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THE LABYRINTH OF THE WORLD

terrible things against other men!" "Thou art too fastidious," he said, laughing.

(The Life of Soldiers is licentious.)

4. And going onward, we come to a market-place, where I see herds of these men who were clothed in iron, and had horns and claws, and were fettered together in troops. They were crouching before what seemed troughs and jugs, into which that which they were to eat and drink was strewn and poured out for them; and they, one after the other, gobbled and lapped it up. And I said: "Are hogs, then, being here fattened for butchery? I see, indeed, the appearances of men, but swinish deeds." "That is no inconvenience for men of that estate," said the interpreter. Meanwhile, they rise from these troughs, give themselves to frolics and dancing, skipping and shouting. And the interpreter further: "Well, dost thou see the delights of this life? About what need they be anxious? Is it not merry to be here?" "I shall await what will befall later," quoth I. But they now begin to pursue and harry every man whom they met, who was not of their own estate. Then, wallowing on the earth, they committed —— and every infamy, without any shame or fear of God. Then I blushed and said: "Assuredly they should not be allowed to do this." "They must be allowed," said the interpreter, "for this estate claims much liberty." They then sat down and began to gobble, and after they had crammed themselves with food and drink