nd another comes for the
like time. They thus spend their lives without the care or trouble of
wives and children, yet maintain their mistresses well according to their
rank. Any one may forsake his mistress at his pleasure; and in like
manner, the mistress may refuse admittance to any one oL her lovers when
she pleases. These mistresses are all gentlewomen of the Nayre cast; and
the nayres, besides being prohibited from marrying, must not attach
themselves to any woman of a different rank. Considering that there are
always several men attached to one woman, the nayres never look upon any
of these children born of their mistresses as belonging to them, however
strong a resemblance may subsist, and all inheritances among the nayres
go to their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, born of the same
mothers, all relationship being counted only by female consanguinity and
descent. This strange law prohibiting marriage, was established, that
they might have neither wives or children on whom to fix their love and
attachment; and that being free from all family cares, they might the
more willingly devote themselves entirely to warlike service. And the
more to animate these gentlemen in the service of the wars, and to
encourage them to continue in the order of nayres, they are privileged
from all imprisonments, and from the punishment of death on all ordinary
occasions, except for the following crimes; killing another nayre, or a
cow which is an object of worship, sleeping or eating with an ordinary
woman, or speaking evil of the king. When the king has received authentic
information of any of these offences having been committed, he issues a
written mandate to one of the nayres, commanding him to take two or three
other nayres in his company, and to slay the nayre who has committed this
offence against the laws. In obedience to this warrant, they attack him
with their swords and put him to death where-ever they happen to find him,
and then affix the royal order upon his body, that all may know the
reason of his death.

It is not permitted to any nayre to assume arms, or to enter into any
combat, till he has been armed as a knight. When a nayre becomes seven
years old, he is set to learn the use of all kinds of weapons, their
masters first pulling and twisting their joints to make them supple, and
then teaching them to fence and handle their arms adroitly. Their
principal weapons are swords and targets; and these teachers, who