other wyse men of conseille, and that
alle the court accorde therto. And zif the kyng him self do ony homycydie
or ony cryme, as to sle a man, or ony suche cas, he schalle dye therefore;
but he schalle not be slayn, as another man, but men schulle defende in
peyne of dethe, that no man be so har