The banquet was quite ready on their return; and when the company were seated, three large carriages, splendidly ornamented, descended from the ceiling, full of every delicacy in meats and liquors: each carriage contained a service. In front of the upper table was a fountain playing water; and in the middle of the hall was a live lion, before whom a man was beating a little dog,--and near the lion, in an arbour, was a savage. In another part of the hall was the figure of a damsel, from whose breasts spouted hippocras in great abundance: beside the damsel was an infant that pissed rose water. There were so many other pageants it would be tiresome to mention them all. Opposite to the duke's table was a representation of a church, whence issued a friar seated on a dromedary, led by a living giant. The friar addressed his speech to the duke, remonstrating, in eloquent language, how the church was daily losing its inheritances, and Christendom trampled under foot by the enemies of the faith. He called to his remembrance the valour of deceased princes: how in their time they had, by their courage, supported and defended the church. As he was thus littering his complaints, in the name of the holy church, Golden Fleece, the duke's herald of the order, entered with a pheasant finely roasted and adorned, and presented it to the duke as an _entremets_, saying such a dish was appropriate to making vows. The duke replied, that he was right; and in the presence of the whole company vowed to GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the blessed Holy Ghost, three persons in one GOD, to the glorious Virgin Mary, mother of GOD, and the whole court of paradise, that if the king of France would engage, during his absence, to maintain his estates in tranquility, he would, himself, march his whole army into Turkey, and combat army with army, or personally, with the grand Turk, until death, at the choice of the Turk. The company before they heard this vow had been all joy, but they now began to weep and groan. The pheasant was presented to each of the great lords present, who all made vows to the same effect, but under different conditions. To relate the whole would take up too much time,--so I shall pass them over, and say, that the banquet was succeeded by dancings and mummeries, after which every one retired to his home[150]. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 150: For further particulars of this banquet, I refer the reader to a note in the Travels of Bertrandon de la Brocquiere.] CHAP. LIII. CHARLES COUNT DE CHAROLOIS, SON TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, IS BETROTHED TO HIS COUSIN-GERMAN THE LADY ISABELLA OF BOURBON.--THE DUKE GOES INTO GERMANY,--AND SOON AFTER HIS RETURN, THE COUNT MARRIES HIS COUSIN-GERMAN.