56.  Those who live in their hot climates go naked, except for a covering about the loins; nor are they ashamed of their nakedness for their minds are chaste, and they love their own consorts only, and abhor adulteries.  They were greatly surprised that the spirits of our Earth, on hearing of their manner of walking and of their being naked, should deride and think lasciviously, without in the least attending to their heavenly life, but only to such details.  They said that this was a sign that they cared more for bodily and earthly things than for heavenly things, and that indecent thoughts occupied their minds.  They were told that nakedness is no occasion either of shame or scandal to those who live in chastity, and in a state of innocence, but that it is to those who live in lasciviousness and immodesty.

57.  When the inhabitants of that earth lie in bed, they turn their faces forwards or into the chamber, but not backwards or towards the wall.  This was told me by their spirits, who said that the cause was that they believe that they thus turn their face to the Lord, but that if they turn it backwards they turn it away from Him.  The like has sometimes happened to myself when in bed, but I had not previously been aware of its origin.

58.  They take pleasure in prolonging their repasts, not so much from delight in feeding as from delight in conversing then.  When they sit at table, they do not sit on chairs or benches, nor on raised seats of turf, nor on the grass, but on the leaves of a particular tree.  They were not willing to say of what tree the leaves were; but when I guessed at several, they at last assented when I named the fig tree.  They informed me besides, that they do not prepare their food to please the palate, but chiefly for the sake of use; they added that to them the food which is wholesome is savoury.  A conversation took place on this subject among the spirits, and it was urged that it would be well for man to observe this rule, for thus he would ensure having a sound mind in a sound body.  It is otherwise with those with whom the taste rules:  the body hence becomes diseased, at least it becomes inwardly feeble, consequently so does the mind; for the mind comports itself according to the interior state of the recipient parts of the body, as sight and hearing do according to the state of the eye and ear; hence the folly of placing all the delight of life in luxury and pleasure; from this too comes dulness in such things as belong to thought and judgment, and acuteness in such as belong to the body and the world.  By this man acquires the likeness of a brute animal, with which indeed such persons not inappropriately compare themselves.