Ambassadors sent to him to desire him to communicate to them the Orders of the Court concerning the prosecution of their Journey Answer was made us that he had not receiv'd any new Orders at all and that if we desired it we might hear the Letter read which he thereupon gave his Physician to read The Physician a person the fittest in the World to represent a Fool in a play after he had kiss'd the Letter put it to his forehead and at last read it The Contents of it at least what he read was to this effect That the Express from the Sulthan of Derbent being come to the Court before him whom the Chan of Schamachie had sent all the account he had brought was that there was arriv'd at Derbent any Envoy or Poslanick from the Great Duke of Muscovy who had reported that within a few days there would come into those parts certain Ambassadors from one of the Princes of Germany That the Schach who had receiv'd no other accompt of their arrival thought it enough to order the Governour of Derbent to receive them to entertain then kindly during the stay they should make there and to supply them with all things for the continuation of their journey as far as Schamachie and that when they were come thither the Chan of Schamachie should send an Express to give an accompt thereof to the Court from which he should immediately receive orders what to do as well in respect of the maintenance of the Ambassadors as their departure thence The Chan demanded of us a Catalogue of the names and qualities of all of our Retinue nay he would have had it express'd in the said Catalogue what Professions they were of and that we should not fail setting down that we had among us a Physician a Chyrurgeon a Painter and Musicians which we would not do but thought it sufficient to give them in writing only the names of our people and the Offices and employments they were in upon the accompt of the Embassy We had a great suspicion that the said Letter came not from the Court and that there was somewhat more or less in it and the more to be assur'd of it we got the Courier to come the next day to our quarters The Wine we gave him and the small Presents which were secretly made him unlock'd the man's breast and drew out the whole secret He told us upon promise of secrecy that the Governours Brother having been not long before executed and that misfortune having in some measure engag'd the whole Family in the disgrace of the deceas'd there was not any man durst undertake the delivery of his Letter to the Sophy as being ignorant what the contents thereof might be but that after a moneths delay one of the Kings Chamberlains having ventured to lay it at his Majesties feet the Sofi would make no answer at all thereto but ordered another to write to him and sent him word that there was no answer to be made to his Letter by reason of the orders sent to the Sulthan of Derbent which were contain'd in the Letter whereof we had heard the reading That it was not thought fit to add any thing thereto but an express command to the Governour to see cut to pieces in his presence all those Persians that durst affront or injure the Germans during the stay they should make in his Government So that we were forc'd to stay there in expectation of what orders the Sophy should send upon the Dispatches which the Chan was then sending to the Court by an Express Ian. 25. the Governour accompany'd by the Poslanick and a great number of Courtiers gave the Ambassadors a Visit but in regard their Lent was already begun he would not participate of our Collation and so having heard our Musick he return'd to his own Palace Ian. 28. The Muscovian Poslanick went for Ispahan not well satisfy'd with the treatment he had receiv'd from the Governour and Calenter All the revenge he could take was upon the Mehemander who had been assign'd to Conduct him taking any occasion to affront and abuse him Some of our Retinue accompany'd him a League out of the City where they took leave of him February the fifth walking abroad with some of our company we went into a great house near the Market-place which they call Basar It was a very noble Structure having many Galleries and Chambers like a College Meeting up and down with several persons some antient some young some walking some sitting with books in their hands we had the curiosity to enquire what place it was and found that it was a School or College which they called Mandresa of which kind there are very many all over Persia. While we were viewing the Structure one of their Maderis or Regents who read publick Lectures intreated us to come near him and perceiving that I had caus'd to be graven upon a Cane I walk'd with all these words in Arabick Bismi alla rahman rachim that is in the name of the merciful God who sheweth mercy a sentence which the Persians put at the beginning of their writings he desired me to bestow it on him upon a promise that he would give me a better the next day but finding I made some difficulty to part with it he cut out the word alla which in their Language is the proper name of God and put what he had cut off in a piece of clean paper very gently and carefully and told me the name of God ought not to be written upon a walking stick which was many times thrust into the dirt The next day I went again to the same College whether I had caus'd to be brought along with me a very fair Celestial Globe but by mistake I went to another School where nevertheless they receiv'd me very kindly The Professors and Regents as also the Students very much wondred to see me come with so noble a Globe and to understand thereby that Astrology and the Mathematicks were better taught among us than in Persia where they are not yet acquainted with the invention of Globes and make use only of the Astrolabe for the instruction of their Students They took much delight in viewing my Globe and they nam'd to me in the Arabian Language all the Signs of the Zodiack nay gave me to understand further that they knew all the names and all the significations of most of the other Stars Another day I went into a Metzid or Church in that part of the Town where we were quarter'd to see how they instructed their Children They were all sate against the Wall excepting only the Molla or Master of the School who with some other aged persons sate in the midst of the Hall As soon as they saw me coming in they invited me to sit down by them The Molla who had an Alchoran in his hand very fairly written suffered me to turn it over awhile which when I had done
stood in most need of his service and assistance It was also a very strange Adventure which made him find civil entertainment and hospitality at Surat made him subsist at the charge of others conducted him by Land to the Great Mogul's Court brought him safely back again to Surat preserv'd the ship he was in after so many tempests near the Cape of Good-Hope and miraculously deliver'd him at his first arrival into England when he was given over for irrecoverably lost in the very haven as may be seen neer the end of his Travels To these Mandelslo had a particular inclination and knew so well how to make his advantages thereof that Olearius himself makes no difficulty to confess that he met with in his Notes many things which might have been added to his Relation and have found a kind reception even among the more Curious had he been as forward to have his Travels publish'd as he had been to prosecute them But Mandelslo instead of giving the world that satisfaction and continuing with his Friend who might have further'd him in his design left the Court of Holstein where he found not employment proportionable to his merit and betaking himself to another Profession he got into a Regiment of Horse commanded by a German who purely by his Military accomplishments had rais'd himself to one of the greatest dignities of France He had therein the Command of a Troop and being a person of much courage and endu'd with all the qualities requisite to the making up of a great man was likely to have rais'd himself to a more than ordinary fortune when coming to Paris to pass away the Winter he there died of the small Pox. Being at Surat in December 1638. he made a kind of Will concerning his Papers which he put before the beginning of his Relation wherein he desir'd his Friend Olearius not to suffer it to be publish'd in regard he had not had the leisure to digest it into order or if he did that he would rather regard therein his reputation after his death than the friendship they had mutually promis'd one another and faithfully improv'd during the four years of their joynt-Travels Mandelslo was no great Scholar but could make a shift to understand a Latin Author which helpt him much in the attaining of the Turkish Language wherein he came to a considerable perfection His Friend taught him also the use of the Astrolabe so that he was able to take the Longitudes and Latitudes that are in several places of his Book and without which it had been impossible for him to be much skill'd in Geography which makes the most considerable part of this kind of Relations Olearius hath indeed been very much his Friend not only in reforming and refining his Style which could not be very elegant in a person of his Profession but also in making several observations and additions thereto printing it in Folio in a very fair character and adorning it with several pieces of Sculpture Olearius's kindness to his Friend in enriching his Relation with many excellent remarks taken out of Emanuel Osorio Maffaeus and the chief Voyages of the Dutch gave the French Translator thereof A de VVicquefort occasion to augment the said Book with whatever he found excellent in all those who have given the best account of the East-Indies So that it is to him we are oblig'd for the exact description of the Province of Guzuratta the Kingdoms of Pegu and Siam c. the state of the affairs of Zeilon Sumatra Iava the Molucca's and Iapan as also for the Religions of these people So that there is in this Edition of ours especially as to the Travels of Mandelslo a third part more than there is in the largest of the German Editions The Reader will find therein many things which will haply seem incredible to him as among others he may haply be astonish'd at the wealth of a Governour of Amadabah and at that of a King of Indosthan as also at the vast revenues of the Provinces and Lords of China and Iapan but besides that there is nothing of Romance in all this and that there is no comparison to be made between the wealth of Europe and that of Asia there are many persons in France and England that will justifie our Relation though it said much more than it does I might here trouble the Reader with what I find in the Learned Vossius's Observations upon Pomponius Mela Lib. 3. c. 5. v. 16. concerning the length and breadth of the Caspian Sea wherein he differs from our Author and prefers the measure of it by our Countryman Ienkinson before that of Olearius But I choose rather to referr the more critical to the place it self and leave them to satisfie their own curiosity by conferring what is there said by Vossius with the account given by Olearius of the said Sea pag. 190 191 192. of this English Edition of the Travels I havâ— only this to add that the French Translator de Wicquefort promises the world if it be not abroad already a Piece of his own which coming out under the authentick name of History will contain some thing beyond what may be expected from a Relation A JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELS of the Ambassadors from the Duke of Holstein into MUSCOVY TARTARY and PERSIA Which may serve for a Table to this Relation THE FIRST VOYAGE INTO MUSCOVY M.DC.XXXIII OCTOBER THe 22. the Ambassadors from the Duke of Holstein leave Gottorp the occasion of the Embassy the names and qualities of the Ambassadors their retinue Pag 1. NOVEMBER The 6. they leave Hamborough where they took order for their Voyage come the next day to Lubeck the 8. to Travemunde where they embark'd the 9. ibid The 10. they pass away neer the Iland of Bornholm and anchor the 12. at Cap de Domines in Courland the 18. come to Dunemunde p. 2. The same day come to Riga the Magistrates Present Riga described its foundation is made an Archbishoprick subject to Poland taken by the Swedes its Fortifications and Commerce p. 3 The Ambassadors continue there neer a month DECEMBER The 14. they leave Riga and come the 18. to Wolmar 3. daies 18. l. the 20. to the Castle of Ermes the 21. to that of Halmet the 22. to that of Ringen and the 23. to the City Torpat or Derpt p. 3 A description of Torpat where they pass over the Christmass holy-daies ibid. M.DC.XXXIV IANVARY The 3. having left Torpat the 29. of December the Ambassadors came to Narva ibid. There they continue 5. months JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL and MAY during which they send part of their Train to Novogorod and go themselves to Reuel where the Swedish Ambassadors met them in order to their going together into Muscovy p. 4 MAY. The 15. leave Reuel and return to Narva the 18. ibid. The 28. they leave Narva come to Gam-Fort Kapurga the civilities of the Muscovian Ladies come to Iohannestal or St. Iohn's Valley p. 5 IVNE
The Great Duke sent us for the solemnity of the enterment a Pristaf and 15. white Horses out of his own Stables The 9. We had our second private Audience The 10. being Palm-Sunday the Muscovites had a noble Procession to represent our Saviour's entrance into Ierusalem and that we might the more conveniently see it having express'd our desires to that purpose the Great Duke sent the Ambassadors their ordinary Horses and fifteen others for their retinue He order'd also to be kept for us a place near the Castle-Gate whence they drove out the people which had throng'd in to the number of 10000. The Persian Ambassadors were plac'd behind us in the little Theatre we have spoken of before The Great Duke having been at service in our Lady's Church came out of the Castle with the Patriarch in very good order First came a very large Chariot made of boards nail'd together but low drawing after it a Tree on which hung abundance of Apples Figs and Grapes In it were four little Boys with surplisses who sung the Hosanna Then follow'd many Priests in their surplisses and copes carrying Crosses Banners and Images upon long Poles some of them sung others cast Incense among the people Next came the Goses or Duke's Merchants after them the Diaken Clerks Secretaries Knez and Boâ—ares having most of them Palms in their hands and went immediately before the Great Duke who was most richly clad with a Crown upon his head supported by the two principal Counsellors of State Knez Iuan Borisowits Cyrcaski and Knez Alexey Michaelouits Won and led himself by the bridle the Patriarch's Horse which was cover'd with Cloath and made to represent an Asse The Patriarch who rid on him had on his head a round white Satin Cap beset with rich Pearls and about it a very rich Crown He had in his right hand a Cross of Diamonds wherewith he bless'd the people who receiv'd his benediction with great submission bowing their heads and incessantly making the sign of the Cross. About and behind him were Metropolitans Bishops and other Priests whereof some carried Books others Censers About fifty little Boys most clad in red put off their Casacks and scatter'd them along the way others had pieces of Cloath about an Ell-square of all colours which they laid on the ground for the Great Duke and Patriarch to pass over The Great Duke being come over against us made a halt and sent his principal Interpreter Iohn Helmes to ask after our health and went not on till our answer was brought him This done he went into the Church where he stay'd about half an hour In his return he stopp'd again at the same place to give the Ambassadors notice that he would send them a Dinner from his own Table which yet was not done but instead thereof our ordinary allowance was doubled The honour the Great Duke did the Patriarch in leading his horse is worth to him 400 Crowns which the Patriarch is oblig'd to give him Upon Pain-Sunday the same Ceremonies were observ'd all over Muscovy the Metropolitanes and Bishops representing the person of the Patriarch the Weiwodes or Governours that of the Great Duke April 17. was their Easter-day 'T is the greatest of all their Festivals and they celebrate it with abundance of Ceremonies and great rejoycings as well in remembrance of our Saviour's Resurrection as that it puts a period to their Lent The streets were all full of a sort of Merchants who sold Eggs of all sorts of colours which the Muscovites send by way of Present one to another for a fortnight together after Easter during which time when they meet they kiss each other and their salutation is in these words Christos wos Chrest that is Christ is risen whereto the other answers Wostin wos Chrest that is He is risen indeed No person what condition sex or other quality soever he be of dares refuse these kisses or the Eggs that are presented to him The Great Duke himself hath Presented some to the principal Counsellors and Lords of his Court He is wont also on Easter-day betimes in the morning to visit the Prisoners before he goes to Church and to order every one to have an Egg given him and some sheep-skin for bestow'd on them exhorting them to rejoyce since Christ dy'd for their sins and was now truly risen again That done he causes the Prison-doors to be shut again and goes to his Devotions Their greatest rejoycings consist in Feasts and good Cheer but especially in debauches in common drinking-houses which are full of all sorts of persons Men and Women Ecclesiastick and Laicks who get so drunk that the streets are pav'd with Drunkards The present Patriarch hath prohibited them and order'd that on Easter-day no drinking places should be open but he is not much obey'd April 29. The Ambassador Brugman desir'd and had a private audience of the Bojares to which he went alone without his Collegue and but few persons about him It was given him in the Exchequer and lasted above two hours what he treated about we could never learn till afterward by the charge put in against him at our return home May 6. The Ambassadors had together their third conference with the Bojares the 17. the fourth and the 27. the fifth and last private audience May 30. The Great Duke permitted the young Prince's Governour to go a-hawking and to invite to that Divertisement the Gentlemen of our retinue He sent us Horses and carried us two Leagues from the City into most pleasant Meadow grounds Having sported two or three hours we were treated with a Collation under a Tent pitch'd there for that end The treatment was ordinary Strong-water Hydromel Ginger-bread and preserv'd Cherries Iune 1. The Muscovites celebrated with great solemnities the birth-day of their young Prince Knez Iuan Michaelouits Our ordinary allowance of Provisions was doubled The 3. The Ambassador Brugman had a second private conference with the Bojares Iune 14. being Whitsun-eve the Great Duke gave publick audience to all the Ambassadors then in Mosco in order to their departure That of Persia went first to audience he was a Cupzâ—n or Merchant as he came back he had on his other Cloaths according to the Persian custom a Garment of Crimson-Satin lined with the best kind of Sables which the Great Duke had Presented him with After him went the Greeks Armenians and Tartars who in their return caus'd their Letters and the Presents they had receiv'd to be carried before them The 12. Arrived there our Controller who had stay'd at Dantzick to look after the finishing of some Presents which we were to carry into Persia. The Great Duke was gone on a Pilgrimage out of the City and the Chancellor durst not permit the Controller to enter in without his Majesties express order which occasion'd his staying three dayes in the Suburbs The 15. The Great Duke and Dutchess return'd to Moscou The Duke was attended by
in their accompts Sometimes the Causes of the Inhabitants of those two places are judged in this Pricas For though ordinarily there be no appealing from the Weywodes yet those who mistrust the success of their business by the partiality they observe in the Weywode may remove their Causes to Moscou The Chancellor Almas Iuanouits is the President of it The Provinces of Gallitz and Volodimer have also their particular Pricas for the same purpose it is called Galliasko-Volodimirski Pricas the President the Ocolnitza Peter Petrouits Gollowin The monies arising from all the Taverns and Kabaâ—s of Muscovy is paid in at the place called Nova Zetwert where all those who keep publick drinking houses are oblig'd to take the Wine Hydromel and Strong-water they sell by retail and to give an account of the sale of it There they also punish those who sell any without Licence as also those who sell or take Tobacco if they be Muscovites the Germans and others Strangers being permitted the Traffick and use of it The Ocolnitza Bogdan Matheowits Chitrou presides in this Pricas The Bojar and Master of the Ordinance Gregori Basilouits Puskin under whose jurisdiction are Castrom Iareslou and other Cities of those quarters receives their accompts and decides their differences in the Castromskoi Pricas as the Ocolnitza Knez Demetri Basilouits Lewou does those of Vstoga and Colmogorod in the Vstogskoi Pricas The same Gregori Basilouits Puskin keeps the Jewels of the Crown and hath the over-sight of the German Gold-smiths who make Gold and Silver Plate and sell precious Stones and hath his Office for those things in the Solotoya Almasnoy Pricas He hath also a key to the Great Duke's Magazine of Arms and administers Justice to those who are employ'd about Arms for his particular use and pays them in the Rusiannoy Pricas The Physicians Apothecaries Chirurgeons and Operators and all of that function are oblig'd to smite their fore-heads in the presence of Ilia Danilouits Miloslauski who is their Overseer and whom they are to acquaint if the Great Duke wants any thing that relates to their Professions Tamosini Pricas is for the receit of all duties of entrance into the City of Moscou which is made by one of the Goses accompany'd by two or three Assessors who give in their accompt thereof to a Chamber called Bolschoi Prichod these Goses are changed every year The payment of the tenth penny towards the War is made to the Bojar Knez Michael Petrouits Pronski and the Ocolnitza Iuan Basilouits Alferiou in the Sbora dezatti dengi Pricas The Affairs that have no peculiar Pricas have a general one called Siskoi Pricas under the superintendency of Knez Iurgi Alexowits Dolgaruskoi The Patriarch hath his particular Pricas's to wit that of Roscrad where a Register is kept of all the Church-goods and where are the Charters and Archives that of Sudny where the Patriarch hath his Spiritual Jurisdiction and that of Casaunoy where the Patriarch's Revenue and Treasure is kept He hath also his Ecclesiastical Judges and Officers who give him an account of all their actions There is no Pricas but hath its Diak or Secretary and many Clerks and Coppiers who all write very well and are skill'd in Arithmetick according to their way in which they make use of Plum-stones instead of Counters Whence it comes that there is no Officer but hath about him a certain quantity of them in a little purse They are forbidden upon pain of whipping to take Poschnl or Presents yet they venture to do it nay their avarice is such that many times they will of themselves proffer Copies of dispatches and private resolutions out of a hope to get somewhat for them But these proffers are to be mistrusted for I know by experience that those people seldom have what they put others in hope of or if they have it is so dangerous to communicate it that for the most part they put off forgeries and suppositious pieces In the year 1643. the Minister of a Forein Prince being desirous to have a Copy of my Dispatches one of the Clerks of the Counsel sold it him at a very dear rate I was shewn it afterwards but when at my return to Holstein the Letters were translated there was nothing of what I had seen in the Copy They do not keep a Register of their Acts in Books but they write them in Rolls of paper pasted together till they are 25. or 30. ells in length of which their Offices are full At our coming to Moscou we were made believe that Presents could procure any thing at Court Indeed I have known some Lords who though they would not take ought themselves were not sorry to see any thing sent to their Wives but I have also known some who made it appear they were absolutely incorruptible and that their fidelity to their Prince was Presentproof to their great regret who consider that where nothing is given nothing is thence obtain'd Justice is administred in the Pricas's we have spoken of The Bojar who presides there hath his Secretary and Assessors and finally determines whatever comes before him Heretofore the Muscâ—â—ites had but few 〈◊〉 and few Customs according to which all Cases were decided They concern'd only attemptâ—â—â—ainst the Great Duke's person Treasons against the State Adulteries Thefts and Debts bâ—â—ween private persons The decision of all other Affairs depended on the breast of the Judge 〈…〉 the year 1647. the Great Duke assembled together the most Famous Men of the Kingdom and caused to be set down in writing and to be publish'd several Laws and Ordinances whereby the Judges are to regulate themselves They were printed in folio under the Title of SOBORNA ULOSIENIA that is to say Vniversal and General Right for the direction of the Bojares Heretofore their proceedings were thus In those Causes where the parties were not agreed as to the matter of fact and had no evidence of either side the Judge asked the Defendant whether he would take his Oath that the matter was as he alleged or refer it to the Plaintiff's Oath He who proffer'd to take his Oath was once a week for three weeks one after another brought before the Judge who every time press'd unto him the importance of an Oath and the sin he would burthen his Conscience withall if he swore falsly If notwithstanding these remonstrances he still persisted in his readiness to take his Oath though he swore nothing but the truth yet people look'd on him as an infamous person would spit in his face and turn him out of the Church into which he was never receiv'd afterwards much less was he admitted to the Communion unless it were at the point of death Now they do not proceed with so much rigour but only bring him who is to take his Oath before an Image of one of their Saints where he is asked whether he will take his Oath upon the salvation of his Soul If he persist they give him a little
great Guns and small shot which we ordered to be discharged thrice That done we had a Sermon and did our Devotions About noon we were visited by our new Mehemandar whose name was Netzefbce he was a person of an excellent good humour He came to Complement us upon occasion of the Festival and brought us a Present of five fishes dry'd in the Sun a dish full of Bread Pomegranates Apples and a sort of Pears I had never seen before fashion'd like a Citron and full of a very pleasant juyce and having a sweet scent pickled Cowcumbers preserv'd Garlick and Schiras-wine which is the most esteem'd of any that grows in Persia. April 10. being Easter-Monday we made our entrance into Ardebil for the most part with the same Ceremonies but with greater Pomp and Magnificence than we had done at Scamachie About noon we met with a party of Horse which having saluted and taken a view of us immediately returned towards the City Near the Village of Kelheran which is so noble a place that viewing at a distance its Steeples or Towers whereof there are a very great number and they make a very great shew in regard they are built of stones of several colours we took it for the City it self though they are distant one from the other above half a league we met with in the head of a body of Horse the Calenter of Ardebil whose name was Taleb Chan an aged and very spare man Having saluted the Ambassadors he rid on one side of them Having pass'd by the Village we saw in a spacious Plain abundance of horse and foot who opened to make us way Some paces thence we saw crossing the fields towards us at the head of a Brigade of above a thousand Horse the Governour of Ardebil whose name was Kelbele Chan. He was a low man but of a good aspect and pleasant humour After the Complements reciprocally past between him and the Ambassadors he rode in between them Before our Troop there march'd two youths clad in Sheep-skins of several colours upon their clean skirts and carrying each of them upon the top of a long and very slender pole an Orenge The poles we were told were made of a Date-tree These youths read and sung out of a Book certain Verses made in honour of Mahomet Aly and Schach Sefi They were Sons or Disciples to a certain Abdalla of whom we shall speak hereafter After them came others who were cloathed in white and had a wonderful Art in imitating the Notes and singing of Nightingales and other birds On both sides march'd the Timbrels and Hawboies in some places there were people dancing and singing at the same time and at others were some dancing after another manner Some cast their caps up into the air and caught them again with cries and exclamations of joy There were some danc'd with little Garlands about their heads much like those we had seen at Scamachie when they celebrated there the death of Aly. Near the City stood the Guards in two files having their Bows and Arrows in their hands Coats of Mail about their bodies and their heads cover'd with little Caps like Calottes which they call Aratskin in which they had plac'd abundance of Feathers the ends whereof some thrust through their Caps into the skin Many of them were naked down to the waste and though they had the flesh of their Arms and Breasts pierced with Daggers or Ponyards yet did they not seem sensible of any pain thereat whence we inferr'd there might be something of Charm in it and that they were Sorcerers there being abundance that deserve that name in Persia. There was also a Company of Indians who as we pass'd by saluted us after their way with a low inclination of the head putting their hands to their breasts When we were come somewhat near the City there was so great a confluence of people that we could not get a hundred paces forward without making a halt insomuch that they were forc'd to drive them away with Cudgels and Bulls-pizzels so to make them give way And within the City all the Windows Houses-tops Steeples and Trees were full of those who came from all parts to see our passage through it The Governour brought us through a spacious Garden into a fair Summer-house to which there were ten stairs to get up and treated us with a sumptuous Collation in a very stately Gallery honouring all those who came up with the Ambassadors so far as to present to every one of them with his own hands a Vessel full of Wine while all the rest of the Retinue were treated below in a Tent which had been purposely pitch'd there to that end The Collation was accompany'd with the best Musick the Country could afford as also with a Dance performed by their Ochtzi or Archers who dancing in cadence with their Bows in their hands represented a kind of Ball which their exactness of the observance of time made more delightful divertive than had been the singing of those two youths the sons of Abdalla who with their Orenges in their hands very seriously celebrated the praises of their Prophet After the Collation and Divertisement the Ambassadors were conducted to very spacious Lodgings which had been taken up for them in one of the noblest parts of the City which Lodgings had sometime belong'd to Sara Chutza high Chancellor of Persia. The rest of the Retinue were Lodg'd not far from them in the neighbourhood where they were well accommodated by those into whose houses they were receiv'd This Summer-house being one of the noblest Structures I ever saw deserves I should give in this place a more particular description of it Sulfagar Chan the Predecessor of Kelbele Chan in the Government of Ardebil a Person of infinite wealth had built it according to a modell he had brought out of Turkey The figure of it was Octagonal and it was three Stories so rais'd that Art had not left any thing to be desir'd Every story had its Fountains which cast their water higher than any part of the House The Walls were built of a sort of Glittering stones of all Colours Blew Green Red and of all sorts of Figures and all the Floors were cover'd with the richest Tapistry the Country could afford All about the House there was a spacious Gallery all built with Marble and adorn'd with Painting representing Flowers and Leaves At one of the corners of that Gallery there was a little Couch or Chair of State four foot square cover'd with Embroider'd Tapistry having in the midst a Quilt wrought with Gold and Silk to signifie that the King passing one day through Ardebil had rested himself there which made the place so Venerable that to the end none should come near it it was encompass'd with an Iron rail The said Sulfagar Chan had built also another House of Pleasure or Summer-house in a great Garden near a stone-Bridge without the City but at the time
to the Persian way having not any Ornament without but within they are very well furnish'd as to Vaults Wainscoats Paintings and other Houshold-stuff The Streets are not pav'd whence it comes that upon the least wind the City is fill'd with dust It hath no other water than what is brought by aqueducts from the Mountain of Elwend into Cesterns wherein it is preserv'd No house almost but hath a particular place for the keeping of Ice and Snow for the Summer VVe were forc'd to get into these to avoid the excessive heat Heretofore the Kings of Persia had their ordinary residence at this place at least ever after Schach-Tamas transferr'd the Seat of the Empire from Tauris to this City Some attribute that translation to Schach-Ismael though the continual VVars he was engag'd in suffered him not to stay long in any one place But it is not question'd but that he built the noble Palace which stands near the Maidan which hath belonging to it a fair Garden adorn'd as well without as within with Guilding Painting and such other embellishments as are in use among the Persians There was another Garden opposite to this Palace which was above half a league in compass and had several little Structures within it This was one of the most pleasant Gardens that I ever saw not only by reason of the great number of all sorts of Trees as Apples Pears Peaches Apricocks Pomegranates Almonds and other Fruit-trees but also by reason of the fair walks of Cypress and the Trees called Tzinnar which gave us a very pleasant Prospect This City hath two great Market-places Cartwright names the bigger of the two Atmaidan and says that in the Persian Language it signifies a Horse-market I could never find that in any part of Persia there was a Market purposely for the buying and selling of Horses whereupon considering with my self that the Persians who call by the general name of Maidan all those Markets where all things are indifferently sold I imagine that Author's mistake proceeded hence that being ignorant of the Arabick he read Atmaydan for Almaidan al being the Article without which the Persians and Arabiaas never pronounce the word Maidan The greater of these Maidans or Market-places is somewhat longer but not so broad as that of Ardebil and hath on the South-side several great places built by some of the Chans and Persian Lords The most magnificent amongst them are those of Allawerdi-Chan Governour of Schiras that of Aliculi-Chan President of Justice that of Mahomet-Chan Chan or Governour of Kentze and that of Sehich-Achmed-Chan who was great Provest in the reign of Schach-Abas The other Market-place is called Senke-Maidan and is towards the West part of the City In both the Market-places as also in the Bazars or Shops and Store-houses which are in the cover'd streets there may be seen a great number of Merchants and abundance of Commodities which are to be bought there at a very reasonable rate I my self bought Turqueses there which they call Firuse and are found in great quantities near Nisabur and Firusku of about the bigness of a Pea nay some as big as little Beans for two shillings or two and six pence at the most Rubies and Granates were also very cheap there In the Evening after the shops are shut there is on the East-side another kind of Commodity exposed to sale to wit a considerable number of the Cabbeha or common Traders who there prostitute themselves to any that will take them up They all sit in a row having their faces cover'd with a Veil and behind them there stands a Bawd whom they call Delal who hath by her a bed and a quilted coverlet and holds in her hand a Candle unlighted which when any Customer comes she presently lights that he may look the Wench in the face and order her to follow him whom he likes best among them On the East-side of the City lies the Church-yard where there is to be seen in a fair Mosquey the Sepulchre of Schahesade Hossein one of the sons of Hossein at which the Oaths taken in Law-sutes are administred a custom which is also observed in all other parts of Persia at the places where there are any Sepulchres of Saints or those of any of their kinâ—ed Whence it comes that the Persians when they make some difficulty of crediting what is said to them immediately ask Scahe Sade Hussein pile Musef that is dar'st thou affirm that upon the Saints Sepulchre or upon the Alchoran Besides this Mosquey or Metzit there are about fifty more 〈…〉 whereof is that which they call Tzame Metzid where they assemble on Fridays 〈…〉 prayers There 〈…〉 the City of Caswin many Caravanseras for the convenience of foreign Merchants and a great number of publick Baths There is one behind the Garden belonging to the King's Palace which they call Haman Charabe It is now half destroy'd and there is a story told of it which I conceive pleasant enough to deserve insertion into this Relation They say that there lived heretofore at Caswin a very famous Physician named Lokman a black Arabian who had acquired so great reputation not only by the Books he had written in Medicine but also by many other excellent productions of his understanding that the Inhabitants have still a very great Veneration for his memory Nay it is to be found in their Kulusthan that they gave him the surname of Wise when in the 2. Book ch 16. they say Lokman hakimra kuftendi Aedebeski amuchti Kust es biedbahn Herstze ischan kerdend men pertis Kerdem That is that the wise Lokman being asked one day by what means he had attain'd so great Learning and Knowledge he made answer it was by means of the ignorant and uncivil for he had always done what was contrary to what he had seen them do This Lokman having attain'd a great age and being upon his death-bed sent for his Son and told him that he would leave him an inestimable Treasure and having commanded to be brought him three Glasses full of certain Medicinal waters he said they had the vertue to raise up a Dead man to Life if they were apply'd before the body began to corrupt That casting upon the Deceas'd the water which was in the first Glass the Soul would return into the Body that upon the pouring of the second the Body would stand upright and that upon the third the Person would be absolutely alive and should do all things as before that however he had very seldome made use of this Experiment out of a fear of committing a sin by undertaking to intermeddle with that which is reserv'd to God alone and that out of the same Consideration he exhorted him to be very careful how he made use of it as being a secret rather to be admir'd than put often to experience With these exhortations Lokman dying his Son was very mindful of the advice he had given him and
those places which are infamous and the common receptacles of a sort of people who divert themselves there with Musick and the Dancing of some of their common Drabbs who having by their obscene gestures excited the brutalities of the Spectators get them into some corner of the House or draw them along into some publick places where they permit the commission of these abhominations as freely as they do that of ordinary sins In the Tsal Chattai Chane they drink The or Tea which the Persians call Tzai though the Tzai 〈…〉 Cha are properly but a kind of The and Chattai in as much as it is bâ—ought them from Chattai we shall have occasion to speak more of it hereafter They are only persons of good repute who Drink of this and frequent these Houses where in the intervals of their drinking they spend the time at a certain Game somewhat like our Tick-Tack but they commonly play at Chesse at which they are excellent and go beyond the Muscovites whom I dare affirm to be the best Gamesters at Chesse of any in Europe The Persians call this Game Sedrentz that is Hundred-cares in regard those who play at it are to apple all their thoughts thereto and they are great Lovers of it in as much as from the word Schâ—ch whence it hath its name they would have it believ'd it is of their Invention Some years since there was publish'd in Germany a great Volume upon the Game of Chesse wherein the Author too easily crediting Olaus Magnus would have it believ'd that the antient Goths and Swedes put those to play at Chesse who were Suters to their Daughters that by their management of that Game which hath no dependence on Fortune they might discover the judgement and disposition of their pretended Sons in Law But these are only Fables as is also what is related of one Elmaradab King of Babylon The Government of this Prince was so Tyrannical as the story at least would have it that no Body thinking it safe to represent to him the dangers whereto his cruelties expos'd the State and his own Person one of the Lords of his Council named Philometer invented the Game of Chesse which instead of openly opposing the sentiments of the Tyrant discover'd to him the duty of a Prince towards his Family and Subjects by shewing him the removals of the several pieces by the representation of two Kings encamp'd one against the other with their Queens their Officers and Soldiers and that this wrought a greater impression on the King than all the other remonstrances that could have been made to him The Cahwa Chane are those places where they take Tobacco and drink of a certain black water which they call Cahwa but we shall treat of both hereafter in this very Book when we shall have occasion to speak of the Persians manner of Life Their Poeâ—s and Historians are great frequenters of these places and contribute much to the Divertisement of the Company These are seated in a high Chair in the midst of the Hall whence they entertain their Auditors with Speeches and tell them Satyrical stories playing in the mean time with a little stick with the same gestures and after the same manner as those do who shew tricks of Legerdemain among us Near these Taverns or Drinking-Houses are the shops of Surgeons and Barbers between which Trades there is a great difference in Persia as there is within these few years in France The former whom they call Tzerrach only dress Wounds and Hurts and the others named Dellak only Trim unless they sometimes are employ'd about Circumcision These Barbers are much taken up for there is not a man but is shav'd as soon as any Hair begins to appear but there is not on the other side any who carries not his Rasour about him for fear of getting the Pox which they are extremely afraid of because it is very common among them and very contagious As you go out of the Maidan on the same side and turning on the right hand you come to the Basar or true Market-place and in the midst of the Market-place the Kâ—â—serie or kind of open Cloister where are sold all the richest Stuffs and Commodities that the Kingdome affords Over the Gate of this Structure there is a striking-Clock made by an English-man named Festy in the time of Schacst-Abas and in regard that then there were few Lords that had Watches the Persians look'd on the Motions of that work as a thing Miraculous and Supernatural This English Clock-maker had met with the same fate as Rodolf Stadler and had been cut to pieces by the friends of a Persian whom he had kill'd and the Clock had been out of Order ever since his Death This Market-place consists of several Streets cover'd over head and is so full of Shops and those shops so full of all sorts of Merchandizes that there is nothing though ever so rare in World which is not to be had here and at a very reasonable rare For indeed there is nothing dear at Ispahan but Wood and Provision inasmuch as there is no Forrest near it nor Meadows for the feeding of Cattel Of all the shops I saw at Ispahan I was not pleas'd so much with any as that of a Druggist who liv'd in the Maidan on the left hand as you go to the Metzid by reason of the abundance of the rarest Herbs Seeds Roots and Minerals it was furnish'd with The Root Tzinae or Chinae which the Persians call Bich Tzini and Rhubarb which they call Rawentzini and is brought thither from China and great Tartary were not worth here above three Abas's or a Crown the pound There is not any Nation in all Asia nor indeed almost of Europe who sends not its Merchants to Ispahan whereof some sell by Whole-sale and others by Retail by the Pound and the Ell. There are ordinarily above twelve thousand Indians in the City who have most of them their shops near those of the Persians in the Maidan and their Merchandizes in the Caravanseras where they have their Habitations and their Store-Houses Their Stuffs are incomparably fairer and their Commodities of greater Value than those of Persia inasmuch as besides the Musk and Amber-grease they bring thither great quantities of Pearls and Diamonds I observ'd that most of these Indosthans had upon the Nose a mark of Saffron about the breadth of a Man's finger but I could never learn what that Mystery signify'd They are all Mahumetans or Pagans they burn the bodies of their Deceas'd friends and kinred and in that ceremony they use only the Wood of the Mesch-Mesch or Apricock-Tree But of these a particular account will be given in the Travels of Mandelslo into the Indies Besides these Indians there is at Ispahan a great number of Tartars from the Provinces of Chuaressem Chattai and Buchar Turks Iews Armenians Georgians English Dutch French Italians and Spaniards The City is supply'd with
and Kermeru They have a particular inclination for Arithmetick Geometry Eloquence Poetry Natural and Moral Philosophy Astronomy Astrology Law and Medicine in regard they make some advantage of the Profession of these Sciences They have all Aristotles Philosophy in the Arabian Language and call it Dunja piala that is to say the Goblet of the World with this remark upon it that as a man Drinking out of a great Bowl moderately finds himself the better for it and taking so much of it that he is Drunk therewith he both injures his Body and disturbs the Mind so is a man to make a temperate use of the Philosophy of Aristotle and not deboysting himself observe a Mediocrity in the Study thereof Children are taught Arithmetick in the Schools with their VVriting and Reading In their accompts they commonly make use of the Indian figures but the more Learned use the Arabian Characters They joyn Eloquence and Poesy together and comprehend these two Sciences under a very few precepts which bring a man in a short time to the practick part thereof And indeed most of their Eloquent pieces which they embellish with abundance of Histories and Moral Sentences are in Verse For the excellency of their Language Pregnancy of conceit and Elegance of expressions they read the Kulusthan of Schich Saadi whom they prefer before all their other Authors It is a very Eloquent piece though in Verse full of figures and enrich'd with History and Maxims of Policy and Morality Accordingly there is not any one almost but hath this Book nay some have perus'd and studied it so much that they have it by Heart and apply the Passages Sentences and Comparisons thereof in their ordinary Discourse so pertinently that it is no small pleasure to hear them talk They are also great Lovers of History and delight much in reading the Lives and Deaths of their Prophet Aly and his Son Hossein who was kill'd in the VVar against Iesied which pieces are written in a style truly Historical and of a noble height They have also several other Histories and Chronicles Ecclesiastical and Prophane of the Lives and VVars of their Kings and some of the affairs of other forein Nations the best whereof are those of Mirchond Enweri Zami Walchi Nussegri and others The best of all their Historians is Mirchond who hath written the History of Persia in excellent good Language in several great Volumes and it is a piece so highly esteem'd that it is worth in the Country above two hundred Crowns and therefore I cannot think it can be had perfect in Europe though I know that Golius Professor of the Oriental Languages and the Mathematicks in the University of Leyden hath most of it with several other excellent Books of that Nature But there is not any man I know of that hath so much of it and makes so great advantages thereof as the incomparable Monsieur Gaulmin Counsellor of State and the Senior of the Masters of Requests who though he hath the best Library in Europe for Books of this Nature yet must it be acknowledg'd that he is so perfect a Master of all the Oriental Languages that he needs not be oblig'd for ought he can learn out of any of these Authors I do not give this accompt of their Histories that a man should give any great credit thereto especially when they speak of their Religion and Saints For in Persia as well as elsewhere they have their pious frauds and think it a kind of Piety to establish and improve the errors of their Religion by Fables and Impostures since that even in their profane Histories they take that freedom which is only allow'd Poets and Painters as may be seen particularly in the History of Alexander the Great which they have so disguis'd that it hath no Consonancy to what is written of him by Q. Curtius Plutarch and Arrianus But though it be not true yet it is Divertive enough at least to excuse if not deserve this little Digression They say then that Iscander so they call Alexander the Great was Born in Iunahn that is to say Greece that his Father's name was Betlimus and that his Mother was the Daughter of King Tzimschid who was the Son of Keikobath They say Tzimschid liv'd seven hundred years That he was the wisest of all the Kings that ever Reign'd and that he is to be acknowledg'd the Inventor of Saddles Horse-shooes Bows Painting Tents and Wine That the education of Alexander was committed to Aristotle who knew so well how to ingratiate himself with his Disciple that being extreme unwilling to be without him he oblig'd him to go along with him in his first Wars wherein he made great advantages of his advice For Alexander being as yet but fifteen years of age bethought him one day to ask Aristotle to whom all Greece belong'd whereto being answer'd by him that his Grand-father by the Mother-side had heretofore been Master of it he extremely troubled to find himself depriv'd of so great a Kingdom resolv'd upon the Reduction and Conquest of it and afterwards to wage a War against all the World To that end he went with his Tutor to Stampul or Constantinople and made proffer of his service to the King there Aristotle who was one of the most Eloquent men of his time knew so well how to recommend the excellent endowments of Alexander that the King trusted him with the conduct of an Army wherewith he Conquer'd Egypt and all the neighbouring Provinces Afterwards he conducted that Army against those of the Hebbes who still made opposition and making their advantage of their Elephants rendred all Alexander's attempts fruitless till Aristotle advis'd him to rub over with Nefte a heap of Reeds to set them a-fire and to cast them among the Elephants which were so startled at the fire that they were put into disorder whereupon the Hebbes were defeated and forc'd to submit Thence he went to Sengebat the Inhabitants whereof have great Lips and very long Teeth Their King with some of his people got into a Tower where Alexander would have besieg'd him But Aristotle told him that being Master of the City he had cut off the Root of that Tree and that it would not be long ere he saw him fall without any further trouble He took his advice and went thence to Iemen and Conquer'd all Arabia He went afterwards to Aleppo Erserum Diabek going on still along the River Tigris as far as Mosel and thence fell down into Georgia reduc'd all to his Subjection and came at last to Berde in the Province of Iran In this City there lived at that time the Widdow of a certain King named Melkchatun who hearing daily of the great wonders done by Alexander employ'd several Painters to take his Picture as also those of all the great Men of her time insomuch that Alexander going disguiz'd and in the quality of an Ambassador from Alexander to give her a Visit the made a shift
whereas all the other Persians swear by the name of God Aly Schich-Sofi and by the Beyamber ba embia that is by the Posterity of Aaly these Seid have no other Oath than that of Eulademen that is by my birth Those of them who live in Cities are commonly rich in regard they are possess'd of Lands and Villages for which they pay not the King any thing whence it comes they are sufficiently proud and insupportable There are some who assume the quality of Seid though they go from Citie to Citie and live by Alms. They shew their Testimonials where they come but they are for the most part Counterfeit and such as make use of them are accounted Impostors and thence it is they call them Cher-Seid that is Saints-Asses Some of these last mentioned carry about them some hair in round boxes of silver which they say was taken off Mahomet's head and have the sleight to make the several hairs come streight out at a little hole perswading the simple that that is done by some supernatural and miraculous vertue This hair they fell at a very dear rate and the Persians make use of it in their Devotions putting it upon their books when they say their Prayers At Kimas in the Province of Kilan there was one of these Mountebanks who having found out the trick of setting Cotton on fire by means of a Chrystal cut half round and held in the Sun like a burning-glass would have people perswaded by that Operation which he affirm'd to be Supernatural that he was of the Kindred of Mahomet After our return to Holstein I shew'd the Persians whom Schach-Sefi sent thither that it was the easiest thing in the World to get fire from the Sun and I lighted paper in the very depth of Winter by means of a Chrystall full of cold Water or a piece of Ice which I had made half round in a Pewter Dish They were astonish'd at it and said that if I had done as much in Persia I should have pass'd there for either a great Saint or a Sorcerer There is yet another sort of Ecclesiasticks in Persia who are thought to be descended from Aly instead whereof the Turks have the Dervis of whom the Kulesthan makes many pleasant stories These are called Abdalla's and are a kind of Monks or Friers They are very meanly clad with a kind of sleeve-less Coat of several pieces quilted like Mattresses Some of them wear onely a hairy skin having at the waste instead of a Girdle a Serpent of brass given them by their Doctors when they make their profession as a mark of their Learning It is the Suffibaschi or chief of the Suffi who Consecrates them in the Sufficane at Ardebil Ispahan and Meschet These Abdallas trudge up and down the Markets and other publick places to assemble the people and Preach to them the Miracles of their Saints and to curse Abubeker Omar Osman and Hanife as also the Saints of the Vsbeques Tartars of whom they relate ridiculous and obscene stories to make them abominable and despicable This Contributes somewhat to the establishment of their Religion and heightens in the Children the hatred they have against the Turks for those are the chief Auditors of these Market-Lectures and thence it comes that these Abdallas are never seen neer the Frontiers of Turkey There are some of them who take whatever their Auditors give them and thence it comes they are also termed Kalanderan for after they have spent about half an hour in talking and telling of stories much after the manner of our Mountebanks they have some small money given them whereupon they dismiss the assembly to go and Preach in some other place They have in their hand a Hatchet or Scepter of wood wherewith they make their Gestures and handle them as those in our parts who shew tricks of Legerdemain do their sticks They set out their Discourse with all sorts of Fables and sometimes bring in such palpable lies that some make no difficulty to interrupt them and reproach them with their impudence They are a lewd sort of people addicted to all manner of vices Tipling-houses and places of publick prostitution are their ordinary retreats and they are for the most part Buggerers and High-way-men That they may commit their Robberies with greater safety they go in the night time into Caves and Counterfeiting the neighing of Horses they make a discovery of what number passes by Hence it comes that there are few that will give them so much as Lodging in so much that they are forc'd to take up their quarters in Chapels built for that purpose neer the Mosqueyes I shall here relate to this purpose what happen'd at the time of our Embassy in the Village of Lekere within three leagues of Ardebil to one of these Abdallas who address'd himself to a young Woman desiring her to give him a night's Lodging The Woman excus'd her self upon the absence of her Husband and told him that another time when her Husband were at home he should not be deny'd The Abdalla finding the young Woman to his mind and seeing her go out to milk the Kine made his advantage of the opportunity crept into the house and hid himself under a bed which the Persians in the Summer time put on high Tressels as well to prevent the inconvenience they receive from insects as that they may make use of the floor to put their Corn upon The VVoman being return'd from milking desir'd a young Maid of the neighbourhood to keep her company that night and while they were at Supper she intreated the Maid to reach some Cakes she had lay'd upon the bed which she did but finding the Abdalla lying under it and imagining it was with the VVomans consent and privity that he was come thither she would stay no longer with her The Abdalla perceiving the Maid was gone comes out salutes the young VVoman and desires her to Lodge him and having obtain'd that made it his further intreaty that she would afford him part of her own bed The poor Woman finding her self alone made as if she consented and told him she would onely go into the next Room to get somewhat for his Supper but as soon as she was got in she lock'd the Door and barricado'd her self in with certain Bags of Rice The Abdalla finding himself chows'd lay'd hold of a little Child and threatned the VVoman to kill it if she would not open the Door The VVoman made answer that her honour was dearer to her than her Child and that her Husband who would be the most injur'd in its miscarriage would get more of them Upon that the Abdalla kill'd the Child with a broad Knife which these Villains are wont to carry at their Girdles and call Bukdan cut him into four quarters and beset himself to force open the Door To get into the Room he made a hole under the Threshold of the Door and thrust himself into it to get through but ere
wherein the River made its passage with a noyse which no less stunn'd the ear than the Precipices dazzled the eye and made the head turn Not one among us nor indeed of the Persians themselves durst ride it up but were forc'd to lead their Horses by the Bridle and that at a distance loosely lest the beast falling might drag his Master after him The Horses came very gingerly but the Camels stumbled not at all and were sure to set their feet in the steps which had been purposely cut for them in the Rock At the top of the Mountain we came to a house where certain duties are paid The Receiver thereof made us a Present of several fruits and we wondred much considering the time of the year to see the Hedges all over the Valleys flourishing and full of blossoms But this very Mountain which was so steepy teadious and dreadfull on the one side had so pleasant and delightfull a descent on the other that it was no hard matter for us to forget the fright and trouble we had been in in coming it up It was all over clad with a resplendent vendure and so planted with Citron-Trees Orenge-Trees Olive-Trees nay Cypress-Trees and Box that there is not any Garden in Europe could more delight the eye nor more surprise and divert the smell The ground was in a manner cover'd with Citrons and Orenges insomuch that some of our people who had never seen such abundance of them made it their sport to fling them at one another's heads But what we were most astonish'd at was in one and the same day to see Winter chang'd to Summer and the cold which we had been sufficiently sensible of in the morning turn'd to a heat which in a manner accompany'd us into Europe We lodg'd that night at the foot of a Mountain upon the River Isperuth at the Village of Pyle-rubar 'T is true the houses were little and incommodious and scatter'd up and down without any order but there was not any but had its Garden and Vineyard its Citron-trees Orenge-trees and Pomegranate-trees and that in such abundance that the Village being cover'd therewith we could hardly see any of the houses It was encompass'd of all sides with a very high Mountain save only that on the South-west side of the Valley there was a little Plain It may be said of this part as indeed of all the Province of Kilan that it is a kind of terrestrial Paradice In the fifth Book of these Travels we gave an account of its extent of the other Provinces whereof it consisted and of its principal Cities whereto we think fit to add in this place that the Province of Kilan extends it self like a Crescent all along the Caspian Sea and that it is encompass'd like a Theatre with a high Mountain out of which arise several Rivers which refresh the plain Country and make it very fruitfull but in some places especially towards the Sea so fenny that the whole Province becomes by that means inaccessible But Schach-Abas hath remedied that inconvenience by a bank or causey which runs quite through the Country from Astarabath to Aastra so that now people may travel without any inconvenience and that with any kind of Carriage Horse Camels Wagons c. There is no Province of all Persia so fertile and so abundant with Silk Oyl Wine Rice Tobacco Lemons Orenges Pomegranates and other Fruits The Vines there are excellent and as big as a man at the Waste but in regard they are commonly planted at the foot of some tree the branches spread themselves up the tree even to the extremities of the boughs so that the Vintage becomes so much the more difficult For he who is to gather the Grapes is oblig'd to fasten to the top of the tree a rope having at the other end a stick as if it were to swing withall upon which he having seated himself is drawn and swings as it were from one tree to another and from one bough to another to gather the bunches The Mountain which encompasses it and spreads its extremities to the Caspian Sea-side is so cover'd with trees that the whole Province seems to be enclos'd by a continued Forest. The Inhabitants of this Province especially the Kilek who live between Kesker and Mesanderan are self-conceited hardy and apt to attempt any thing They had heretofore their particular King nay even to this day the King of Persia is not so absolute there as in the other Provinces of his Kingdom as well in regard they need not much care for any Trading with their Neighbours since they have at home whatever is necessary as that the Countrey being in a manner inaccessible they may easily avoid entertaining the Forces which might be quarter'd upon them There are but four wayes to come into the Province and all very narrow the first comes from Chorasan-side by the way of Astarabath the second from Mesandaran by the way of Ferabath the third by Pyle-rubar and the fourth by Lenger Kunan All these waies are so narrow that they hardly afford passage for a Camel Such as are afoot as also horse-men sometimes venture to get into it by the way of the Mountain but the way there also is so intricate that the passages being maintainable by a few people and the Caspian Sea not being able to bear great ships the Inhabitants have no enemies to fear but the Cosaques who sometimes fall into the Country in the night to surprise and rifle certain Villages upon the Sea-side We were then told that it was not above eight and thirty years since Schach-Abas had reunited that Province to his Crown but that assoon as his Soveraignty was acknowledg'd there the Kilek finding that Schach-Sefi his Successor signaliz'd the initials of his Reign by the executions of the chiefest persons about the Court revolted took up arms and chose a King whom the Persians call Karib-Schach This Karib was born in the Village hf Lechtenscha but descended from the antient Kings of Lahetzan in the Province of Kilan and found credit enough in the Country to raise an Army of 14000. men His first action was the taking of the City of Resâ—ht where he seiz'd on the King's money as he also did in all the other Cities of the Province whereof he had possess'd himself of all the avenues The King of Persia who was then at Caswin coming to hear of this revolt by the other Governours of the Country Commanded Saru Chan of Astara Mahoned Chan of Kochtum and Seberabath Heider Sulthan of Keinluhesar and Tanchabun and Adam Sultan of Mesanderan to set upon Karib-Schach of all sides To that end they divided their forces into three Bodies and went with two of them streight towards him intending to make use of the third in case of necessity as a reserve but they found him so well posted that they were forc'd to retreat with loss Karib-Schach instead of improving this first advantage
Embassadours in the quality of a Gentleman of the Chamber but also to leave them as soon as they had finished their Negotiation in Persia and to put in execution the design he had to travel farther and see other parts of Asia He was so well look'd upon in the King of Persia's Court that that Monarch press'd him to stay there for some years and to that end profferd him many great advantages and among others a Pension of five or six hundred Tumains which amount to near 10000. Crowns many of the greatest about the Court perceiving that the King had an affection for him courted his Friendship and one after another entertain'd him with continual Feasting out of a hope to engage him in the heat of Wine and by such great expressions of their kindness towards him Those who were the most importunate with him and to that end appointed several meetings whereat they gave him all the divertisements which might induce him to forget the inclinations he had towards his own Countrey were the Master of the Horse the great Faulconer and the high Steward They could not absolutely prevail with him but shook his resolution so as that he went and advised with the Prior of the Italian Carmelites a person that by the abode of twenty four years at Ispahan was perfectly acquainted with the Court of Persia. This good religious man who was called Father Tinas a person of eminent vertueâ— told him that to put him out of the perplexity he was in he would alledge unto him two instances whereby he might himself judge what fortune he was to expect in Persia. One was that he had known a French Gentleman who had so well establish'd himself in the Court that the King who had employed him in two great Embassies of great importance into Europe which he very faithfully mâ—nnaged had to oblige him to spend the rest of his dayes in Persia prevailed with him to marry a Persian Lady but allowing him the freedom to live according to his own Religion That some years afterwards this Gentleman desired leave to return into France but the King forbad him to depart the Kingdom and to prevent him from attempting it caused all he had to be seized upon That even that unkindness had not smothered in him the desire he had to return into France so that he made his escape notwithstanding that prohibition but he was killed by the way That his Lady who had received Baptism fled into the Monastery of the Carmelites where she lay concealed till she had an opportunity to disguise her self and to go to Rome whither the Pope had invited her The other Story was that another Gentleman an Italian of the house of the Gabrieli who was no less favoured at the Court then the French man growing weary of living so long among Mahumetans the professed enemies of his Religion bethought him to make a discovery to the King of some notice he had that there were about Ormus certain Mines out of which Gold might be gotten and shewed him a sample of it The King did not so absolutely credit him but that he sent along divers Lords and Gentlemen who were to observe him but coming to Gamron he made them so drunk with Sack which the Portuguese had furnished him with that he made a shift to get to the Sea-side where finding a Boat ready he made his escape to Ormus That this escape of his had so incens'd the King that it raised in Schach-Abas the first thoughts of besieging the City of Ormus which he reduced to his obedience the year following To this the good Father added that he had several other reasons to give him which might divert a Gentleman of his age and one so handsome in person from staying in so depraved a Court as that of Persia but that he conceived M. Mandelslo himself was better acquainted with it then to engage him in a discourse of that nature And indeed what he had said was enough to settle his resolution so that before they parted Mandelslo promised him to leave Ispahan with the soonest and prosecute his design of going to Babylon and thence to Jerusalem whence he made account to go to Aleppo and to return by the Mediterranean Sea into Europe But having understood that the Grand Seigneur had besieged Bagdat or Babylon he changed his resolution and took that of going to Ormus and thence to the Great Mogul's Court and so into the Indies To that end having disingaged himself from the Embassadours on the one and twentieth of December 1637. he stayed at Ispahan till the 16. of January following But in regard he himself hath taken the pains to set down the particulars of his Travels and to make a very exact relation thereof it were an injury to him not to let him speak himself He begins his relation thus MANDELSLO's TRAVELS INTO THE INDIES The First Book THe Embassadours of Holstein having left Ispahan the Metropolis of Persia I resolved to make use of the Permission which the Duke my Master had given me and having taken my leave of the Embassadours two Leagues thence I returned to the City where I stayed almost a month to put all things in order for the prosecution of my Design During which time the King ordered Imanculi Esichagasi a Native of Karabath to make himself ready for the Embassy upon which he would send him into Holstein Accordingly Ianuary 10. 1638. Imanculi sent away the baggage and the Presents that were to be made to the Duke consisting in excellent Horses and several Stuffes of Gold and Silk amounting as they were valued by the Persians to 1500. Tumains which make 20000. Crowns They about the Court who had express'd a kindness for me perceiving I was fully resolv'd to be gone procured me a particular audience in order to my departure to which I was introduced on the 12. of Ianuary by the Master of the Horse I kis'd the hem of the Kings garment who with much kindness was pleas'd to allow of my departure The dayes following I spent in taking leave of my friends and the 16. of Ianuary I left Ispahan with a retinue of three persons a Chirurgeon a Lacquey and a Groom all three Germans and one Persian servant Mr. Honywood Agent of the English at Ispahan accompany'd by several Merchants of the same Nation and some French Merchants brought me a League out of the City I travell'd that day eight Leagues to a Village called Majar where I stayd all the next day expecting a Carmelite Father who had promis'd me his company But hearing that he had left Ispahan a day before me I travell'd on the 18. and came that day to the Village of Kamscha six leagues from Majar All this way was one continued walk set with trees on both sides in a direct line with very pleasant Gardens adjoyning so that I do not think there can be a more delightful place then that Village