To be delicate and fine, they put their meate into their
mouthes with litle forkes, accounting it great rudenesse to touch it with
their fingers: winter and sommer they drinke water as hot as they may
possibly abide it. Their houses are in danger of fire, but finely made and
cleane, layde all ouer with strawe-pallets, whereupon they doe both sit in
stead of stooles, and lie in their clothes with billets under their heads.
For feare of defiling these pallets, they goe either bare foote within
doores, or weare strawe pantofles on their buskins when they come abroad,
the which they lay aside at their returne home againe. Gentlemen for the
most part do passe the night in banketting, musicke, and vaine discourses,
they sleepe the day time. In Meaco and Sacaio there is good store of beds,
but they be very litle, and may be compared vnto our pues.

In bringing vp children they vse words only to rebuke them, admonishing as
diligently and aduisedly boyes of sixe or seuen yeeres of age, as though
they were olde men. They are giuen very much to intertaine strangers, of
whom most curiously they loue to aske euen in trifles what forraine nations
doe, and their fashions. Such arguments and reasons as be manifest, and are
made plaine with examples, doe greatly persuade them. They detest all kinde
of theft, whosoeuer is taken in that fault may be slaine freely of any
bodie. No publike prisons, no common gayles, no ordinary Iusticers:
priuately each householder hath the hearing of matters at home in his owne
house, and the punishing of greater crimes that deserue death without
delay. Thus vsually the people is kept in awe and feare.

About foure hundred yeeres past (as in their olde recordes we finde) all
Iapan was subiect vnto one Emperour whose royall seat was Meaco, in the
Iaponish language called Cubucama. But the nobtlitie rebelling against him,
by litle and litle haue taken away the greatest part of his dominion,
howbeit his title continually remayneth, and the residue in some respect
doe make great account of him still, acknowledging him for their superior.
Thus the Empyre of Iapan, in times past but one alone, is now diuided into
sixtie sixe kingdomes, the onely cause of ciuill warres continually in that
Iland, to no small hinderance of the Gospell, whilest the kings that dwell
neare together inuade one another, each one coueting to make his kingdome
greater. Furthermore in the citie Meaco is the pallace of the high Priest,
whom