And
of that mount the city hath his name.
And at the foot of that mount is a fair well and a great, that hath
odour and savour of all spices. And at every hour of the day he
changeth his odour and his savour diversely. And whoso drinketh
three times fasting of that water of that well he is whole of all
manner sickness that he hath. And they that dwell there and drink
often of that well they never have sickness; and they seem always
young. I have drunken thereof three or four sithes, and yet,
methinketh, I fare the better. Some men clepe it the well of
youth. For they that often drink thereof seem always young-like,
and live without sickness. And men say, that that well cometh out
of Paradise, and therefore it is so virtuous.
By all that country groweth good ginger, and therefore thither go
the merchants for spicery.
In that land men worship the ox for his simpleness and for his
meekness, and for the profit that cometh of him. And they say,
that he is the holiest beast in earth. For them seemeth, that
whosoever be meek and patient, he is holy and profitable; for then,
they say, he hath all virtues in him. They make the ox to labour
six year or seven, and then they eat him. And the king of the
country hath alway an ox with him. And he that keepeth him hath
every day great fees, and keepeth every day his dung and his urine
in two vessels of gold, and bring it before their prelate that they
clepe Archi-protopapaton. And he beareth it before the king and
maketh there over a great blessing. And then the king wetteth his
hands there, in that they clepe gall, and anointeth his front and
his breast. And after, he froteth him with the dung and with the
urine with great reverence, for to be fullfilled of virtues of the
ox and made holy by the virtue of that holy thing that nought is
worth. And when the king hath done, then do the lords; and after
them their ministers and other men, if they may have any remenant.
In that country they make idols, half man half ox. And in those
idols evil spirits speak and give answer to men of what is asked
them. Before these idols men slay their children many times, and
spring the blood upon the idols; and so they make their sacrifice.
And when any man dieth in the country they burn his body in name of
penance; to that intent, that he suffer no pain in earth to be
eaten of worms. And if his wife have no child they burn her with
him, and say, that it is reason, that she make him company in that
other world as she did in this. But and she have children with
him, they let her live with them, to bring them up if she will.
And if that she love more to live with her children than for to die
with her husband, men hold her for false and cursed; ne she shall
never be loved ne trusted of the people. And if the woman die,
before the husband, men burn him with her, if that he will; and if
he will not, no man constraineth him thereto, but he may wed
another time without blame or reproof.
In that country grow many strong vines. And the women drink wine,
and men not. And the women shave their beards, and the men not.
CHAPTER XIX
OF THE DOOMS MADE BY ST. THOMAS'S HAND. OF DEVOTION AND SACRIFICE
MADE TO IDOLS THERE, IN THE CITY OF CALAMYE; AND OF THE PROCESSION
IN GOING ABOUT THE CITY
FROM that country men pass by many marches toward a country, a ten
journeys thence, that is clept Mabaron; and it is a great kingdom,
and it hath many fair cities and towns.
In that kingdom lieth the body of Saint Thomas the apostle in flesh
and bone, in a fair tomb in the city of Calamye; for there he was
martyred and buried. And men of Assyria bare his body into
Mesopotamia into the city of Edessa, and after, he was brought
thither again. And the arm and the hand that he put in our Lord's
side, when he appeared to him after his resurrection and said to
him, NOLI ESSE INCREDULUS, SED FIDELIS, is yet lying in a vessel
without the tomb. And by that hand they make all their judgments
in the country, whoso hath right or wrong. For when there is any
dissension between two parties, and every of them maintaineth his
cause, and saith that his cause is rightful, and that other saith
the contrary, then both parties write their causes in two bills and
put them in the hand of Saint Thomas. And anon he casteth away the
bill of the wrong cause and holdeth still the bill with the right
cause. And therefore men come from far countries to have judgment
of doubtable causes. And other judgment use they none there.
Also the church, where Saint Thomas' lieth, is both great and fair,
and all full of great simulacres, and those be great images that
they clepe their gods, of the which the least is as great as two
men.
And, amongst these other, there is a great image more than any of
the other, that is all covered with fine gold and precious stones
and rich pearls; and that idol is the god of false Christians that
have reneyed their faith. 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.
