'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎138] (159/448)

Chil"w (tffntiequities of
loi rn1niir<s Adiovning that ^as the Temple dedicated to Anaia, (^lo niana is there
V nJd Siculns, Nanea in the 2 Aiacchrt. 1. 13.) equal to that at Echatan
diofe timesCas Jofohus and others write) was fo exquifitely built and with fuch
^traordinary coft 5 that it excelled any other then extant in the World. For the mate-
• 1 ^ nf the heft fort of Marble of feveral colours intermixt with precious ftones:
and no lefs admirable was the Art, of that kind the ^. called MarhuteryMt the Jem
Mofaick, a compofition of many fmall pieces of Marble vanouQy coloured or other-
wife gilt and difpofed agreeable to the hgure or place they alfume m the pavement or
other part of the ftrudure ^ which fet together look as if they were imbolfed and re-
DrefentMen, Beafts, Flowers or other fancies, exhibiting an unexpreffible pleafure and
Itatelinefs to the eye. A fort of work thofe of old much gloried in. For the Temple
at Delphosy Jrternifia's'Xomh, and that ereded by Alexander for his dear Epheftion were
fuch /yea many reliques and broken pieces of fuch we find as yet remaining in old
Monuments through feveral parts of Jfia, and in Europe alfo •, as at Conftanm^le the
roof of Sanfta Sophia, at Rome the Temple of Bacchus now dedicated to St. Agnes ^ in
Siena the Domo or Cathedral hath in the pavement large and very rare figures of this
work in Venice that to St. Mario in Florence that to Cofmo the firft of the Medtces j and -
towards the Eaft end of the Abbey in Wefiminfter the imitation of Mofaick.may be ob-
ferved in the pavement, and in Edward the Confeifor's Tomb. But if Mofaickhe in wood
'tis called Terfia : the feveral pieces of which are boiPd and dyed into what colour the
Workman fancies, and being inlayd reprefents to the life what figure they pkafe. Of
this work much is feen in the Quire A booklet formed of a single gathering of nested bifolia. of St. DomimckChmch in Bologne in Italy, where the
ftalls are all of this kind, expreffing the ftory of fome part of the Old and New Tefta-
ments. An Art much admired by Travellers.
But alas! this rich and lovely City, yea the Palace it felf, albeit they forced admira
tion and deferved commendation from the Greeks-, neverthelefs at a drunken feaft, in a
debauched humour by the inftigation of Thais an infamous ftrumpet then following the
Camp, to retaliate what Xerxes had in a hoftile way perpetrated whiles he was at Athens
her native place, Alexander commanded nay helped to fet all on fire; an ad fo unbe
coming that great Prince as when he more confiderately viewed the flame made him re
pent v yea fo repent, that if poifible he would have quenched it with his tears: For as
Sir Walter Raleigh notes. Wine often ingenders fury, and fury matter for repentance: But
preceeding milchiefs are not amended by fucceeding lhame or lamentations. Never
thelefs, this fad execution rendred that famous City as one fays of another
places fo that nothing now remains fave what the mercilefs Fire could not devour, I
mean the Walls and Pavements; which being of Marble and by expert Mafons hewn
out of the main Rock, and by rare Artificers carved into ftory and grotefco work, have
hitherto refilled air and weather; fo as if not defaced by babarous hammers and hands,
it probably will remain a monument to exprefs the old Perfian magnificence unto all fuc
ceeding Generations i for without an hyperbole, Mole faa ftuporem incutit fpeBantihus.
At this day 'tis called ChHmanor, or CheheLminar as the Ferfians pronounce, which in
their Tongue fignifies Forty Towers. The Palace (whofe mines I (hall now defcribe) was-
(as I lately mentioned) built upon part of a Mountain of dark coloured Marble,which the
great Achited of Nature has placed at the North-eaft end of that large Plain where the
City of Perfepolis once ftood the middle of which was watered by the River Araxis (or
rather Cho~Araxis) which Q. Cmtim lib. 5. and Straho lib, 15. fay, ftreamed about twenty
furloAgs from Perfepolis, although others of equal authority name it Cyrm, which I ra
ther approve, feeing the modern name it bears is Knr and Al-Chyr, as fome Perfians call
it, albeit others call it Foully Gourck, or Kurkjis fome pronounce, a derivative from Kur
or Cyr, i. e. Cyrm, over which is that notable ftone-Bridge built above two hundred years
ago by Emyr~Hamz.e-Delamita a Perfian Prince of the Salgucim Race, in whofe memory
'tis called Bind-Emyr, i. e. the Princes Bridge. The circumference of the Plain (fur-
rounded with rifing Hills) is near forty Englifh miles. About threefcore acres of this
Mount which Diodorns Siculm /. 17. calls the Royal Hill, (but by the modern Perfians, Shttw-
achoo and Choo-Rahmet, i, e. the Mountain of Mercy ) by extraordinary toil and Art was
difleded and dellgned for the foundation and other accommodations of this marvellous
ftrudure, which both for perpetuity and elegancy in fculpture was in feveral places
funk and polilhed for lafting Walls and Pavements. The afcent into this Palace is at
the Weft fide of the Hill by ninety five fteps, every ftep being twenty inches broad and
three inches high one above another; the Stair-cafe (that is to fay from one fide of tns
^ J Stair