ly, in the first place, they serve the Prince, the chief priest, the
Tranibors, the ambassadors, and strangers, if there are any, which
indeed falls out but seldom, and for whom there are houses well
furnished, particularly appointed for their reception when they come
among them. At the hours of dinner and supper, the whole Syphogranty
being called together by sound of trumpet, they meet and eat together,
except only such as are in the hospitals, or lie sick at home. Yet after
the halls are served, no man is hindered to carry provisions home from
the market-place; for they know that none does that but for some good
reason; for though any that will may eat at home, yet none does it
willingly, since it is both ridiculous and foolish for any to give
themselves the trouble to make ready an ill dinner at home, when there
is a much more plentiful one made ready for him so near hand. All the
uneasy and sordid services about these halls are performed by their
slaves; but the dressing and cooking their meat, and the ordering their
tables, belong only to the women, all those of every family taking it by
turns. They sit at three or more tables, according to their number; the
men sit towards the wall, and the women sit on the other side, that if
any of them should be taken suddenly ill, which is no uncommon case
amongst women with child, she may, without disturbing the rest, rise and
go to the nurse's room, who are there with the sucking children; where
there is always clean water at hand, and cradles in which they may lay
the young children, if there is occasion for it, and a fire that they
may shift and dress them before it. Every child is nursed by its own
mother, if death or sickness does not intervene; and in that case the
Syphogrants' wives find out a nurse quickly, which is no hard matter;
for any one that can do it, offers herself cheerfully; for as they are
much inclined to that piece of mercy, so the child whom they nurse
considers the nurse as its mother. All the children under five years old
sit among the nurses, the rest of the younger sort of both sexes, till
they are fit for marriage, either serve those that sit at table; or if
they are not strong enough for that, stand by them in great silence, and
eat what is given them; nor have they any other formality of dining. In
the middle of the first table, which stands across the upper end of the
hall, sit the Syphogrant and his wife; for that is the chief and most
conspicuo