LE GRAND TESTAMENT - CXL-CXLITHE TESTAMENT - CXL-CXLI
François Villontr. Peter Dean
CXL

Item, a sire Jehan Perdriel,
Riens, n'a Françoy, son second frere;
Sy m'ont voulu tousjours aidier
Et de leurs biens faire confrere,
Combien que Françoys, mon compere,
Langues cuisans, flambans et rouges,
My commandement my priere,
Me commanda fort a Bourges.


CXLI

Sy alé voir en Taillevent
Ou chappitre de fricassure,
Tout au long, derriere et devant,
Lequel n'en parle jus ne sure;
Mais Macquaire, je vous asseure,
A tout le poil cuisans ung deable
Afin qu'il sentist bon l'arseure,
Ce recipe m'escript sans fable:
CXL

Item, to Sire John Perdrier
nothing, nor Frank, his younger brother,
who helped me out on many a day
and made me share their this-and-the-other,
so much that Frankie, my age-mate,
half-ordering me, half-shaming,
got me to taste, at Bourges of late,
cooked tongue, piping hot and flaming.


CXLI

In Taillevant I went to look -
the chapter there on fritters -
but end to end within the book
no mention of such fare it has!
But here’s Macquaire - let’s not be hasty -
he’s got the nerve to cook a devil
until he’s roasted crisp and tasty -
he wrote this recipe: on the level!

Trans. Copyright © Peter Dean 2003


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