n God and man. And it
is from among them mostly that Hoh is elected. They write very learned
treatises and search into the sciences. Below they never descend, unless
for their dinner and supper, so that the essence of their heads do not
descend to the stomachs and liver. Only very seldom, and that as a cure
for the ills of solitude, do they have converse with women. On certain
days Hoh goes up to them and deliberates with them concerning the
matters which he has lately investigated for the benefit of the State
and all the nations of the world.

In the temple beneath, one priest always stands near the altar praying
for the people, and at the end of every hour another succeeds him, just
as we are accustomed in solemn prayer to change every fourth hour. And
this method of supplication they call perpetual prayer. After a meal
they return thanks to God. Then they sing the deeds of the Christian,
Jewish, and Gentile heroes, and of those of all other nations, and this
is very delightful to them. Forsooth, no one is envious of another.
They sing a hymn to Love, one to Wisdom, and one each to all the other
virtues, and this they do under the direction of the ruler of each
virtue. Each one takes the woman he loves most, and they dance for
exercise with propriety and stateliness under the peristyles. The women
wear their long hair all twisted together and collected into one knot on
the crown of the head, but in rolling it they leave one curl. The men,
however, have one curl only and the rest of their hair around the head
is shaven off. Further, they wear a slight covering, and above this a
round hat a little larger than the size of their head. In the fields
they use caps, but at home each one wears a biretta, white, red, or
another color according to his trade or occupation. Moreover, the
magistrates use grander and more imposing-looking coverings for the
head.

They hold great festivities when the sun enters the four cardinal points
of the heavens, that is, when he enters Cancer, Libra, Capricorn, and
Aries. On these occasions they have very learned, splendid, and, as it
were, comic performances. They celebrate also every full and every new
moon with a festival, as also they do the anniversaries of the founding
of the city, and of the days when they have won victories or done any
other great achievement. The celebrations take place with the music of
female voices, with the noise of trumpets and drums, and the firing of
salutati