and　defend　it。　　Once　in　every　year　the　chief　priests　of　each
  separate　subordinate　State　confess　their　sins　in　the　presence
  of　Hoh。　　Thus　he　is　not　ignorant　of　the　wrongdoings　of　the
  provinces；　and　forthwith　he　removes　them　with　all　human　and
  heavenly　remedies。
  Sacrifice　is　conducted　after　the　following　manner：　Hoh
  asks　the　people　which　one　among　them　wishes　to　give　himself
  as　a　sacrifice　to　God　for　the　sake　of　his　fellows。　　He　is　then
  placed　upon　the　fourth　table；　with　ceremonies　and　the　offering
  up　of　prayers：　the　table　is　hung　up　in　a　wonderful　manner　by
  means　of　four　ropes　passing　through　four　cords　attached　to
  firm　pulley…blocks　in　the　small　dome　of　the　temple。　　This　done
  they　cry　to　the　God　of　mercy；　that　he　may　accept　the　offering；
  not　of　a　beast　as　among　the　heathen；　but　of　a　human　being。
  Then　Hoh　orders　the　ropes　to　be　drawn　and　the　sacrifice　is
  pulled　up　above　to　the　centre　of　the　small　dome；　and　there　it
  dedicates　itself　with　the　most　fervent　supplications。　　Food　is
  given　to　it　through　a　window　by　the　priests；　who　live　around
  the　dome；　but　it　is　allowed　a　very　little　to　eat；　until　it　has　atoned
  for　the　sins　of　the　State。　　There　with　prayer　and　fasting　he
  cries　to　the　God　of　heaven　that　he　might　accept　its　willing　offer…
  ing。　　And　after　twenty　or　thirty　days；　the　anger　of　God　being
  appeased；　the　sacrifice　becomes　a　priest；　or　sometimes；　though
  rarely；　returns　below　by　means　of　the　outer　way　for　the　priests。
  Ever　after；　this　man　is　treated　with　great　benevolence　and　much
  honor；　for　the　reason　that　he　offered　himself　unto　death　for　the
  sake　of　his　country。　　But　God　does　not　require　death。
  The　priests　above　twenty…four　years　of　age　offer　praises　from
  their　places　in　the　top　of　the　temple。　　This　they　do　in　the　mid…
  dle　of　the　night；　at　noon；　in　the　morning　and　in　the　evening；　to
  wit；　four　times　a　day　they　sing　their　chants　in　the　presence　of
  God。　　It　is　also　their　work　to　observe　the　stars　and　to　note　with
  the　astrolabe　their　motions　and　influences　upon　human　things；
  and　to　find　out　their　powers。　　Thus　they　know　in　what　part　of
  the　earth　any　change　has　been　or　will　be；　and　at　what　time　it　has
  taken　place；　and　they　send　to　find　whether　the　matter　be　as　they
  have　it。　　They　make　a　note　of　predictions；　true　and　false；　so
  that　they　may　be　able　from　experience　to　predict　most　correctly。
  The　priests；　moreover；　determine　the　hours　for　breeding　and
  the　days　for　sowing；　reaping；　and　gathering　the　vintage；　and
  are；　as　it　were；　the　ambassadors　and　intercessors　and　connection
  between　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　investi…
  gated　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　an…
  other。　　They　sing　a　hymn　to　Love；　one　to　Wisdom；　and　one
  each　to　all　the　other　virtues；　and　this　they　do　under　the　direc…
  tion　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　car…
  dinal　points　of　the　heavens；　that　is；　when　he　enters　Cancer；　Li…
  bra；　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　in…
  vents　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　of　flattery；　or　ambition；　or　avarice。
  For　the　praise　of　no　one　is　a　statue　erected　until　after　his
  death；　but　while　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　name　is　written　in　the
  book　of　heroes。　　They　do　not　bury　dead　bodies；　but　burn　them；　so
  that　a　plague　may　not　arise　from　them；　and　so　that　they　may　be
  converted　into　fire；　a　very　noble　and　powerful　thing；　which　has
  its　coming　from　the　sun　and　returns　to　it。　　And　for　the　above
  reasons　no　chance　is　given　for　idolatry。　　The　statues　and　pict…
  ures　of　the　heroes；　however；　are　there；　and　the　splendid　women
  set　apart　to　become　mothers　often　look　at　them。　　Prayers　are
  made　from　the　State　to　the　four　horizontal　corners　of　the
  world　　in　the　morning　to　the　rising　sun；　then　to　the　setting
  sun；　then　to　the　south；　and　lastly　to　the　north；　and　in　the　con…
  trary　order　in　the　evening；　first　to　the　setting　sun；　to　the　rising
  sun；　to　the　north；　and　at　length　to　the　south。　　They　repeat　but
  one　prayer；　which　asks　for　health　of　body　and　of　mind；　and
  happiness　for　themselves　and　all　people；　and　they　conclude　it
  with　the　petition　〃As　it　seems　best　to　God。〃　　The　public　prayer
  for　all　is　long；　and　it　is　poured　forth　to　heaven。　　For　this　rea…
  son　the　altar　is　round　and　is　divided　crosswise　by　ways　at　right
  angles　to　one　another。　　By　these　ways　Hoh　enters　after　he　has
  repeated　the　four　prayers；　and　he　prays　looking　up　to　heaven。
  And　then　a　great　mystery　is　seen　by　them。　　The　priestly　vest…
  ments　are　of　a　beauty　and　meaning　like　to　those　of　Aaron。
  They　resemble　nature　and　they　surpass　Art。
  They　divide　the　seasons　according　to　the　revolution　of　the
  sun；　and　not　of　the　stars；　and　they　observe　yearly　by　how　much
  time　the　one　precedes　the　other。　　They　hold　that　the　sun　ap…
  proaches　nearer　and　nearer；　and　therefore　by　ever…lessening　cir…
  cles　reaches　the　tropics　and　the　equator　every　year　a　little
  sooner。　　They　measure　months　by　the　course　of　the　moon；
  years　by　that　of　the　sun。　　They　praise　Ptolemy；　admire　Coper…
  nicus；　but　place　Aristarchus　and　Philolaus　before　him。　　They
  take　great　pains　in　endeavoring　to　understand　the　construction
  of　the　world；　and　whether　or　not　it　will　perish；　and　at　what　time。
  They　believe　that　the　true　oracle　of　Jesus　Christ　is　by　the　signs
  in　the　sun；　in　the　moon；　and　in　the　stars；　which　signs　do　not　thus
  appear　to　many　of　us　foolish　ones。　　Therefore　they　wait　for
  the　renewing　of　the　age；　and　perchance　for　its　end。
  They　say　that　it　is　very　doubtful　whether　the　world　was　made
  from　nothing；　or　from　the　ruins　of　other　worlds；　or　from　chaos；
  but　they　certainly　think　that　it　was　made；　and　did　not　exist
  from　eternity。　　Therefore　they　disbelieve　in　Aristotle；　whom
  they　consider　a　logican　and　not　a　philosopher。　　From　analo…
  gies；　they　can　draw　many　arguments　against　the　eternity　of　the
  world。　　The　sun　and　the　stars　they；　so　to　speak；　regard　as　the
  living　representatives　and　signs　of　God；　as　the　temples　and　holy
  living　altars；　and　they　honor　but　do　not　worship　them。　　Be…
  yond　all　other　things　they　venerate　the　sun；　but　they　consider
  no　created　thing　worthy　the　adoration　of　worship。　　This　they
  give　to　God　alone；　and　thus　they　serve　Him；　that　they　may　not
  come　into　the　power　of　a　tyrant　and　fall　into　misery　by　undergo…
  ing　punishment　by　creatures　of　revenge。　　They　contemplate　and
  know　God　under　the　image　of　the　Sun；　and　they　call　it　the　sign
  of　God；　His　face　and　living　image；　by　means　of　which　light；
  heat；　life；　and　the　making　of　all　things　good　and　bad　proceed。
  Therefore　they　have　built　an　altar　like　to　the　sun　in　shape；　and
  the　priests　praise　God　in　the　sun　and　in　the　stars；　as