‘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’ [‎161] (182/508)

ls ^fflethini,
w «wtapt Bpi.
le me
ftandi
'^covermyfe
tofuper-aboii
overt: But i
njoythe privl
^ did me, as!
d me nothing, i
iind: Yet to I
mders, after II
^fo talk'd as I
vj\\o at
'aids me, altk
•bew. Healk'J
had done^ Wk
ough?WhatPi
Country up^
: done thus a
er accidents ?l!i
)tl\er ^ and up:
down truftiogi
od ? I anfwei'i)
: Creator oftk.
"efent, fi
nt of God 5 m
Moors preteodK
ittks of the Co®
lecaufe that
rom
\ArSi) orp e '
U-Sci'dd^
•rftan T ob J *'
efs then tW
nore iow®',
comniunicf;
. f e veral 'n
alK
jnt.'Ji
ot«' l ' cffilJ
001
Into the EAS 1-IiSiDIES.
for Shirsthefe Woods abounding with very goodly Trees.l told
him, 1 was lorry I had nothing worthy to prdent to him ? that in
171V Country there wanted not gallant things for his Highnels;
biit it being fo many years fincemy deparnire thence, and
Travels fotnr, 1 had nothing left as I defir'd yet, as a memo
rial of my fervice , I ihould venture to give him a fmall tnHe of
my Country: Whereupon I "UsM my Interpreter, (who car
ried it) to offer him a little Map of the World, which I had
brought with me out of telling him what it was, and how
all the Countries, Lands,Seas, and lllands ofthe world were exaft-
jy delineated in it, with their Names fet to each place in our
Tonzue, and all that was neceflary to make him underftand
what it was. The King was hugely pleas d with it, and defir d
to fee feveral Countries, where they lay, and how great they
were, alking me fundry qaeftions about themi but being he
vnderftood not our Letters written therein, he frnsfid him-
felf with the fight onely ,and with (hewing it tc all the by-ltanderg
as a curious and ingenious pi .ce ot Art. Then he afk d me, whe
ther I could eat in their Houfes, or of their meats i for he <ldir d
to give me fomething to eac : I anfwer'd that I could, and that
the purity of our Religion confifled not in the eating or touch
ing of things, but in doing good works. He eatnefHy defir a
me that I would ftay a while till fome meat wereprepar d tor
me', for by all means he would have me eat fomething in his
Houfe, and himfelf fee me eating. I told him, that if his inten
tion were onely to give me meat, the time was already pa t,
nor wis 1 difpos'd to eat; but if it were to fee me eat, I could
not eat in that place after the fathion of my Country, not having
there the preparations neceflary thereunto, fo that his Highnels
fcould not fee what,perhaps,he d fir'd 5 and therefore I befeech d
him to excufe me: Neverthelefs he was fo urgent,for it, that,
not to appear difcourteous, I confented to obey him. And, till
the meat' came, the King commanded fome of his Servants to
conduft me to fit down by them in the Porch, where I might lit
after our manner, but not in the King s fight.
Hereupon I with-drew with fome of his Men to entertain me^
and in the mean time the King remain'd talking with the reit
of them concerning me, commending me much for leveral
things, but above all, for a good prefence, for (peaking truly
anddifcreetly, like a Gentleman, and for my civil deportment.
B it before 1 proceed further, I will here prefent you with a
tough and unmeafur'd draught of the King s Hou e, anc t e
place wherein he was; fo far as may fuffice for the better under-
ftanding of what is already Ipoken, and is to follow alter.
m
isil