'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.' [‎344] (367/448)

If omen burn vpith thei
and invites them too much to eafbjthe mother of Luxury: A fmall thin but fine Shuddery
or Veil of Lawn they draw afore their fecret parts •, their head has a fmall wreath about
it *, the reft being expofed to view and all forts of weather. They want no gold,ftonesof
value, nor fach things as the Merchant covets *, for but few years fince they prized them
little better than we do trifles. Here any Religion is tolerable^ and Omnigmum^
Deum Monfira feems tranflated hither. But the manner of their Marriages is extraordi
nary; For many times the Prieft with a Cow, and the Man and Woman go together to the
Water fide*, where the Bramyn firft mutters a fhort prayer, and then links their hands
about the Cows tail, pours upon them all his hallowed Oyl 5 and laftly forces the beaft in
to the River, whereinto fhe goes willingly fo far as till they be to the middle in Water •
neither returns fhe nor do they dif-unite till the waves advife them: when being onfhore
they untie, and hold that myfterious tie forcible and facred ever after. Mr. Fitch the Mer
chant in his travels through thefe parts makes the like obfervation. The Heathen are a-
verfe to Law, and alfo to Morality ^ as if in a malignant fort they refilled the very liberty
of Nature for their prefervation, as Pint, in Me x and. —-—- Et quod Nat my a remit tit In-
vida jura negant; as alfo may be obferved by Dendamys the Indian expoftulating with
Alexander againft Pythagoras. Suitable to which the People upon this allow the Ban-
nyans Wives the liberty to burn with their dead Husbands: So that Death having cut
in two their Union, the relid conceits her felf a loathed Carcafs; and refolving to
make her felf an Holocauft, robes her Body with a tranfparent Lawn *, her arms, legs and
thighs alfo are fettered with chains cxpreffing love ; but her ears, nofe and fingers are ad
orned with Pearl and precious Stones: with one hand fhe holds a Nofe-gay of flowers, in
the other a ball both which are emblemes of Paradife. She is attended with a great nura-
ber 5 fome accompanying her for love, others for civility, but moft for her encouragement
and honour of the Ceremony: the Prieft all the way fhe goes defcribes the joys fhe is to
poflefs, and theaffurance the has to enjoy her Husband fpeedily m Elyuum: fhe returns a
modeft fmile,trips on,chawing fomething in her mouth that intoxicates her brain,and upon
fight of the flame feems tranfported with fatisfadcion. So foon as fhe fees the Cafcais of
her Husband laid upon a pile and the fire burn, like a mad Lover fhe whirls about the pit,
and having bid Farewel to Parents, Children, and Friends, Iwjlingly incorporates with
the fire; which quickly makes them one in allies: Mufick of fundry forts, and acclama
tions of Spedators yell aloud at the fame inftant, both for the greater honour of the Ob-
fequy, and that the fcrieches of the poor Wretch may not be heard,whereby others may be
dilcouraged. it feems the Roman Poets, though at a great diftance, had fome profpedl of it,
by this funeral Song they have warbled out in their memorial:
They flrive to die, and who heft freed fiiall make \
They blujhj grim Death fo Jlowly to o 7 retake.
The Conquerors burn-, their hreaftsyield to the fire,
And to their Husbands their burnt lifs afpire,
a a l , lbe ; t . rome Wo men 0 f this perfwafion living under a Mahometan Prince being
aeniea this liberty to burn their Bodies with their Husbands Corps, have been known of
, ate years to make themfelves away, yet others more wife and lels valuing a place in
tne Catalogue of thofe fiery Zealots, do refufe to burn: but in fuch cafes, by way of igno-
miny they are commanded to fhaye their heads, an^to fequefter themfelyes from company *,
w icn is a puniihment. Howbeit, this cuftom of burning is much more ancient with Men
amonglt the Braemans of thofe parts than with the other Sex: for with the later it catrte
notinpraftice until ftveral of their Husbands were made away by poyfon, which their
laicivious Wives would frequently adminifter upon giving them diftafte, or other fleight
r a V0 A at i 01 ! *' prevention whereof, this Draco's Law was devifed and enjoin'd the Re-
i though in its inflitution it feem'd fevere, it was to deter them from that wicked
pracuce, which long cuftom hath made familiar and reputable. We find it fo recorded
Dy bt. Hierome lib. i. ad jovinian. and v£lian in his Far. Hifl.lib. 7. c. 8. But amongft Men
muc more old, as 1 might inftance from feveral Authorities and Examples: one of which
may ^ e tnator Mandanis the Gymnofoyhift, who as Strabo I. 1 ^. reports, was courted by Ale-
x™ w the Great to ^ccept of a rich prefent he made the Philofopher •, but contemning it
c.n 11s glory, it (at leaft feemingly) fo incenfed the King,that the Brarman for his arrogance
" t.7;^ COn i r 1 ? at ^ : a ?4 ^ e i n S t 0 ^ he might be pardoned fo he would but defire it,
. 1 no /^ s ^orofity anfwer d,He would indeed petition Alexander,1101 for Life,but liberty
^ ai n h^uelf- •, giving this reafbn^hat death was in no wife terrible where 'tis only an in-
ceilenu^ditSn ^ ^ 4 xcaan ^ e P^ifhing flefh expeding a more durable and ex-
Befides
Et cemmen habent kthi, quje viva fecjuatur
conjugium •, pudor eft non Ikuifle mori.
Ardent viftrices,j& prasbent peftora flammae 5
imponuntqi fuis ora pcrufta viris.