'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.' [‎147] (168/448)

< Perfepolis,
wait behmd with great Lamps, and fome with Rolls of parchments: oppofite to them
,s a Pnfonet m chains brought as it were to Tryal by the Marfhal, who formal v S
the Captive by one hand i the Ptifoner by the fubmifs bending of his body feeraing to
invite the Court to mercy. Under thefe is placed a Guard of fix ranks of pikfe, both
Men and Arms m fulfproportion. Upon the left fide of the Throne ftandfevera other
Flamens who hold Ro Is ot parchment in their hands ■, and upon the right, the Nobles-
who wear long hair, have antick garments upon their heads, Bows in their hands aui
vers full of long arrows fixt to their right fides, and fwords with plain guardsunto'S
left. A feleft.number of Pnefts and Nobles feem to withdraw apart, and to expoftu
late or argue fomewhat concerning the Prifoner-, whobythisnobleappearanceandman-
ner 01 proceeding may be conceived to be fome Perfon of Eminency I but who he was
the myftenousCharafters there engraven can belt difcover. And yet feeing fome ima-
S i ne »5 ftrudture was raifed by the diredion of Cyrw the Magnificent, (who ruled circa
A. M. 3400. and whofe fupreme Officer the Prophet Daniel for fometime was) it may
without offence be prefumed Darnel ■, who when Ae was the Prefident or Chief of the
hundr'ed and twenty Princes mentioned in by the envy or rather confbi-
racy of thole Ethnique Princes or Governours he was accufed for worfhipping God
contrary to that impious Decree of Darim ■, for which he was arraigned, condemned
and call; into the Den of Lions. Otherwife it may reprefent Cmfm that unfortunate
dian King ; who being deluded by the Oracles-amphibology engaging againft the TVto,
became Cyrus his prifoner; and had fuffered, but by calling upon S.te in that his lament
able condition: For feeing B^Jha^r the laft ^Jfyriav Mornarch (to whofe fubverfion
Cyrus principally contributed) was flain, it cannot properly reprelent that sreat Con
quell and Revolution. °
About a large ftones calt thence over continued heaps of rubbilh, wherein doubtlefs
are buried many rare pieces of Art, is a void fpace, in which as my thoughts prom
pted that famous Temple ftood which was dedicated to Diana there called Amya ! in its
time reputed next to that at Ephefm the molt curious piece throughout the World. At
the Eaft-end there rifes a Hill or Rock*, upon part of which,about fifty foot from the
ground , in like Sculpture is the figure of a King, who with ereded hands feems to adore
the nfing Sun. Near which, fo well as my fight would ferve at fuch a diftance, I fan
cied that I law the Fire and a Serpent engraven: which being molt obvious to wind and
weather, is molt worn and lealt perfpicable. The lifting up of the hands in worfhip
has of long time been a pofture alfo ^amongft Heathens, Omnes homines preces faftwi
manm ad Ceelum tollant y faith Ariftotle libra de Mando : Duplices ad fydera palmas, Chidim:
And Siiptnas ad Coslum cum 'voce manmy Virgil. Moreover, that the Perftans of old were
Polytheifts may be proved by thefe three Idols. For albeit the grand Parotha by bein^
the tutelary Nttmen of the place was in moft repute 5 the Fire neverthelefs was their
principal Deity, for with them it reprefented Omnipotency ^ as the Sun the Hierody-
phick of Eternity j and the Serpent, Time's revolution and fagacity: Which laft was
worlhipped by the Ophita 5 and both that and Trees were had in Divine eftimation by
the Indians in honour of Liber Pater and c/Efculapim, as we are informed by Alex ah
Alexandria. The Serpent and Fire in like fort were adored by the Lithuanians of old,
and Trees alfo: Lithuani ah origine colehant Numina, Ignem, Syhas, & Serpentes, mos ve~
mrabantury Mmfier 4. lib. Cofmogr. Befides thefe, they had feveral Elementary gods *
for as Herodotus m his firft Book relates, Soli, Luna, Igni, TelUri, Aqu*, & rentis>Perfl
Jacrificant, They worlhipped the Sun, Moon, Fire, Earth, Water and Winds ^ yet
had neither Temples,lmages nor Altars,fo writes Herodotus in his firft Book; albeit Strabo
and others fay the contrary and by their Reliques it appears they had^ yea, Plutarch
Vna Artax. mentioned their invocating Juno, Pluto and other Grecian Deities for the
health of his wife Atojfa, i. Eft her.
Scarce ten yards diftant from thefe, but upon the fame declivity or front of the
Mountain, in like fculpture is figured the Image of their grand Pagotha, a Damon of as
uncouth and ugly aihape as well could be imagined; and if reverenced by thofe wretches,
Jure it was not in love, but rather with a Ne noceat, bafe fear too often drawing da-
ftardly fpirits into vile fubjedion. It is of a gigantick fize or magnitude, ftanding as
upright as his deformed pofture will permit, difcovering a moft dreadful vifage 'twixt
Man and Beaft: Under his chin is a large maw or other thing like unto a fatchel; but
for what ufe, 'tis a queftion whether the Sculptor underftood it. This monfter has feven
feveral arms on either fide ( as if defcended from Briarem, ) and inftead of hands he
ftretches forth his vultures claws, his body being fomewhat diftorted. What the mean
ing of thefe feven arms fliould be, is hard to guefs: But according to my fancy, they
U 2 may