in 
and Art. 
Literature 
209 
afs " is faid to be traced back in France as far as the ninth century. It 
was celebrated in mofc of the great towns in that country, fuch as Rouen, 
Sens, Douai, 8zc., and the fervice for the occafion is actually preferved in 
fome of the old church books. From this it appears that the afs was led 
in procefiion to a place in the middle of the church, which had been 
decked out to receive it, and that the proceflion was led by two clerks, 
who fung a Latin Tong in praife of the animal. This fang commences 
by telling us how " the afs came from the eafc, handfome and very Itrong, 
and rnoft flt for carrying burthens  
Orientis partibu: 
Adwntwvit ajinus, 
Pulrher etfbfti[imu.', 
Sarrini; apzfjimus. 
The refrain or burthen of the fong is in French, and exhorts the animal to 
join in the uproar-"Eh! sir afs, chant now, fair mouth, bray, you {hall 
have hay enough, and oats in abundance  
He2:,j?re afnex, car rlzantez, 
Belle bourlze, rerlzignez, 
Vous aurez dujbin ajiz, 
E: de l'a'uoinz 2 plannzz. 
In this tone the chant continues through nine fimilar Itanzas, defcribing 
the mode of life and food of the afs. When the procefiion reached the 
altar, the prieit began a fervice in profe. Beleth, one of the celebrated 
do6tors of the univerfity of Paris, who flouriihed in 1182, fpeaks of the 
" fealt of fools " as in exillence in his time; and the a6ts of the council 
of Paris, held in 1212, forbid the prefence of archbifhops and bifhops, 
and more efpecially of monks and nuns, at the feafts of fools, "in which 
a frat]? was carried."ie We know the proceedings of this latter feftival 
rather minutely from the accounts given in the eccleiiaitical cenfures. 
It 
")9 "A festis follorum ubi baculus accipituromnino abstineatur.  
monachxs ct monialibus prohibemus." 
  Idem fortius