Ant the Queen of Sheba's Parrot Esdras his Ass Ionas his Whale the 7 Sleepers Dog and Mahomet's Camel Which sufficiently demonstrates the Author to be Ignorant Impudent and Foolish The Government of the Kingdom of Persia. THe Government of Persia is purely Tyranical for the King has the sole Power of life and death over all his Subjects independent from his Council and without any Trials at Law He can put to what death he pleases the chief Lords of the Kingdom no man daring to dispute the reason Nor is any Soveraign in the World more absolute than he The King deceasing and leaving Male Issuâ—… behind him the Eldest ascends the Throne while his Brothers are kept in the Haram or Castle and their Eyes put out and if the King have the least jealously they are instantly put to death yea the Children of the Kings Brothers and Sisters likewise Formerly they were not so rigorous but only mov'd a red hot Iron to and fro before their Eyes But Sha Sefi perceiving that the poor unhappy Princes had some sight left ordered their Eyes to be digged out of their Heads Sha Sefi's cruelty spared not his Eldest Son Sha Abhas the Heir of his Throne ordering one of the Eunuchs to move an Iron before his Eyes no man knowing a reason but the Eunuch compassionating the young Prince moved an Iron yet not red hot before his Eyes and teaching him to counterfeit blindness preserv'd his sight till his Father lay upon his Death-bed when being very Penitent for having put out the Eyes of his Eldest Son to whom the Crown did of right belong the Eunuch seeing the King so sadly afflicted and ready to give up the Ghost assured him that he would restore the Prince to his sight and brought him with perfect Eyes to his Bed-side the sight of whom prolonged the Kings life till next day and gave him time to command all the Gaandees of the Court to obey Sha Abbas his Eldest Son as his lawful Successor There are several of these blind Princes at Ispahan and I knew one particularly saith my Author a person of excellent natural parts As blind as he is he is a great lover of Curiosities and has built him a House at Ispahan worth seeing He is overjoyed when he meets with any Rarities out of Europe feeling them in his hands and causing his Eunuchs to tell him the meaning of every thing He is a great admirer of Clock-work and Watches and to know what a Clock it is has little points set up in the Dial-plate and a half hand which points to the hour with certain Figures which he makes of soft Wax and sets in order upon a Table he will cast up an Account exactly Several other good quilities are eminent in him and it is a miserable spectacle that a Man should be reduced to that deplorable condition only because he is of the Blood-Royal of Persia This State is distinguished like most of those in Europe into three bodies First that of the Sword which answers to the Nobility and consists of the Kings houshold the Kans or Governors and all the Souldiery The second that of the Gown comprehending all those that belong to the Law and Courts of Justice The third is composed of Merchants Handicrafts men and Labourers Among other cunning Contrivances of Sha Abbas to know the true state of his Affairs without trusting too much to his Ministers he oft went disguised into the City like an ordinary man under pretence of buying and selling to discover whether false Weights and Measures were used so going one Evening in the habit of a Countrey-man to a Bakers to buy a Man of Bread and thence to a Cooks to buy a Man of Roast-meat a Man is six pound sixteen ounces to the pound having bought his bargains he return'd to the Court where causing them to be weighed exactly he found the Bread to want 57 Drams and the Meat 43. Upon which he fell into a rage against the Officers and the Governor of the City whose Belly he had caused to have been ript up but for the intercession of his Lords reproaching them for their negligence of the publick good and of the injustice of false Weights how sadly the cheat fell upon poor Men who having great Families and thinking to give them 800 Drams of Bread by that fraud deprived them of 143 then turning to the Lords he demanded what Justice ought to be done to those people none daring to open their Mouths while he was in that passion he commanded a great Oven to be made in the Market-place and a Spit big and long enough to roast a Man and the Oven to be heated all Night and a Fire to be kindled near the Oven Next Morning the King caused the Cook and Baker to be apprehended and led quite though the City with two Men going before proclaiming to the people We are going to put the Baker into a red hot Oven in the Piazza to be baked alive for selling bread by false Weights and the Cook is to be roasted alive for having sold Meat by false Weights Thus these two Men served for an Example not only to Ispahan but to all the Kingdom every one dreading the severe Justice of Sha Abbas Sha Abbas his successor acted almost such another piece of severity for having made one Iafer Kan a great Lord who kept a magnificent Train Governouor of Asterabat At first he was very mild but at last began to exact such sums from the people that his violences reached the Kings Ear who being one day drinking with his Lords and seeing the Master of his Musick in the Room who was a merry Droll and had always some pleasant news to tell the King he was pleased to ask him what the people said of Iafer-Kan adding that he had made him Governour of divers Provinces and had never heard any complaint of him but now he was accused of Tyranizing over the people The Musick Master being a meer Flatterer and knowing that Iafer-Kan was extreamly beloved of the King confidently averd'd that the Governor was falsly accused and that he had always known him apter to give than receive There was present an Agis lately returned from a Pilgrimage to Mecca him the King also asked what was his opinion of Iafer-Kan and his Government being a person long acquainted with him The Agis thinking to please the King returned the same answer The King who was well informed of the Kans behaviour turning to the Lords present What think you said he of these two Flatterers that absolutely know the contrary to what they speak And commanded two of the Musick Masters Teeth to be pluckt out and driven into the head of the Agis which had like to have cost him his life being a very old Man As for Iafer-Kan he was disgraced for a time but his excellent Accomplishments soon restored him again to favour Murther is severely punished nor will Money save the Criminal The
and the third Ebelus of each sort 3. the first are about the bigness of an Hazel-nuâ—… very like Jet which among many other incredible Virtues hath this property that being once put in the Fire they ever after retain their heat though without any outward appearance till quenched with some kind of liquor which no way endamages them though heated and cooled therein a thousand times Their heat is so vehement that it will make any Metal within a foot of it red hot and being in a Chimney warms the Room as if a great fire were kindled therein The Machrus is yet more precious in colour like a Topaz so clear and resplendent as though not above the bigness of a Bean yet being placed in the night in the midst of a large Church it makes all as light as if an hundred Lamps were hanged round can any man wish for more useful properties in a Stone than these Yet my Ebelus is so excellent that it may be much prefer'd before them yea prized above all the Diamonds Saphires Rubies and Emeralds that our World can afford The Lunar colour is so exceeding beautiful that a man would travel a thousand Leagues to behold it the Shape is somewhat flat of the breadth of a peice of Eight and twice the thickness one side is of a more Orient colour than the other which being clapt to a mans bare Skin takes away all the weight and ponderousness of his Body but turning the other side it adds force to the attractive beams of the Earth either in this World or that and makes the body half as heavy again Do you wonder now why I should so overprize this stone before you see me on Earth again you will find I have reason to value this invaluable Jewel I inquired whether they had not any kind of Jem or other means to make a man invisible which I judged a thing of admirable use and could mention divers of our learned men who had written to this purpose They answered that if it were possible yet they were sure Heaven would not suffer it to be revealed to us creatures subject to so many imperfections and which might be easily abused to ill purposes and this was all I could get of them Now after it was known that Irdonozur the great Monarch had done me this honour it is strange how much all respected me more than before my Guardians who had been hitherto cautious in relating any thing of the Government of that World grew now more open so that from them and Pylonas together I understood many notable particulars As that in a thousand years there is found neither Thief nor Whore-Monger for first there is no want of any thing necessary for the use of man food growing every where without labour of all sorts that can be desired As for Cloths Houses or whatever else a man may be suppos'd to want it is provided by their Superiors though not without some labour but yet so easy as if they did it for pleasure Again their Females are all absolute Beauties and by a secret disposition of nature a man there having once known a Woman never desires any other Murther was never heard of amongst them neither is it hardly poâ—…le to be committed for there can be no wouâ—… made but what is cureable yea they assured me and for my part I believe it that though a mans head be out off yet if within three Moons it be joined to the Carcass again and the Juice of a certain Herb there growing applyed it will be so consolidated as the wounded party shall be perfectly cured But the chief cause of their good government is an excellent disposition in the nature of the People so that all both Old and Young hate all manner of vice and live in such love peace and amity as it seems to be another Paradise Though it is true likewise that some are of a better disposition than others which they discern immediately at their Birth And because it is an inviolable Law amongst them that none shall be put to death therefore perceiving by their Stature or some other signs who are like to be of a wicked and debaâ—…ched humor they send them I know not by what means into the Earth and change them for other Children before they have either opportunity or ability to do amiss among them but first they say they are fain to keep them there for some time till the Air of the Earth alters their colour like ours Their ordinary vent for them is a certain high Hill in the North of Ameriâ—…a whose people I am apt to believe are wholly descended from them both in regard of their colour and their continual use of Tobacco which the Lunars or Moon Men smoak exceedingly the place abounding much with moisture together with the pleasure they take therein and some other respects tâ—…o long to rehearse Sometimes though but seldom they mistake their aim and fall upon Europe Asia or Africa I remember some years since I read certain stories tending to confirm what is related by these Lunars and especially one Chapter of Neubrigensis Inigo Mondejar in his description of Nova Granata Also Ioseph Defia de Carana in his History of Mexico if my memory fail not recount what will make my report more credible but I value not testimonies If you inquire how Justice is executed alas what need is there of exemplary punishment where no offences are committed neither need they any Lawyers â—…or there is no contention the seeds whereof when they begin to sprout are by the wisdom of the next Superior pluckt up by the Roots And as little want is there of Physicians they never surfeit themselves the Air is always pure and temperate neither is there any cause of sickness I could never hear of any that were distempered But the time assign'd them by nature being spent they dye without the least pain or rather cease to live as a Candle does to give light when what nourishes it is consumed I was once at the departure of one of them and was much surprized that notwithstanding the happy life he liv'd and the multitude of Friends and Children he should forsake yet as soon as he understood his end to approach he prepar'd a great Feast and inviting all whom he esteem'd exhorts them To be merry and reâ—…oyce with him since the time was come he should now leave the counterfeit Pleasures of that World and be made partaker of all true Joy and perfect happiness I did not so much admirâ—… his own constancy as the behaviour of his Friends With us in the like case all seem to mourn when many of them do oft but laugh in their Sieeves or under a Vizard But here all both young and old did in my conscience not pretendedly bâ—… really rejoyce thereat and if any dissembled it was only grief for their own particular loss Being dead their Bodies putrify not and so are not buried but kept in certain Rooms
Egypt and other places wherein he behaved himself with such dexterity that he much increased his Masters Wealth and his own Estimation Of Person he is said to be low and withal Scald-headed but otherwise comely and of good aspect Much troubled with the Falling sickness which Infirmity he made good use of afterward affirming those Fits were nothing but heavenly Raptures in which he conversed with the Angel Gabriel He is likewise said to have been well Skill'd in Magick by which he taught a white Pigeon to feed at his Ear which he declared was the Holy Ghost by whom he was instructed in the Law he was to publish but this not till afterwards By Sorcerie comeliness of Person and the great knowledge he had in his Masters business he gained so far on the Affections of his Mistriss that upon the death of Abdal she made him her Husband Possessed of all his Masters Wealth he affected Ease and being till then of no Religion or at least a Pagan he began to hearken to Sergius a Nestorian Monk who flying out of Syria for fear of punishment the Heresies of Nestorius being newly both revived and censured came into Arabia where he found Entertainment in the House of Mahomet By his perswasions who found him a fit Instrument for the Devil to work on he began to entertain thoughts of hammering out a new Religion which might unite all Parties in some common Principles and bring the Christians Iews and Gentiles into which the World was then divided under one Profession Resolv'd on this he retir'd to a Cave not far from Mecca as if he there attended only Contemplation Sergius in the mean time Trumpeting in the Ears of the People both his Parts and Piety who being thus prepared to behold the Pageant out comes the principal Actor with some parts of his Alcoron pleasing enough to sensual Minds which he professed to have received from the Angel Gabriel And finding that this edified to his Expectation he next proclaimed Liberty to all Slaves and Servants as a thing commanded him by God by whom the natural Liberty of Mankind was most dearly tendred which drew to him such a Rabble of unruly People that without Fear or Opposition he dispersed his Doctrines reducing them at last to a Book or Method The Book of this Religion he calleth the Alcoran or Collestion of Precepts the Original whereof they feign is written on a Table kept in Heaven and the Copy brought to Mahomet by the Angel Gabriel A Book so highly reverenced by the Mahometans that they write upon the Cover of it Let none touch this but he that is clean The Body of it as it now standeth was Composed by Osman the fourth Caliph or Governour who seeing the Saracens daily inclining to divers Heresies by reason of some false Copies of Mahomet's Law and that the Empire by the same means was likely to fall into civil dissention by the help of his Wife who was Mahomet's Daughter he got a sight of all Mahomet's Papers which he reduced into four Volumes and divided it into 124 Chapters commanding expresly upon pain of death that that Book and that only should be received as Canonical through his Dominions The whole body of it being only a Gloss and Exposition on Eight of the Commandments First Every one ought to believe that God is a great God and one only God and Mahomet is his Prophet They hold Abraham to be the Friend of God Moses the Messenger of God and Christ the Breath of God whom they deny to be conceived of the Holy Ghost affirming that the Virgin Mary grew with Child of him by smelling to a Rose and was delivered of him at her Breasts They deny the Mistery of the Trinity but punish such as speak against Christ whose Religion was not say they taken away but amended by Mahomet and whoever in his Pilgrimage to Mecca doth not visit the Sepulchre of Christ either going or coming is reputed not to have merited or bettered himself by his Journey 2. Every Man must Marry to increase the Disciples of Mahomet Four Wives he allows to every Man and as many Concubines as he will between whom the Husband makes no difference either in Affection or Apparel but that the first Wife only enjoys his Sabbath days Benevolence The Women are not admitted while alive into their Churches nor after death into Paradise And whereas in most other Countries Fathers give some Portions with their Daughters the Mahometans give Money for their Wives which being once paid the Contract is Registred in the Cadies Book and this is all their formality of Marriage 3. Every one must give of his Wealth to the Poor Hence some buy Slaves and set them free others buy Birds and let them fly They use commonly to release Prisoners and Bond-slaves To build Caves or Lodgings in the ways for relief of Passengers Repair Bridges and mend High-ways But their most ordinary Alms consists in Sacrifices of Sheep and Oxen which when the Solemnity is perform'd they distribute amongst the Poor to whom also on the first Day of every Year they are bound to give the Tyth or Tenth part of their Profits the Year past so that there are scarce any Beggars among them 4. Every one must make his Prayers five times a Day When they pray they turn their Bodies towards Mecca but their Faces sometimes one way and sometimes another believing that Mahomet shall come behind them while at their Devotions The first time is an hour before Sun rising the second at Noon-day the third at three a Clock Afternoon the fourth at Sun-setting the fifth and last before they go to sleep At all these times the Cryers bawl in the Steeples for the Turks and Saracens have no Bells for the People to come to Church and such as cannot must when they hear the Voice of the Cryers fall down in the place where they are do their Devotions and kiss the Ground thrice 4. Every one must keep a Lent one month in a Year This Lent is called Ramazan in which they suppose the Alcoran was given to Mahomet by the Angel Gabriel This Fast is only in the day time their Law allowing them to be as Frolick in the Night as they please so they abstain from Wine and Swines Flesh which is prohibited in their Law at all times but never so strictly abstained from as in Lent 6. Be obedient to thy Parents Which Law is most neglected of any in all the Alcoran never any Children being generally so nnnatural as the Turkish 7. Thou shalt not Kill This they keep inviolate amongst themselves but the poor Christians are sure to feel their Fury And as if by this Law the actual shedding of blood only were prohibited they have invented Punishments for their Offenders worse than death As first the Strappado which is hanging them by the Arms drawn backward and then drawn up on high and letting down again with a violent swing which unjointeth all their
Money enough to pay the Roman and Grecian Soldiers and why must these Dogs be so importunate for their Wages Provoked herewith and hearing the Fame of Mahomet they joined him who strengthned by them and the coming in of the rest of their Countrey-men he soon brought all Arabia under his subjection and having defeated the Emperors Forces sent against him he conquered some parts of Syria and Egypt and returning to Mecca there died Frantick and distempered in the 70 Year of his Age and 23 of his Impostures of which he spent thirteen at Medina and the rest at Mecca His dead Body being kept four days in expectation of a Resurrection which he promised to perform at the end of three grown full of stench and putrefaction was carried to Medina and there interred His Successors out of wicked and worldly Policy keeping up the reputation of that Religion after his decease which they scorned and derided in his life calling themselves Caliphs or Vicar Generals to him their Prophet Thus dyed Mahomet the Persion and Turkish Prophet Haraclius being Emperor of Constantinopleâ—… Sadinion Bishop of Rome Clotaire K. of France Viteric K. of Spain and Ecbald K. of England about 630 Years after our Savious Birth He was as himself confessed altogether Unlearned and tho naturally Subtile and Witty yet often puzzled to invent Miracles to confirm the deluded Arabians in their vain Belief For he contidually Preaching to them that God sent him to confirm his Law by force of Arms the People earnestly demanded some Sign of his Mission so he was constrained to amuse them with the story of a Voyage which he made to Heaven to this effect That the Angel Gabriel with 70 pair of Wings came to him by Night as he was in Bed with his Wife saying That God had sent for him He going down with this Angel found at his Door an Heterogeneous Beast called Elborach half Ass half Mule but much swifter than either for it would go as far at one step as the most quick-sighted Man could see This Beast or Mahumetan would not let Mahomet mount him unless he would first promise to pray for him which the charitable Prophet did and was then in the twinkling of an Eye brought by him to Ierusalem where the Angel Gabriel tyed the Beast with his Girdle to a Rock and taking Mahomet on his shoulders carried him to Heaven Gate They knockt and the Porter understanding Mahomet to be there instantly opened and bid him welcome In the first Heavens he saw Angels of divers and monstrous shapes some composed of Fire and Snow others of Fire alone every one of a different Form Among the rest one with the Head of a Cock whose Feet trod upon one Heaven and his Head toucht another each Heaven being so far distant that it was a Journey of 500 Years to pass from one to the other and when this Cock Crows which it seems is his language all the Cocks upon the Earth Crow likewise This Angel conveyed him to another he to a third and so from one to another till at length he came to the Heaven where God himself was who courteously received him asking how his people did and whether they received his Law God then familiarly lay'd his hand upon his Shoulder which was so cold that it peirced the marrow of his back bone He was soon dismist God telling him only how often in a day his Disciples should make their Prayers which were so many that in his return to the fourth Heaven Moses met him advising him to go back and intreat God that fewer prayers might serve his turn since his Followers were not able to say so many so at length the number was reduced to five He then went back to his Elborach which in a moment brought him home to his house in Mecca where he went to bed again to his wife she not once dreaming her husband would leave Heaven for her company or imagining he had been there all this he performed in the tenth part of a night The Turks do still believe this Romantick story for truth but the Arabians at that time requiring him to ascend again to Heaven in their view he unwilling to take so long a Journey only replyed Praised be God that I am a Man and an Apostle On the Seal which he used was ingraven Mahomet the Messenger of God He had several slights to deceive his Followers performed either by Art or Witchcraft Once an Ox brought him a Chapter of the Alcoran upon his Horns in a full Assembly Another time being at dinner with one that was his pretended freind who yet designed to poyson him and a Shoulder of Mutton being brought to Table he pretended the meat spoke and forbid him to eat of it tho' none but himself heard it among a great Company however he permitted one of his dearest freinds to eat and dye poysoned therewith Other vain Miracles he published as that the Trees bowed to him tho' only shaken by a sudden gust of wind the Wolves howled and the Asses brayed to him all in their several Languages desiring his Prayers which he being a Prophet understanding as religiously performed He often declared that God gave him Commission to fulfil his own desires in all things and in his Alcoran writes that he thus spake to him O Prophet it is permitted thee to lye with all Women that are given thee or which thou dost purchase thy Aunts or kindred and all other good Women that freely desire thy Company and this is lawful for thee alone Thus he pretended Religion for fulfilling his inordinate Lusts in which it is say'd he equalled his strength to that of 40 men The day of his Death was no less prodigious then the course of his life a Comet resembling a Sword appearing at high noon pointing from South to North and continued in the sight of all for thirty days together which the Wise men of that Age concluded to be a Presage of the fatal riseing and grandeur of the Arabian Empire Haly was astonisht at his distemper and the high frenzy wherein he dyed esteeming it no divine quality in a Prophet and a Redeemer as he called himself of so many People He derided his presumption yet carefully concealed the manner of his death being willing to promote his Law that so he might inherite his power and Empire For near 800 Years after his decease the Arabians Saracens Turks and Persians continued in the Mahometan Faith without any divisions But in 1482. there happened this memorable alteration of Religion and State in Persia. Mahomet the Lawgiver of the Saracens by his last Will bequeathed to his Cosen Hali who was also the Husband of his Daughter Fatime all his Estate with the Title of Caliph but Abubezar Haumar and Osman 3 powerful men of Arabia and great Assistants to Mahomet succeeded one another in that dignity After their Death Hali hoped to obtain the Government which had so long been detained from him But
Mâ—…avias a valiant Souldier advanced himself and to remove all future pretensions he slew Hali with his Son Ossan and eleven of Ossans Sons but Musa Ceresin the twelsth Son made his escape From this Musa one Guine Sophie derived his Pedigree in 1360. And considering that there had been no Caliphs for many Years past he began to contrive the reviving and establishing that Honourable Dignity in his own Family He dying in the midst of his Projects left the prosecution of them to his Son Aider Sophie who being a man of great industry sanctity and power and strenghtned with the love and real affection of his people Ussan Cassanes Prince of the Armenians gave him his Daughter to Wife But Iacup the Son and successor of Ussan after his fathers Death envying the glory of Aider Sophie and fearing his power caused him to be slain and delivered his 2 Sons which he had by Iacups Sister named Ishmael and Solyman to Amazor one of his Captains to secure them in prison Amazor being of a generous temper afforded them not only liberty but gave them ingenuous education Afterward Ismael the eldest a Gentleman of promising hopes undertook to revenge the Death of his Father which he likewise performed staying Iacup and his Son Elvan After this Victory Ismael being crowned King or Sophie or Shaa of Persia he altered the form of Religion there declaring Hali and himself to be the only true Successors of Mahomet the Prophet and condemning Abubezer Haumar and Osman with the Turks their Abettors and Followers as Usurpers Rebels and Schismaticks and ordered all Books to be Burnt and all Monuments to be defaced that mentioned any thing in honour of those 3 Caliphs This difference in Religion hath created so mortal an aversion in them to each other that the Turks hold it more meritorious to kill one Persian than 70 Christians The City of Medina where Mahomet lyes buried is in Arabia 3 days Journey from the Red Sea His Tomb is inclosed within an Iron Grate and covered with green Velvet which is every year made New and sent by the Grand Seignior the old one being by the Preists cut into small peices and sold at great Rates as Reliques to the Pilgrims In the Temple where this Tomb is placed there are say'd to be 3000 Lamps of Gold and Silver wherein is Balsome and other rich odours ointments and oils continually kept burning They would impose it for a Miracle that this Tomb should hang in the Air by means of Loadstones but besides that there is no such thing for it stands on the Floor were it true there were no such wonder in it For Democrates the Atheniah by order of Ptolomy K. of Egypt undertook to make the Statue of Arsinoe all of Iron and to hang in the Air. And in the Temple of Serapis in Alexandria there was an Iron Sun that hung in the Air by the force of a Loadstone being a rare peice of Workmanship The Turks make a Pilgrimage to this Tomb and all true Musselmen are obliged once in their Lives at least to go thither To this purpose I will relate the following Story from a late Traveller into Turkey A Mahumitan having in obedience to a Religious Vow undertaken this Journey and being of the Opinion of the rest of his fellow Travellers or the Caravan as it is called that they should meet with Water at a certain Well or Cistern upon the Road had made use of the best part of their Provision as the rest had done upon the Ceremony of the Abdest or Ablution which is their washing themseives before their Devotious for they wash the best part of the Head and Neck their Arms up to the Elbows their Feet the end of the Priapus and the Posterior Orifice And for this Reason they never erect any Mosquee or Church without planting Fountains round about it for they firmly believe that their Prayers put up without these Washings and in a state of Impurity would rather draw down the Wrath of Heaven upon them than procure the blessings of God And indeed these severe Commands of washing so often are very troublesome as well to those that live in dry places far from Water as others in the Northern cold Climates so that several Turks could wish heartily that they might be permitted to change their Religion which ties them to so many inconvenient slabberings When these Pilgrims came to the Cistern where they hoped to be supplyed they found the Water dryed up by the heat of the Sun They were extreamly concerned thereat finding themselves in the midst of the Sands Deserts and heats of Arabia They knew not what course to take in that extremity of drowth which tormented them with Impatience nor had many of them Money to buy Water of those who had been more provident and indeed had not much to spare Our poor Mahumetan found himself reduced to endure a scorching drouth and ready to be buried alive in the stifling Clouds of Sand which the Wind raises in that miserable Road. inspired him with more Execrations against Mahomet and his accursed Errors tren the most zealous of the Eastern Christians could have invented for him He said He did not wish the Devil had taken Mahomet for he did not believe him so unjust as to let that Impostor escape his Claws who being the only cause of the death of so many Millions of people as perished in going to his Tomb justly deserved as many deaths in Hell as he had caused poor Creatures to suffer torments in this infamous cruel Pilgrimage But he wisht with all his heart That Heaven had Thunderstruck from above and that Hell had then swallowed in Flames the first contrive s of that accursed Alcoran and the unfortunate Propogators of the Law of Mahomet or that he himself had been born a Christian. Some Christians in the Company were much surprized to hear a Mahometan thus blaspheme his own Religion but they were told That this Person was of a Sect who were neither Turks nor Christians but a sort of Mahumetan Heretics When a Mahumetan has purified himself he goes into the Church with his Eyes fixt upon the Ground and barefoot To which end the Eastern People have Shoes or Slippers of Goats Skins dyed Yellow Red Violet or Black but none of them may wear them Green in the Turkish Dominions this being the sacred colour which Mahomet so much affected only their Emirs wear a Green Bonnet which they put on with great reverence on their Heads and is a mark of their being allied to their Great Prophet and Legislator But this is not regarded in Persia. as we may find by the following Story Sha Abbas the renowned K. of Persia was the most accomplished Prince in all the East It happened that a Turkish Ambassador one time at his Court being much concerned to see Christians as well as Mahometans wearing green Shoes and Trowses over all Persia He in the name of his Master required the King to
Murtherer is carried before the Magistrate he delivers him to the Parents or Kindred of the person slain who carry him to Execution and without compassion torture him to death The Governor of Shiras had a Favourite who falling in love with a young Persian Gentleman endeavoured to abuse his Body One day meeting upon the Road and lying under the same Tent the Favourite about Mid-night came to his Bed-side and after many sollicitations would have forced him But being violently resisted for madness to find himself disappointed and liable to be discovered he stab'd the young Gentleman to the heart and fled to the Mountains The Murther being divulged the Mother Widdow and Sister of the young Man repaired to the Governor for Justice who willing to save his Favourite offered them Money which they with scorn refusing and threatning to complain to the King he was constrained to pursue hiâ—… Favourite at length he took and sent him to Ispahan saying he would not judge of the Affair but refer it to the King The Mâ—…ther Widdow and Sister followed the Murtherer to Ispahan and demanded Justice with that eagerness that though the King had an inclination to save the Favourite for the Governours sake he was forced to abandon him and bid them pay themselves with his blood Immediately he was carried to execution where the Widdow first stab'd him to the heart with a Dagger then the Mother took heâ—… turn and after that the Sister and then holding a Cup to receive his bâ—…ood drank every one a Cup full to quench the thirst of their Revenge Extraordinary care is taken for securing the High-ways and Guards set at convenient distances As the Caravan was one day setting out from Tauris to Ispahan a poor Fellow took an occasion to rob a Cloak-bag and fled cross the Fields not knowing the way the Merchant missing his Goods complain'd to the Governor who sent order to the Guards to search strictly for him The Thief being constrained to forsake his Cloak-bag and cross the Fields for Water was seized and carried to the Governor and soon convicted for Thieves find no mercy in Persia Only they are variously put to death being sometimes tyed to a Camels Tayl by the Feet and their Bellies ript open Sometimes buried alive all but their Heads and starved to death in which torment they will oft desire Passengers to cut off their Heads though it be a kindness forbidden by the Law But the most cruel punishment is when they set the Thief on Horseback with his extended Arms fastned to a long stiek behind then larding him with lighted Candles they burn him to the very Bowels We met two in this Misery who desired us to hasten their deaths which we durst not do only we gave them a Pipe of Tobacco according to their desire One day there was a great hubbub in a Bawdy-house where the Woman had prostituted her own Daughter the King being informed of it commanded the Mother to be thrown head long from a Tower and the Daughter to be torn in pieces by his Dogs which he keeps on purpose for such Chastizements The Forts and Factories of the Honourable East-India Company upon the Coasts of Malabar Cormandel in the Bay of Bengal and in the Empire of the Great Mogul in India With an account of the Religion Government Trade Marriages Funerals strange Customs of the Natives Intermixt with divers Accidents and notable Remarks HAving given some Account of Persia let us next advance unto the Indies wherein the Honourable the East-India Company have these Forts and Factories Fort St. George Fort St David Comineer Cudaloor Porto Novo Madapollam Metchlapatam Pettipolee Carwar Calliutt Surat Bombay Island Balla-sore Hugli Chuttanutti Daca Rhajamal All on the Coasts of Coromandell Malabar and the Bay of Bengale Fort St. George THis Fort is on the Coast of Coromandell where the Honourable East-India Company have a Factory On November 3. 1684. About 9 at night there happened a violent Storm in this Place which continued till 2 next morning It untiled all the Houses in the Town with such a ratling noise as if some thousands of Granadoes had been thrown on them and lay'd all their Gardens of which they have many pleasant ones as level as the Smoothest Bowling Green Trees of an ancient and prodigious Growth some perhaps as ancient as Noahs Flood were violently torn up by the Roots and their Aged Trunks riven in peices the noise of the crashing and fall of their Boughs and Branches seeming almost to equal that of a Tempest But what was most surprizing was that a strong Iron Bar which belonged to a Window was with the extream force of the Wind snapped into 3 peices Had this Hurricane continued two or 3 hours longer it would certainly have level'd both the Fort and Town tho' strongly built and well fortified Fort St. David Commineer Cudaloor Porto Noro Madapollam Pettipole and Carwar are all on the Coast of Coromandell In all which the East-India Company have Factories It is reported that St. Thomas the Apostle wrought many â—…iracles in these Countries and foretold the coming of white People thither And that the Children of those that murdered him have still one Leg bigger than another Callicut This is a Town on the Coast of Malabar where the Portugals first setled themselves and the English Merchants have a Factory The Prince of Calicut calls himself Zamorin a Prince of great power and not more black of colour than treacherous in disposition Many deformed Pagods are here worshipped but with this Ordinary Evasion that they adore not Idols but the Deumo's they represent The Dutch General who was Cook of the Ship Crowned the present Prince with those hands which had oftner managed a Ladle than a Sword Malabar is a Low Countrey with a delightful Coast and inhabited by people that practice Pyracy There is a certain wind which blowing there in Winter so disturbs the neighbouring Sea that it rowls the Sands to the mouths of the adjoining Ports so that then the Water is not deep enough for the least Bark to enter But in the Summer another contrary wind drives back the same Sand and makes the Port again Navigable The great number of Rivers in this Countrey render Horses useless especially for War A Countrey for the most part of the Year green and abounding with Cattle Corn Cotton Pepper Ginger Cassia Cardamum Rice Myrabolans Ananas Papas Melons Dates Coco's and other Fruit. Surat THis Town is about 40 days Journey from Agra and drives as great a Trade as any City in Asia though the access to it be very dangerous For the River Tappy or Tindy rising out of the Decan mountains glides through Brampore and in Meanders runs by the walls of Surat and after 15 Miles wrigling about discharges it self into the Ocean but is so shallow at the mouth that it will hardly bear a Bark of 70 or 80 Tuns So that Ships are forced to unlade at Swally Which is remarkable for
Tamberlan the Scythian who overcame all Asia and took Bajazet the Ottoman Emperor Prisoner putting him into an Iron Cage against the Bars of which he beat out his brains When Tamberlain had taken him Prisoner he was brought before him who fixing his Eyes upon him fell a laughing Bâ—…jazet being highly offended feircely say'd to him Laugh not at my Fortune Sir but know it is God that disposes of Kingdoms and Empires and the same may happen to you to morrow that has befaln me to day To which â—…amerlain replyed I know this as well as you nor do I laugh at your misfortunes but am thinking that certainly these Kingdoms and Empires are very contemptible things in the eyes of God since he gives them to such inconsiderable Persons as we are you a deformed one eyed man and I pitiful lame Creature The Mogol is the General Heir to all those to whom he gives Pensions and his will is a Law in the decision of his subjects affairs and therefore they carry the Names of their Imployments and not of the Lands which they enjoy Now because of this Barbarous tho' Ancient Custom in the late Mogols Reign one of the Ancient Governours being very Rich and finding himself near Death thinking upon this unreasonable Law which oft renders the Wife of a Nobleman and her Children poor and miserable in an Instant He secretly distributed all his great Estate to indigent Gentlemen and poor Widdows filling his Trunks with Old Iron old Shoes Rags and bones Locking and Sealing them close saying they were Goods belonging to the Mogol before whom they were brought after his death and opened in his presence before his Lords that all saw this fine stuff which so discomposed the Mogol that he rose and went away in a great fury He is able to bring 100000 Horse into the Field but the Foot are inconsiderable Chah Iehan the Father of the present Emperor left behind him about 500000 Livers besides the Rich Throne aforementioned The present Emperor or Mogol is called Aureng-zeb having usurpt the kingdom from his Father upon this occasion This great King having reigned 40 Years with much clemency and Justice in his declining Age fancied a Young Lady of extraordinary beauty not above 13 Years Old And because the strength of nature would not permit him to satisfy his Passion he took certain Provocatives which were so hot that he fell into a distemper which had almost killed him This obliged him to shut himself up in a strong Fortress together with his Women for 2 or 3 Months During this time he seldom appeared to his People and then at a great distance which made them believe he was dead He had 4 Sons and 2 Daughters whom he loved all alike making his Sons Governours or Vice Roys of four of the principal Provinces in his Kingdom During this false report of his Death Dara his eldest Son continued with him But soon after they raised Armys and fought against one another And after many Battels and much Bloodshed Aurengzeb the Third Son having destroyed his Three Brethren mounted the Throne keeping his Father Prisoner Some time after he sent to his Father for some of his Jewels that he might appear before his People with the same magnificence his Predecessors had done Chah-Iehan taking his request for an Affront fell into such a rage that he continued mad for some days and had like to have died upon it he called several times for a Mortar and Pestle to beat all his Jewels to Powder rather than his Son should have them but Begum Saheb his Eldest Daughter throwing her self at his feet by virtue of that Criminal power she had over him as being both his Daughter and his Wife kept him from it more out of design to preserve the Jewels for her self than her Brother to whom she was a Mortal Enemy For this reason when Aureng-zeb ascended the Throne he had only one Jewel on his Bonnet and as a Penance for so many Crimes he would not eat wheaten Bread Flesh nor Fish but fed upon Barley Bread Herbs and Sweat Meats But Chajehan his Father dying in 1666. finding himself rid of an object that reproached his Tyranny he began to enjoy himself with more delight receiving his Sister Begum into favour and calling her Cha Begum or Princess Queen a Woman of excellent accomplishments and able to govern an Empire and had her Father and Brothers taken her Counsel Auren-zeb had never been King He had another Sister called Râ—…uchenara Begum who always took his part and sent him all the Gold and Silver she could procure when she heard he had taken Arms in recompence whereof he promised when he came to be King to give her the Title of Cha Begum and that she should fit upon a Throne all which he performed and they lived lovingly together This Princess having secretly conveyed a handsom young man into her Apartment could not let him out so privately after she had quite tired him but the King had notice thereof The Princess to prevent the shame ran to the King and in a pretended fright told him there was a man got into the Haram even to her very Chamber who designed either to have kill or Rob her That such an accident was never before known and that it concerned the safety of his Royal Person and he would do well to punish the Eunuchs who kept the Guard that night The King ran instantly with a great number of Eunuchs so that the poor Young Man had no way to escape but by leaping out at a Window into the River that runs by the Pallace Walls a multitude of people ran out to seize him the King commanding they should do him no harm but carry him to the Officer of Justice yet he happily escaped and has not been since heard of It is an Ancient custom among the Heathen Indians that the Husband happening to dye the Wife can never marry again so when he is dead she retires to bewail him shaves her hair and lays aside all her ornaments taking off her Arms and Legs the Braccelets her Husband put on when he espoused her in token of her submission and being chained to him and all her life after she lives despised yea worse than a Slave in the House where she was formerly Mistress This causes them rather to dye with their Husbands than live in such Contempt the Bramins or Priests perswading them that after Death they shall meet him again in the other World with greater advantage Yet can no Woman burn her self without leave from the Governour of the Place who being a Mehometan and abhorring this execrable custom of self Murther does often deny it Some women are so offended thereat that they spend the rest of their lives in works of Charity Some sit on the Road Boyling Pulse in Water and giving the Liquor to Travellers to drink others hold Fire ready in their hands to light their Tobacco others make vows to eat nothing but