Some of the other ladies covered the tables with dried fruits, sweetmeats, and whatever else was adapted to excite a desire for drinking; they also furnished the sideboard with many sorts of wine and liquors, while the remainder of the ladies came with several musical instruments. When every thing was ready, they invited me to sit down at table; the ladies sat down with me, and we remained there a considerable time. Those who entertained us with the instruments, accompanied them with their voices, and formed a delightful concert. The rest began a sort of ball, and danced in pairs one after the other in the most graceful and elegant manner possible. It was past midnight before all these amusements were concluded. One of the ladies then, addressing me, said, “You are fatigued with the distance you have come to-day, and it is time you should take some repose. Your apartment is prepared; but before you retire, you are requested to point out from amongst us all, her who most pleases you; and she is destined to pass the night in your chamber. I answered, “it was impossible to make the choice they required, since they were all equally beautiful and engaging, and worthy both of my respect and services; and that I could not be guilty of the incivility of preferring any one to the rest.” The lady who had first spoken to me, answered, “We are all very well persuaded of your good intentions, and we are well assured that the fear of giving rise to any jealousy amongst us, is what prevents you, but do not let this stop you, for the happiness of her whom you shall choose will not make us jealous, because we have agreed, that every day each shall have the same honour in her turn, and at the end of forty days we shall begin again. Choose then freely, and do not waste that time which you ought to give to the repose you stand so much in need of. I was obliged to yield to their entreaties; and I presented my hand therefore to the lady who had spoken for the rest; she immediately gave me hers, and they conducted us to a magnificent apartment. The other ladies then left us there, and retired to their own.