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 biretto white, red, or
another colour 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
salutations. The poets sing the praises of the most renowned leaders and
the victories. Nevertheless, if any of them should deceive even by
disparaging a foreign hero, he is punished. No one can exercise the
function of a poet who invents that which is not true, and a license
like this they think to be a pest of our world, for the reason that it
puts a premium upon virtue and often assigns it to unworthy persons,
either from fear or flattery, or ambition or avarice. For the praise of
no one is a statue erected until after his death; but whilst he is
alive, who has found out new arts and very useful secrets, or who has
rendered great service to the state either at home or on the
battle-field, his n