'The travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East Indies, through the Black Sea, and the country of Colchis. Containing the author's voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To which is added, the coronation of the present King of Persia, Solyman the III.' [‎93] (122/594)

through the BJack^Sea, and o/CoIcbis.
Hunderd Perfons befidcs Gentlemen. And as for Princefs
(he is attended by a Hunderd of hoth Sexes: but upon Fefti'
val Days, ftejhews a Court of about Sixty Ladies, all hand-
loin and weil drels d.
fhe Religion of the Colchians, has formerly as I believe
been the fame with that of the Greeks. The Ecclefiaftical Hi!
ftonans fay, That a Slave Converted to the Chriftian Faith
the King, the Queen, and all the Nobility of in the
time of Confiantine the Great, who fent both Priefts and Do
( ? 0r L t0 n BaptlZ r th f " ew - Convcrtcd , to inftrud'emin
the Myftenes of Chriftianity. Others affert, That they owe
for their knowledge of Chriftianity, to one whom the
Sclammans in their Language call Chmfd, who livd about the
nf ,, 7™ Mwgnlians alfo fltew ye, by the Sea- fide, at
a t lace calbd Figimtas near the River a Church with
three Bodies, which is a very large one; alfuring ye withal,
that Sc. Andrew Vre&ch d in the Place where that Church was
built. I have leen it at a diftance; and it feem'd to be a very
great Pile oi Building fo far as a Man may guefs a Mile off:
1 he iatholicos once in his Life goes thither to make the Holy
Oyl, which the Greeks call Mirone. I never difcours'd of Re
ligion with any Mingreltan, having never found any one that
either knew what Religion, Law, Sin , the Sacraments, or
Divine Service were. All I could learn was only this. That
the Women fometimes light up fmall round Candles, which
they fix to the Doors of their Houfes, or of fome Church
where they burn at the fame time a Grain of Incenfe and
turning toward the Sun, bow their Bodies very low feveral
tunes, and crofs themfelves all over from Head to Foot.
The Pnefts and Billiops perform the Ecclefiaftical Ceremo
nies, fay Mafs, and Baptize. I have feen 'em at the perfor-
mance of their Functions, when no Body has been prefent for
want of Devotion. But in regard I did not underftand the
language which they fpoke, I had rather in ftead of relating
what I only faw and heard by report, recite what I met with
out ot an Italian Manufcript concerning the Religion of the
Mmgreliam and Georgians, written by Father
a Mantuan. Superiour of ihe Theatws in Mtngrelta. For that Fryer
who made me a Prefent of the Manufcript, had liv'd there
wenty ^nree Years, and could not be ignorant either of their
Geremonies or their Belief: which made him write at large his
own knowledge of the Uinvtelian Piety. And this is that which
he Ipeaks more particularly, and as it lies in the Manufcript.
B b The