'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎29] (62/1024)

Chap. VI. of Mordieur Tavernier.
. " ' .'f-' . !■!*■■■ Ml
get into this Court, efpecially fuchwhofe Habits and Afpe£l they do not Iike r :
But as I cloth’d and carry'd my felf, I never was deny’d entrance into anyplace ei
ther in Terfia or India.
In this hrft Court on the left hand as you enter, are little Chambers, where they
that receive the Alms, which by the Foundation of the Mofquee arc to be diftri-
buted every day, come and eat their proportion, and then go their ways. Thofe
Chambers ferve as an ftifylum to thofe that cannot pay their Debts, as at the Mofqne?
of *Ardeiiil. Neither are thefe Priviledg’d places like ours, where they that retire
muft live at their own Charge: For in Perfia they are fed at the expence of the
Mofquce *, and being in that manner freed from Care, their Friends more eafdy bring
their Creditors to Compofition,
Out of the finl: Court you pafs into a fecond, which is larger, and all pav’d ‘ and
from that into a third, which is fquare, and rais’d like a Terrafs. You enter into it
through a large Gate, at the end of an open PafTage, where (land the Lodging of
the Ado hH alos.
Out of that Court by an afcent of Brickwork of ten or twelve Steps, you enter
into a fair Court, which is alfo rais’d like a Terrafs; in the midft whereof is a fair
Fountain. It is continually fill’d by little Pipes of Water which run into it, and is
empty’d by others that carry the Water into feveral parts of the whole Endofurc.
There are fome Buildings in this Court, but one of the Tides of it is taken up with
the Front of the Mofqaee-, wdiich is no difpleafing Stru&ure. There are three large
Gates belong to it, very well expanded, according to the mode of the Country*
with a Brick-wall before, about the height of a Man, with Holes in it for Light’
madelikeaLozange. The Threfhold of the middle Gate is cover’d with a plate
of Silver 5 and between thefe three Gates and that of the c Duomo are feveral
Do&ors that hold Books in their hands, and read perpetually.
This M&fquee is Oaagonal, and at every angle is a fmall wooden Door of Walnut-
tree, varnifh'd with grey and yellow. The Tomb of Sidi.Fatima is at the farther
part of the CMofqiiee, there being only room for one Man to pafs between the Wail
and the Tomb. It is encompafs’d with a large Silver Grate, fixteen Foot fquare*
the Bars whereof are round, and knob’d in thofe places where they crofs each other *
it is lighted by feveral Lamps of Gold and Silver: which altogether is very pfeafing
to the Eye. The infide of the Mo/quee, to the elevation of the Angles that fupport
the DuomO) is compos’d of fquare Tiles varnififd over with divers Colours *, and
the Cuyola of the Duomo^ as alfo the Vault of the Portico of the Mofquee^ is a Morefco
piece of Painting in Or and Azure. Upon each fide of the Mofquee, and near the fide
where the Tomb of Sidi-Fatima (lands, appears a great Hall, where the Royal Alms
are diftributed to the Poor, which confiftof Pilaw and other diet, very well dreft
From this Tomb you turn to the left hand toward an Afcent, diftant five and twenty
or thirty Paces; and at the top !of this Afcent is a Door, over which there is an In-
fcription in Honour of Sha-Aba* the Second. The Door being open’d, (hews you
the place where the Body of that King repofes: and through another Door with
a Grate in it, you may difcover, under a fmall Buomo, the Tomb of Sha-Sefi his
Father; which is cover’d with a Carpet of Cloth of Gold. They were conti
nualiy at work upon the Tomb of Sha-Abas, which they laid, they woold make
very famous. 3
I had not been two hours in Kom y but a multitude of People ran by the Inn Gate
all in extraordinary haft. Asking what the matter was, they anfwer’d me, that
it had been a day long defign’d for the two Prophets to fight. Therenpon I went
was crow ^ e ^> that I had much ado to get to fee. In the
fiift place a fuffiaent number of Tumblers and Puppet players, divided into two
Bands, kept the middle ol the Piazza, and made a fugicient Ring for the Combat.
Each Band held a Bull by the Horns, one of which they call’d Mahomet, and
the other Haiy : and whether it were by accident, or by the cunning of the Buif-
Mafters, after an obftinate Combat, wherein the Beads foam’d again with heat
and rage \ Mahomet at length quit the Field, and yielded Haly the Viaory. Then
all the People (houted for joy, and ail the Piazza was fill’d with the noife of
Mutes and Ha ytboys *, and every one coming as if it were t® adore Haly, cry’d out
, Wor k* of fjod, that Haly hat made! At length they bring the Bull
Haly unaer a Gate, with his Head turn’d toward the People *, where after they