house. He sends the
oldest of them to fetch wood, and the younger to gather pot-herbs: these
they steal where they can find them, either slily getting into gardens,
or else craftily and warily creeping to the common tables. But if any
one be caught, he is severely flogged for negligence or want of
dexterity. They steal, too, whatever victuals they possibly can,
ingeniously contriving to do it when persons are asleep, or keep but
indifferent watch. If they are discovered, they are punished not only
with whipping, but with hunger. Indeed, their supper is but slender at
all times, that, to fence against want, they may be forced to exercise
their courage and address. This is the first intention of their spare
diet: a subordinate one is, to make them grow tall. For when the animal
spirits are not too much oppressed by a great quantity of food, which
stretches itself out in breadth and thickness, they mount upwards by
their natural lightness, and the body easily and freely shoots up in
height. This also contributes to make them handsome; for thin and
slender habits yield more freely to nature, which then gives a fine
proportion to the limbs; whilst the heavy and gross resist her by their
weight. So women that take physic during their pregnancy, have slighter
children indeed, but of a finer and more delicate turn, because the
suppleness of the matter more readily obeys the plastic power. However,
these are speculations which we shall leave to others.

The boys steal with so much caution, that one of them having conveyed a
young fox under his garment, suffered the creature to tear out his
bowels with his teeth and claws, choosing rather to die than to be
detected. Nor does this appear incredible, if we consider what their
young men can endure to this day; for we have seen many of them expire
under the lash at the altar of Diana Orthia.

The Iren, reposing himself after supper, used to order one of the boys
to sing a song; to another he put some question which required a
judicious answer: for example, "Who was the best man in the city?" or
"What he thought of such an action?" This accustomed them from their
childhood to judge of the virtues, to enter into the affairs of their
countrymen. For if one of them was asked, "Who is a good citizen, or who
an infamous one," and hesitated in his answer, he was considered a boy
of slow parts, and of a soul that would not aspire to honour. The answer
was likewise to have a reason assigned