throne. So the whole house is distributed into two seats, each
consisting of four benches.

This distribution causes not only the greater conveniency; as
will be shown, to the senators in the exercise of their function
at the ballot, but a greater grace to the aspect of the Senate.
In the middle of the outward benches stand I, 12 the chairs of
the censors, those being their ordinary places, though upon
occasion of the ballot they descend, and sit where they are shown
by K, K at each of the outward urns L, L. Those M, M that sit
with their tables, and the bowls N, N before them, upon the
halfspace or second step of the tribunal from the floor, are the
clerks or secretaries of the house. Upon the short seats O, O on
the floor (which should have been represented by woolsacks) sit:
P, the two tribunes of the horse. Q, the two tribunes of the
foot; and R, R-R, R the judges, all which magistrates are
assistants, but have no suffrage. This posture of the Senate
considered, the ballot is performed as follows:

First, whereas the gold balls are of several suits, and
accordingly marked with several letters of the alphabet, a
secretary presents a little urn (wherein there is one ball of
every suit or mark) to the strategus and the orator; and look
what letter the strategus draws, the same and no other is to be
used for that time in the middle urn F; the like for the letter
drawn by the orator is to be observed for the side urns L, L,
that is to say if the strategus drew a ball with an A, all the
gold balls in the middle urn for that day are marked with the
letter A; and if the orator drew a B, all the gold balls in the
side urn for that day are marked with the letter B, which done