WILLIAM DE RUBRUQUIS a.d. 



1253- 

 belles like unto us. And that is the cause (as I thinke) 

 why the Christians of the East will in no case use great 

 belles. Notwithstanding they are common among the 

 Russians, and Graecians of Gasaria. 



Of their Temples and idoles : and howe they 

 behave themselves in worshipping their false 

 gods. Chap. 27. 



I A LI their Priests had their heads and beards shaven 

 ■ .l\, quite over : and they are clad in saffron coloured 

 garments : and being once shaven, they lead an unmaried 

 life from that time forward : and they live an hundreth or [I. 1 1 5.] 

 two hundreth of them together in one cloister or covent. 

 Upon those dayes when they enter into their temples, they 

 place two long foormes therein : and so sitting upon the 

 sayd foormes like singing men in a quier, namely the one 

 halfe of them directly over against the other, they have 

 certaine books in their hands, which sometimes they lay Bookes. 

 downe by them upon the foormes : and their heads are 

 bare so long as they remaine in the temple. And there 

 they reade softly unto themselves, not uttering any voice 

 at all. Whereupon comming in amongst them, at the 

 time of their superstitious devotions, and finding them all 

 siting mute in maner aforesayde, I attempted divers waies 

 to provoke them unto speach, and yet could not by any 

 means possible. They have with them also whithersoever 

 they goe, a certaine string with an hundreth or two 

 hundreth nutshels thereupon, much like to our bead-roule 

 which we cary about with us. And they doe alwayes utter 

 these words : Ou mam Hactani^ God thou knowest : as 

 one of them expounded it unto me. And so often doe 

 they expect a reward at Gods hands, as they pronounce 

 these words in remembrance of God. Round about their 

 temple they doe alwayes make a faire court, like unto a 

 churchyard, which they environ with a good wall : and 

 upon the South part thereof they build a great portal, 

 wherein they sit and conferre together. And upon the 

 top of the said portall they pitch a long pole right up, 



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