The Greffier of the Court St. Michel and his two pions.
The Seneschal of the Court St. Michel and his two pions.
The eleven vavassors of the Court St. Michel, and one pion each.
Whilst they are on their march, the five sheriffs carry by turns a white wand in the following order:—
The Sheriff of the Vale, from the Vale Church to the end of Grand Pont.
The King’s Sheriff, from the end of Grand Pont, as far as the Forest.
The Sheriff of Grand Moûtier, from the Forest to the King’s Mills.
The Sheriff of Petit Moûtier, from the King’s Mills to the Douit des Landes in the Market Place, and the Sheriff of Rozel from the last mentioned place to the Vale.
During the procession the lance bearer carried a wand of eleven and a quarter feet long, and any obstacle this wand encountered, stones of walls, branches of trees, etc., had to be cleared away, and the proprietor of the obstacle was fined thirty sous, which went towards the expenses of the dinner. From time immemorial the privilege of the pions,—who were chosen for their good looks—was that of kissing every woman they met, whether gentle or simple, their only restriction being that only one pion was allowed to kiss the same lady, she had not to run the gauntlet of the gang. This privilege of course was invariably exercised!