On hearing this the people sent from the town spoke as follows: 'There are here holidays proclaimed by the prince to give mental relaxation from the weariness which some feel as the result of longing not to be outdone. On these days there are concerts of music and singing in the squares, and outside the town sports and theatrical performances. At this time the squares are equipped with galleries surrounded by balustrades of interwoven vines, from which hang bunches of grapes. Amongst these musicians sit in three tiers with string and wind instruments, some high and some low-pitched, some loud and some gentle-sounding, with at either side singers of either sex. These entertain the citizens with the most delightful anthems and songs, either in choirs or as solos, varying the genre from time to time. On holidays these performances last from morning till noon, and then through the afternoon till evening.

[2] 'In addition, every morning there are to be heard coming from the houses round the squares the sweetest singing by maidens and girls, which echoes all through the town. There is one affection of spiritual love which is each day the subject of a song. That is to say, the affection is to be heard in the variations and modulations of the singing voice, and it is felt in the singing as if it were actually present. It flows into the souls of the audience, and rouses them to corresponding feelings. Such is the nature of singing in heaven. These singers say that the sound of their singing as it were inspires them and excites them inwardly, making them pleasurably uplifted, in proportion to the reactions of their listeners. When this is over, the windows and doors of the houses in the squares and streets are shut, and there is silence throughout the town, nor is there noise to be heard anywhere, nor are people to be seen wandering about. All then apply themselves to performing the task of their occupations.

[3] 'But at noon the doors are opened, and in the afternoon the windows too in some places, so that they can watch the boys and girls playing in the streets under the eyes of their nurses and masters, who sit in the porches of the houses.

[4] 'At the outermost edges of the town there are fields for various sports for boys and youths. There are races and games played with balls. There are games played with balls bouncing off walls, what is called rackets. There are competitions among the boys to see who is more and who less energetic in speaking, acting and seizing the point. The more energetic get a few laurel leaves as their prize. There are many other sports intended to develop latent skills in the boys.

[5] 'In addition, there are actors who put on performances in theatres outside the town. These display the various kinds of honourable and virtuous action which take place in civilised society. There are some among them who are actors who show contrasts.' 'What do you mean,' said one of the ten, 'by showing contrasts?' 'No virtue,' they replied, 'can be vividly displayed with all its fine and proper sentiments, except by contrasts between degrees of virtue varying from maximum to minimum. These actors portray the minimum of virtues, until they become zero. But there is a firm rule that they are not to show anything of their opposites, what are called dishonourable and improper actions, except figuratively and as it were seen a long way off. The reason this rule is laid down is that nothing decent and good in any virtue can by successive steps change into what is indecent and evil; but it decreases more and more until it ceases to exist, at which point the opposite begins. Heaven, therefore, where everything is decent and good, has nothing in common with hell, where everything is indecent and evil.'