At the Baths, which the ancients made use of every day before they went to dinner, and as frequently as we wash our hands, they at first only bathed their arms and legs; but afterwards, and by a custom that has continued for many ages in most nations of the world, they bathed stark naked in mixed and perfumed water, looking upon it as a great simplicity to bathe in mere water.  The most delicate and affected perfumed themselves all over three or four times a day.  They often caused their hair to be pinched off, as the women of France have some time since taken up a custom to do their foreheads,

          “Quod pectus, quod crura tibi, quod brachia veilis,”

     ["You pluck the hairs out of your breast, your arms, and thighs.” 
     —­Martial, ii. 62, i.]

though they had ointments proper for that purpose: 

          “Psilotro nitet, aut acids latet oblita creta.”

     ["She shines with unguents, or with chalk dissolved in vinegar.” 
     —­Idem, vi. 93, 9.]

They delighted to lie soft, and alleged it as a great testimony of hardiness to lie upon a mattress.  They ate lying upon beds, much after the manner of the Turks in this age: 

          “Inde thoro pater AEneas sic orsus ab alto.”

     ["Thus Father AEneas, from his high bed of state, spoke.” 
     —­AEneid, ii. 2.]

And ’tis said of the younger Cato, that after the battle of Pharsalia, being entered into a melancholy disposition at the ill posture of the public affairs, he took his repasts always sitting, assuming a strict and austere course of life.  It was also their custom to kiss the hands of great persons; the more to honour and caress them.  And meeting with friends, they always kissed in salutation, as do the Venetians: 

          “Gratatusque darem cum dulcibus oscula verbis.”

          ["And kindest words I would mingle with kisses.” 
          —­Ovid, De Pont., iv. 9, 13]

In petitioning or saluting any great man, they used to lay their hands upon his knees.  Pasicles the philosopher, brother of Crates, instead of laying his hand upon the knee laid it upon the private parts, and being roughly repulsed by him to whom he made that indecent compliment:  “What,” said he, “is not that part your own as well as the other?” —­[Diogenes Laertius, vi. 89.]—­They used to eat fruit, as we do, after dinner.  They wiped their fundaments (let the ladies, if they please, mince it smaller) with a sponge, which is the reason that ‘spongia’ is a smutty word in Latin; which sponge was fastened to the end of a stick, as appears by the story of him who, as he was led along to be thrown to the wild beasts in the sight of the people, asking leave to do his business, and having no other way to despatch himself, forced the sponge and stick down his throat and choked himself.—­[Seneca, Ep., 70.] They used to wipe, after coition, with perfumed wool: