The rest of this week until Easter Day they keep very solemnly,
continuing in their houses for the most part; and upon Monday or
Thursday the Emperor doth always use to receive the Sacrament, and
so doth most part of his nobles.

Upon Good Friday they continue all the day in contemplation and
prayers, and they use every year on Good Friday to let loose a
prisoner in the stead of Barabbas. The night following they go to
the church, where they sleep unto the next morning; and at Easter
they have the Resurrection, and after every of the Lents they eat
flesh the next week following Friday, Saturday and all.

They have an order at Easter which they always observe, and that is
this:- Every year, against Easter, to dye or colour red with brazil
a great number of eggs of which every man and woman giveth one unto
the priest of their parish upon Easter Day, in the morning; and,
moreover, the common people use to carry in their hands one of these
red eggs, not only upon Easter Day, but also three or four days
after; and gentlemen and gentlewomen have eggs gilded, which they
carry in like manner. They use it, as they say, for a great love,
and in token of the Resurrection, whereof they rejoice; for when two
friends meet during the Easter holidays, they come and take one
another by the hand: the one of them saith, "The Lord or Christ is
risen," the other answereth, "It is so, of a truth;" and then they
kiss and exchange their eggs (both men and women), continuing in
kissing four days together.

The 12th of April being Tuesday in the Easter week, Master Jenkinson
and Master Gray and certain other of us Englishmen dined with the