And The Custom Also There Is This, That When They That Have Such
Devotion And Intent For To Slay Himself
For love of his god, they
send for all their friends, and have great plenty of minstrels; and
they go
Before the idol leading him that will slay himself for such
devotion between them, with great reverence. And he, all naked,
hath a full sharp knife in his hand, and he cutteth a great piece
of his flesh, and casteth it in the face of his idol, saying his
orisons, recommending him to his god. And then he smiteth himself
and maketh great wounds and deep, here and there, till he fall down
dead. And then his friends present his body to the idol. And then
they say, singing, Holy god! behold what thy true servant hath done
for thee. He hath forsaken his wife and his children and his
riches, and all the goods of the world and his own life for the
love of thee, and to make thee sacrifice of his flesh and of his
blood. Wherefore, holy god, put him among thy best beloved saints
in thy bliss of paradise, for he hath well deserved it. And then
they make a great fire, and burn the body. And then everych of his
friends take a quantity of the ashes, and keep them instead of
relics, and say that it is holy thing. And they have no dread of
no peril whiles they have those holy ashes upon them.
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