‘The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta. In which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described: In familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano. Whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe’s voyage into the East-Indies’ [‎138] (159/508)

XXV.
/Lu*.
7/
/ /?e travels of Peter Delia Valle,
fpeak to me about any thing, I would anfwer him. Hetoidme
that all Books were madejOnely that Men might by means there
of know God, and God being known, to what purpofe were
Books ? as if, he knew God very well. I rcply'd, that all
thought they knew God, but yet few knew him aright 5 and
therefore he (hould beware that himfelf were not one of thofe.
Nwewber thefeventeenth. By Letters brought from Barctlor
with News from Coa, wc heard that the Prince of England
gone incognito int©£fw« to accomplifti his Marriage with the
Infanta 5 and that his arrival being known, and the King having
feen him, preparations were making for his publick Reception.
That the Fleet was not yet arriv'd at Goa, except one Galeon^
and that the News from Or muz* was, that Ruy Frej/ra was landed
in that Ifland, and having entrench'd himfelf under the Fort
held the fame befteg'd with that fmall Armado he had with him:
Whence 'twas hop'd, that great fupplies being to be fent to him
from Goa, and the enmity of the Englifli ceafing in considerati
on of the Marriage between the two Crowns, and confequently,
their affiftance of the PerJtans^Ormuz would (hortly be recover'd*
and indeed, in refped: of the above-faid circumftances, I account
it no hard matter.
November the twentieth. In the Evening, either becauleit
was the next night after Monday, or that 'twas their weekly cu-
fiom, or perhaps , for (bme extraordinary folemnity, Tapers
were lighted up in all the Temples of Ikkert 5 a great noife was
made with Drums and Pipes, together with the Dancings of
the Minifters of fome 1 emples before the Gates, as is above
dekribed. . ; *
Wherefore I went to the great Temple, where, being the
principal, I thought to fee the greateft and moft folemn Ctre-
Tr nl€S * , ^ fter th€ were call,d to gether by the founding
o feverai Trumpets a good while without the Templej they be
gan to make theufual Proceffion within the Yard or Inclofure,
with many noifes of their barbarous inftruments, as they are
wont to do here every Evening.* Which after they had done as
ottenasthey pieas 3 d 9 they went forth into the ftreet, where
much people expeded them, carrying two Idols in Proceflion,
-^15 one T ^hino, one at each end, fmall, andfodeck'd
with Howers and other Ornaments , that I could fcarceknow
^ at } ^ were ' Yet, I think , that in the back-end was
> c 0 Wh T the Tem P le is dedicated 5 and the other
u or ^ incother Wifeofhis. Firft march'd the Trumpets,
follwM r inftni ™ ms of diver s forts, continually founding ^then
Torches a long train of Dancing-
women, two and two, bare-headed, in their dancing drefs, and
came thT'p 7*1 0rn fT1 Gold and J eWcls - After their,
manvT iv a * * 85 which werecarryed
W1 i Streamers,and many Umbrella's
w ith filken tufts and fringes round about, more ftately
then