A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

Exercise.
580 The Prankish Power
frequent fevers, and latterly walked lame on one foot.
Even in illness he leaned more on his own judgment than
on the advice of physicians, whom he greatly disliked,
because they used to recommend him to leave off roasted
meats, which he preferred, and to accustom himself to
boiled.
He took constant exercise in riding and hunting, which
lb. was natural for a Frank, since scarcely any nation can
be found equal to them in these pursuits. He also delighted
in
the natural warm baths, frequently exercising
himself by swim.ming, in which he was very skilful, no
one being able to outstrip him. It was on account of the
warm baths there that he built the palace at Aachen,
living there constantly during the last years of his life
and until his death.
He not only invited his sons to bathe
with him, but also his chief men and friends, and occasionally
even a crowd of his attendants and guards, so
that at times one hundred men or more would be bathing
together.
Dress. He wore the dress of his native country—that is the
jh. 23. Prankish; on his body a linen shirt and linen drawers;
then a tunic with a silver border and stockings. He
bound his legs with garters and wore shoes on his feet.
In the winter he protected his shoulders and chest with a
vest made of the skins of otters and sable. He wore a
blue cloak, and was always girt with his sword, the hilt
and belt being of gold and silver. Sometimes he wore a
jewelled sword but only on great festivals, or when receiving
foreign ambassadors. He thoroughly disliked the
dress of foreigners, however fine, and he never put it on
except at Rome,—once at the request of Pope Adrian,
and again a second time, to please his successor. Pope Leo.
He then wore a long tunic, chlamys and shoes made after