165 The king is sometimes at war with neighbouring kings, some of whom obey him and others pay him tributes. He lives very comfortably in fine houses and wherever he is, there are many tanks of water and very pleasant gardens, especially in the twelve main cities of the kingdom. There are [ fine] palaces and a governor appointed by him in each. Every year, the governors take twelve girls born that year in their city, who are the daughters of the most beautiful and respected women theyfind and they have them raised at the king’s expense in these palaces, in great luxury until they reach the age of twelve. The girls are washed several times a day every day; they are wellfed, and are given many scents and flowers and are always very welldressed. They are taught to dance and sing. Thus, each governor, always has some one hundred and twenty small and large girls in his house, and each year they take the twelve girls who reach the age of twelve to wherever the king is. He sends them all to be very well washed and cleansed with some veryfine cloths and then dressed in white dresses, on the bottom of which their respective names are written. Early in the morning, he sends them to sit on a terrace in the sun, where they fast until noon. They are fully exposed to the sun, making them sweat so much that the clothes they are wearing become drenched. Then the king sends them to a chamber where he is and orders them to take off their sweaty clothes and gives them others to wear; the sweaty ones are brought to a room where he is with many of his relatives and the governors of the realm; other lords, and noblemen. He takes them one by one and smells them, and he gives the ones that do [not] smell nice to him to the others seated with him, and he makes them a gift of the girls whose clothes they were, as each one bears the owner’s name; and this is how each one knows which girl is his. The king keeps the girls whose smell he liked for himself. Thus, every year, his governors bring him one hundred and twenty girls aged twelve, which he takes for himself
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