And It Sitteth In A Chair Of Gold, Full
Nobly Arrayed, And He Hath About His Neck Large Girdles Wrought Of
Gold And Precious Stones And Pearls.
And this church is full
richly wrought and, all overgilt within.
And to that idol go men
on pilgrimage, as commonly and with as great devotion as Christian
men go to Saint James, or other holy pilgrimages. And many folk
that come from far lands to seek that idol for the great devotion
that they have, they look never upward, but evermore down to the
earth, for dread to see anything about them that should let them of
their devotion. And some there be that go on pilgrimage to this
idol, that bear knives in their hands, that be made full keen and
sharp; and always as they go, they smite themselves in their arms
and in their legs and in their thighs with many hideous wounds; and
so they shed their blood for love of that idol. And they say, that
he is blessed and holy, that dieth so for love of his god. And
other there be that lead their children for to slay, to make
sacrifice to that idol; and after they have slain them they spring
the blood upon the idol. And some there be that come from far; and
in going toward this idol, at every third pace that they go from
their house, they kneel; and so continue till they come thither:
and when they come there, they take incense and other aromatic
things of noble smell, and cense the idol, as we would do here
God's precious body.
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