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The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
CHAP. L. DEVIL-CONJURORS 87
abundantly spiced.10 Moreover it shall be announced
that the sheep must be all black-faced, or of some other
particular colour as it may hap ; and then all those things
are to- be offered in sacrifice to such and such a spirit
whose name is given.11 And they are to bring so many
conjurors, and so many ladies, and the business is to be
done with a great singing of lauds, and with many lights,
and store of good perfumes. That is the sort of answer
they get if the patient is to get well. And then the
kinsfolk of the sick man go and procure all that has
been commanded, and do as has been bidden, and
the conjuror who had uttered all that gets on his legs
again.
So they fetch the sheep of the colour prescribed, and
slaughter them, and sprinkle the blood over such places
as have been enjoined, in honour and propitiation of the
spirit. And the conjurors come, and the ladies, in the
number that was ordered, and when all are assembled
and everything is ready, they begin to dance and play
and sing in honour of the spirit. And they take flesh-
broth and drink and lign-aloes, and a great number of
lights, and go about hither and thither, scattering the
broth and the drink and the meat also. And when they
have done this for a while, again shall one of the con-
jurors fall flat and wallow there foaming at the mouth,
and then the others will ask if he have yet pardoned the
sick man ? And sometimes he shall answer yea ! and
sometimes he shall answer no ! And if the answer be no,
they shall be told that something or other has to be done
all over again, and then he will be pardoned ; so this
they do. And when all that the spirit has commanded
has been done with great ceremony, then it shall be
announced that the man is pardoned and shall be
speedily cured. So when they at length receive such
a reply, they announce that it is all made up with the
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