'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.' [‎293] (340/506)

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NoblemCi
Travels into PERSIA.
93
them at their own Charge and Advantage; whereby they were Chap, VH,
more Coftly and Neat,,broad enough for two Coaches to pais
abreaft, though this City is unacquainted with thofe Carriages ; nor
indeed would they be convenient, by reafon of the Narrow Streets
within, and Mountains without.
Thefe brought us a long way to the River-fide, adorned with A Third
Dwellings of their Great Men, over which, to the Cbriftian Town, Brid g e '
lay another Bridge, inferior neither for Length, or Elegancy of
Structure, to either of the former two, but much later built. At
the Foot of it is a large Coppice of Willows, reaching a great way
by the Water-fide; here the Jelf alines met us with their ufual Noife
of loud Mufick, and led us diredbly up to a Mountain, where the
Emperors have digged a Grotto overlooking all the City, at their
Retirements hither Ihading them from the Sun's Violence : This is
fabled to be alfo Throne, as we remarked before in Duccan ;
others pretend it was projed:ed by Darius, but for what end, unlefs
for a Profped: of this large place hid in a Wood, I cannot guefs.
Hence in two days we compailed the two Cities of IfpaJoaun and We were two
Jelfa, taking more Ground by far than London and Soutbwark with days encom-
their Suburbs, but then the moft part is filled with Gardens; how- ^ nfi ^
ever I believe them not to be fo populous: Yet the Frenchmen here
avouch, Tnat more Melons, Cucumbers, and other Horary Fruits
are confumed in this Place in a Month, than in Italy, France^ and
Spain, in half a Year, eftimating by Balance of Six thoufand Afs or
Mules Loads of them expended every day: For though they have
good Butchers Meat and Poultry, their chiefeft Diet is on Fruit; anft
if fuch vafl Quantities be brought out of the Country daily, befides
what may be planted within their own Walls, it may be concluded
fome Thoufands of Inhabitants contribute to the devouring of them;
though it muft not be credited what is fpoken hyperbolically by thefe
Citizens, That it is the biggeft City in the World, and therefore by
way of Excellency called, The World.
It is not fenced by Walls, nor has it more than one ftrong Tower
with Mud Walls, fitter for Butts for Bows and Arrows, than to re-
pulfe a Cannon-Bullet; only ferviceble at prefent to be the Exche
quer of the Emperor, where are laid up great Treafures, the prefent
Sophi being an intolerable Hoarder, beneath the Majefty of fo migh
ty a Prince, repining even at mean Expences.
But leaving him to his Covetous Humour , it remains only to changes of
take notice of the Seafon at the end of this Month, inafmuch as the Weather,
Bodies undergo herein the Autumnal Changes, which afflids them
with Pleurifies, Catarrhs, Hoarfenefs, Conlumptions, Coughs, Ma«
lignant, Putrid, Intermitting, as alfo continued Fevers, under this
Fifth Climate: To which the Aphorifm of the Medical Divine has
regard, when it fays, $ ooc&y j Difpicere
oportet regionem,tempus, &c. The Regions and Seafons of the Year
ought to be enquired into; for the Alterations and Deviations from
the ufual Seafons are chiefly produdive of Difeafes; for from Hot
and Dry, the Air now paffes into Cold and Dry, and at lad into
Moift; for which reafon the Perfians begin now to put on their
Furrs j and the Sky, which hitherto had been clear except a little
as