‘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’ [‎171] (192/508)

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ill this day tor the Queens fending, but in vain- In the mean
"while not to lofe time, I went to fee a Temple at theendof f
the Town, {landing on a high place, and afcended tobyfome
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few ill-favour d ftairs ^ they told me it was dedicated to Naraim, Q}
vet very ill builtjike the reft of the Edifices., being covered with
Palm-leavs for the roof 5 and 5 in (hort, fuch as faited with .
fuch a Town. Then defending down the ftreet, which leads to /
the neighbouring River, I faw likewife upon another Hill a little
fquareChappel, which inftead of walls was inclofed with pales
of wood, and cover'd with a roof. My Interpreter told me,
it was built by this Queen., and that there was in it an Idol
dedicated to the Devil, to whom out of their fear of him, that
he may do them no evil, thefe wretched people do reverence.
I hearing ofa thing fo ftrange, though not new to my ears, faid,
I would go fee it, that I might affirm with truth I had with my
own eyes feen the Devil worihip'd. The Brachman, my Inter
preter, diiTwaded me as much as .he could, alledging that many
Devils dwelt in that place, and might dome fome mifchief.
I told him, that I was not afraid of the Devil, who had no
power over me, that himfelf needed to fear him as little as 15
and therefore I defired him to go along with me cheerfully.
When he faw me refolute, he accompanyed me to the foot of the
Hill, and fhew'd me the way > but it was not pofiible for me to
get him further : he remained at a diftance, and faid he would
by no means approach near that place, for he was afraid of the
Devil. Wherefore I went forward alone, and faid , If that
Caitif the Devil could do anything, let him hurt me: for I was
his Enemy, and did not value him ^ and that if he did not , it
was a fign he had no power. Speaking thus, and invoking
the Name of Jefus, ("at which Heaven, Earth, and Hell ought
to bow the knee) I mounted up the Hill, and being come to the
Chappel, and finding no body there, I opened the door and went
in. I faw the Idol ftanding in the middle upon the plain ground,
made of white unpolifh'd flone, exceeding a humane ftature,
and not of that (hape as we paint the Devil, but like a hand-
fome Young Man, with a high round Diadem upon his Head af
ter their falhion. From each Arm ifl'u'd two Hands, one of /
which was ftretch'd out, the other bended to the body. In the an
terior right Handle had a kind of weapon, which, I believe, was
one of thofe Indian Ponyards df this form (ii| :===-) ot which
t keep one by me: In the Interior left Hand he had a round
thing, which I know not what it was, and in the other two
Hands, I cannot tell what. Between the Legs was another Sta
tue of a naked Man with a long beard, and his Hands upon the
ground, as if he had been going upon them like Animals 5 and
upon this image the Devil feem'd to ride. On the right Hand of
the Idol was a great trunk ofa Tree, dead but adhering to the
root, low, and feeming to be the remains of a great Tree that
ha^d grown there. I imagine that this Tree was the habitation ot
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