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. And that cuppe the sone schalle kepe to
drynken of, alle his lif tyme, in remembrance of his fadir.

From that lond, in returnynge be 10 jorneyes thorghe out the lond of the
grete Chane, is another gode yle, and a gret kyngdom, where the kyng is
fulle riche and myghty. And amonges the riche men of his contree, is a
passynge riche man, that is no prince,