'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.' [‎212] (245/594)

which fome of 'em underftand very well, and pradinfe with
very ^ood fuccefs. They have permiffion from the to
take Money for their Cures, and they make good advantage
of it, Vhyfich^ being their chiefeft Subfiftence : They are gene-
rally paid in Wine, Meal, Cattel, and young Slaves; and
fome there are that give 'em Horfes: of all which they fell
whatever they have no need of, or whatever they have to fpare.
Were it not for this fupport of fbyfic^ they could never fub-
fift upon the Annual i enfion which the Congregation allows
'em of 18 1{oman Crowns for every Miflionary, which make
but Five Pounds Ten Shillings. Befides the Difpenfation al
ready mention'd, thefe Miflionaries have feveral others both
in Spirituals and Temporals; as, to fay Mafs, without any
Body to affift at it, to fay it in feveral forts of places, and in
all forts of Habits, to give Abfolution of all manner of Sins,
to difguife themfelves, to keep Horfes and Servants, to have
Slaves, to buy and fell, to pay and take Intereft. In a word,
they have Difpenfations fo ample, and of that extent, that they
pretend a power to do, and do in effed, whatever is permit
ted to the moll priviledg'd Ecclefiafticks. Neverthelefs thefe
Miffionaries, with all their Artifices, and notwithftanding all
this Liberty, make Very little progrefs among the
For befides that the people are very ignorant, and take little
care to inftrU<3 themfclves, it is fo rivetted into their Heads,
that Falling as rhey obferve it, is the ElTential part of Chrifti-
an Religion : 1 hat they do not believe the to be
Chrijiians, becaufe they are inform'd that in they do
not faft as they do. T his incredible Obftinacy obliges the
puchins to faft as they do, and to abftain from Creatures which
the Georgians abhor, as the Hare, the Tortoife, and others.
They faft Wednefdays and Fry day regulating themlelves ac
cording to the Ancient Calendar, that they may be faid to be
outwardly no more then Georgian Many People
at firft repait'd to their Church at Tefflis^ drawn thither by
the Novelty of their Service;, and a little Mufick of four or
five Voices, accompany'd with a Lute, and a Spinet. But at
prefent there go no more then only five or fix poor People,
who get fomethifig by the Miflionaries. They have alio let
up a Schoolj butthey have not above feven or eight Scholars,
the Childern of poor Parents, who go thither more for Vittles
then Learning, as the Fathers confefs'd themfelves. They told
me often that they did not keep up their Millions for any pro
fit they got by 'em, but only for the Honour of the Ionian
+ Church 5