50
And upon sette dayes the multytude assemblen hem in the clos, and manye Galles and tho religious men that I spak of pertourmen here cerimonyes; and thei kutten here owne armes and beten that oon that other upon the bak.See 1 Kings, 18, 26-28. — And manye that stont ther neer floyten, and manye beten timbres, and othere syngen wode songes and holy. This is don withouten the temple, and thei that don it comen not in to the temple.
51
And in thise dayes Galles ben made. For whan tho floyten and perfourmen here rytes, that folye sone entreth into manye, and manye ther ben that camen for to seen and thanne wroghten in thilke manere. And I shal descryve what thei don. ‘The yong man to whom Fortune hath goven this adversitee, he casteth offe his clothinge and cometh in to the myddes, cryinge in a grete voyce, and taketh up a swerd that hath stode there thise manye yeeres, I wene. Thanne he geldeth him right anon and renneth throghe the Cytee berynge in his hondes tho parties therof he gelt him. And that house into the whiche he schalle casten thise, he getteth thens femele wedes and wommanlyche aparayles. Thus don thei whan thei gelden hem.
52
And Galles at here dyenge ben not enterred in lyk manere as other men, but gif a Galle dye, his felawes liften him up and carryen him in to the skirtes of the Cytee and sette doun the man himself and the fertre on the whiche thei broghte him, and easten stones aboven;Compare Joshua8, 29, and for the modern practice, Baldensperger, 16, 1. Perhaps originally the Gallus was stoned to death at the expiration of a certain time. and whan this is don, thei wenden hoom ayen. And thei wayten for the nombre of 7 dayes or that thei entren in to the temple; for if thei entren before, thei misdon.
