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Another of their ąualities is to be friendly to women and inimical to men, which may be firom envy, knowing what they have been deprived of. The tongue and the hands of these baboons act together, being most licentious in examining everything, both goods and women, coming into the pałace; they are foul in speech, and fond of silly stories. Among all the Mahomedans they are ordinarily the strictest observers of the faith, al-though I knew some who did not fail to drink their little drop, and were fond of winę. These men are the spies for everything that goes on in secret, whereby they are always listening among the kings, princes, queens, and princesses. Fida’e Khan, of whom I have spoken, aware of the character of these monsters, did not allow such to be em-ployed in his house, although he retained two young men who acted as pages; he was indifferent to the fact that this sort of people are kept in the houses of princes and great men. This suffices for a brief notice of what the eunuchs are. (Manucci 1907: v. 2, 80-81)