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. And so come folk to worship this idol, some
from an hundred mile, and some from many more.
And before the minster of this idol, is a vivary, in manner of a
great lake, full of water. And therein pilgrims cast gold and
silver, pearls and precious stones without number, instead of
offerings. And when the minister of that church need to make any
reparation of the church or of any of the idols, they take gold and
silver, pearls and precious stones out of the vivary, to quit the
costage of such thing as they make or repair; so that that nothing
is faulty, but anon it shall be amended. And ye shall understand,
that when [there be] great feasts and solemnities of that idol, as
the dedication of the church and the throning of the idol, all the
country about meet there together. And they set this idol upon a
car with great reverence, well arrayed with cloths of gold, of rich
cloths of Tartary, of Camaka, and other precious cloths. And they
lead him about the city with great solemnity. And before the car
go first in procession all the maidens of the country, two and two
together full ordinatly. And after those maidens go the pilgrims.
And some of them fall down under the wheels of the car, and let the
car go over them, so that they be dead anon.
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