'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.' [‎164] (185/448)

i Sq. Spaham.
through a ftone courfe or channel fix foot deep and as many broad, which after a plea-
fant murmur drills into this Tank, whence it isfuckt out by fubterranean pafTages and
diftributed into private Houfes and Gardens for ufe and refrelhment. Within the My„
dan the Shops be uniform, Trades ufually having their Shops together: of which, fome
be Mercers, Lapidaries fome, and (not the feweft) fuch as fell Gums* Drugs and Spi
ces ; fhewing alio greater variety of Simples and Ingredients of Medicines than ever I
faw together in any one City of Europe ^ and fuch as may give encouragement to Phytic
dans both to view and judge both of their nature and quality, as well as temperature of
the climes they come from, which fuch as are ignorant cannot diftinguifh. And indeed
the Drugs and Spices here fo perfumed the place, that it made me fmce give the better
credit to that Monoltick of an old Poet,
Auras madentes Perficorum aromaturu. We fuckjd the aromaticJ^air of Perfia.
Other Mofques ( here called Dear and Zma Jare orbicular for fhape, and part thereof
have large cupolo's for fight, but low and indifferently pleafant; a great part being-
open to the air i and fome have their j4lcorana's>high flender round Steeples or Towers,
moft of which are terraffed near the top like the Standard in Cheap-fide but thrice the
height, for the better conveniency of the Boys at the accuftomed hours to fing aloud, in
and for placing lights at the'Ceraghan or Feaft of Lights, which is annual. The mate^
rials of thefe are Sun-burnt bricks, varnifhed on the outfide and beautified
with painted knots and fancies: Few are without their Tanks or Cifterns of water wherein
Muffulmen wafh their hands, arms and eys,having formerly bathed their face, ears,breaft
and feet, as an operative work to purge away fin, if not to confer Holinefs: The Maho*
metans herein imitating the Ethmque Romans> who at the entrance into their Temples had
Tanks or like places to wafli in*, Delubra they called them. Deluhrum ejfe locum ante
Templum uhi aqua cur rebate a diluendo ditium-, faith Seruim. The Female lex during wor-
Ihip ufe to approach no nearer than the door of the Mefquit.
Hummums in this City be many and beautiful; fome are four-lquare, butmoft beglo-
bous. The ftone of which they are built is for the moil part white, and well polifhed-
the windows large without, crolfed and inwardly made narrow: the glafs (where glafs
is) is thick annealed and dark, the top or outfide covering round, and tyl'd with a
counterfeit Turquoife, which is perfect blew, very beautiful and lafting. The infides of
thefe Hot-houfes are divided into many cells and concamerations, fome being for de
light, ot-hers for fweating in, all for ufe: For the truth is. Bathing with thefe is ( as it
was with the Greeks and Romans) no lefs familiar than eating and drinking j yet the ex
cels doubtlefs weakens the Body, by making it foft and delicate, and fubjed to colds.
Howbeit, they may better there ufe it than we in Europe, by reafon that they drink wa
ter, eat much Rice, Pelo and like food of eafie digeltion, which makes their Bodies
folid and hard, fo as little fear is that Bathing will make them froathy: befides their
much fitting and little exercife makes them fweat lefs and need more bathing. Thefe
Bathes are of pure ftone, paved with black and checquered Marble : Men frequent them
commonly in the morning. Women towards night: the price for bathing is veryfmall
but fo much ufed as makes the gain the more abundant: 'Tis accounted a Catholic on a~
gainft moft difeafes, efpecially colds, catarrhs, phlegm, achs, agues. Lues Venerea and
what not. The Womens being there is known by a linnen-cloth ufually difplayed afore
the door, which ferves to forbid Men any approach during the time they ftay there
The City is built upon a level ground, and of oval form having many Streets' and
fcarce any Houfe but is accommodated with large Gardens full of Cyprefs trees ' The
City wall is of no force againft Cannon \ but of life againft Horfe, and ftiock of any
Lance: fome Parapets and Bulwarks it has of more ornament than ufe^ the VerCian ma
gnanimity ever choofing to die rather than be befieged. It has a dozen PortrelFes or
Gates; of which, four are lately Ihut up: Gouidefi, Chaly, Mergh, and Cherbaurk which
are lately made the entrance into a Royal Garden: the other eight are Ha^ena-bauh
which opens towards Shyraz. and the Gulph*, De-crideft to Babylon and Ardaveil • Tock-
zy or Tebnz.-abaut to Cafian, Coom^ Casbyn and Tabryz, *, Kerroen to Tend and Cawr eft an,
Lamboen to Hamadan s Sheydack^, Madayan, to Candahor and India ; Tovpbara and
JJalvcaet. , .
^ ere l are l7 few: ^ K ' n g s Hpufe is in the My dan-, that alfo where we lodged
Ju / I- r ^7 nS ' msde ready for our AmbalTadour Coma Meloeymhev, Mir-
\ Tamaf-ccoUheg, and Haram Begma were all I law worth the remembring The
15 Iow bu,lt ' Pargetted and painted without, but gilt within and fpread Car-