'A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters. Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672. And Finished 1681. Containing Observations made of the Moral, Natural, and Artificial Estate of Those Countries: Namely, of their Government, Religion, Laws, Customs. Of the Soil, Climates, Seasons, Health, Diseases. Of the Animals, Vegetables, Minerals, Jewels. Of their Housing, Cloathing, Manufactures, Trades, Commodities. And of the Coins, Weights, and Measures, Used in the Principal Places of Trade in Those Parts.' [‎252] (299/506)

II IftUffTT—^
~*r r
252
Travel* into PERSIA.
Letter V.
A RamVhead
the Arms of
Perfta,
Nutrit'ubi implumes peregrina Ciconia fat us.
Ad nidos ahies confita primo fuit.
Which may ferve to contradict the received Opinion, of Storks
abiding only where Commonwealths are ; this always having been
an Empire, and at this time is the mod Abfolute in all the Earth.
Beyond thefe, many Pieces and Scraps of Antiquity offer us a
View, and great CoUJfus's fupporting vaft Giants, as if they had
been Yeomen of the Guard in the Anti-room to the Prefence-Cham-
ber, which was Eighty Foot Square, where on the Fragments of
Walls {landing, and over the Porticoes efpecially, were moftcuri-
oufly cut out of delicate White Shining Marble, Men in Military
Habit, like the Old Grecian Phalanx (if there be leave for Con-
jedhire) encompafling a Monarch reprefented fitting on his Throne,
with a Moving Canopy, fuch as the Eaflern Kings have carried over
them : On other parts Bucephalus, or if that pleafe not, fome Per-
fian Steed priding himfelf to carry an Emperor, or fome Demi-god.
Becaufe neither Quintus Curtius , nor after him Plutarch y mention
the reedifying this Palace either by Alexander or any of his Cap
tains , yet I cannot let it pafs without this Remark, That they are
habited more like the Ancient Grecians, than Ferfians now are; be-
fides, the Hair of their Heads is hanging down, and not tied up,
which is different from the Modern Fafhion of this Country.
In this Apartment Eight Doors feem to anfwer each other, Two
on each fide of every Square; which Conformity is attended with
extraordinary Elegance and Workmanfhip; the Roof feems never to
have had any intervening Pillars, and whether the Beams were of
Cedar, it is not fo fortunate as to have a Voucher of its own Nation.
Many other Parts declared Coft and Pains enough, but nothing
more worthy Study than the Characters fairly imprefled and engra
ven, which would unfold the Truth of the Founders of this Build
ing, t were they as Intelligible as Legible; for they remain like the
Hand-writing on the Wall {Mene Tekel}, till fome Divine Expo-
fitor interpret them; yet I muft needs fay, many of the Charaders
may be found in the Greek Alphabet.
I his vafl Fabrick is made bigger, by being joined to a great
Mountain, out of whofe Entrails were worn, rather than digged,
Noble Caverns with Stately Sculptures, and wide Ponds of living
Water conftantly diftilling from the Marble Rocks, either for bath
ing or neceflary ufes: It is an admirable Piece, overlooking all the
Piain, where we took this day's Repaft, and over Head faw the
Corniih of the Frontifpiece embellifhed with the Royal Arms of the
Verfun Emperor, immediately on the Union of the Medes and ?tr-
pans into one Empire, whicliwas a Ram's Head delineated as far as
the Cheft.
In the Afternoon we faw another of the f^bne Make, anfwering
the other part of the Palace, and underneath on the Plain took no
tice of Two Pillars at a fit diftance, the one for the Goal, and the
other for the Starting-place, ot their Courfers when they run Races.
Having thus finiihed our Perambulation, we dcfcended on the con
trary