‘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’ [‎297] (318/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
297
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ther we had us'd filch diligence as was requifite in opening
them to the Sun and Wind 3 that they might give account there
of to the Council.
November the thirteenth. My Lord the Inquifitor came to
vifit nle j and difcours'd with me about an hour without the
Gate 5 for feeing we had no Licence of Prattick 3 it was not law- 4
full for me to give him fo much as a Chair out of my Houfe. He
promised me to fpeak to the Grand Mafter the fame day, and to
procure our expedition.
November the fixteenth. In the Morning before dayj three
of thefaid Gallies fet fail from Malta towards Licata, or A lie at a
in Sicily^ to fetch Corn ? whereof there was great penury. The
fourth Galley was (bold that it could go no more toSea 3 and
the new which were preparing at Malta^ Palermo, andNaples,
inftead of thofe that had been loft, were not yet finiftl'd. After
dinner^ the Commiffioners of Health return'd again to fee my
Goods, bringing with them a Phyfitian to view and make rela
tion of the Coffin wherein they underftood I carry'd the Body
ofsitti Maani 5 but becaufe the ball of Cotton yarn wherein it
was wraptwas not quite loofned for fear of fpoyling, though
I had open'd and air'd it, they not onely refus'd to give me
Prattick, but would not fuffer the Phyfitian to touch or view the
feid Coffin, and told me, I muft firft loofen and air the Cotton
yarn well, and then they would return to us another day to re-
folve about Prattick. After which they made many excules
to me for this ftrange treatment, alledging that the fubfiftence of
Malta depending upon other parts abroad, they werefore'd to
ufe the moft rigorous courfes in cafe of fulpition of Infedion 5
to the end Sicily and the other Countries, on which their fub
fiftence depended, might not deprive them of Prattick, as they
would eafily do, were it known that they proceeded otherwife,
and were too eafie in admitting fufpefted things which came
from the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. . Whereupon I knowing that they had reafon
for what they faid, caus'd the Cotton Ball to be wholly un
wound, as they defir'd, though I did not fo at firft, to avoid
Ipoyling it, and the hazard of not making it up again fo well as
before.
November the twentieth. The Grand Spedaliere, ("or Mafter
of the Hofpital) and two other Great Croftes <*ame accompany'd
with many people to give us another vifit 5 and after many pre
ambles, with majeftick words in praifeof their Order, and con
cerning the obfervance and refpedt juftly due to it from all,
upon the account of Malta 's being the Bulwark of the T erritories
otthe Catholick King and of all Chriftendome, he tell to blame
me, (though civilly J in the Name of the Grand Mafter, that I
had not at firft declar'd my having my Wife s Body with me,
(a very jealous thing, as they faid, in times of fufpitionj and
afk d me the reafon of it, I anfwer'd, that whirft I was yet
a Ship-board, I wasafk'd onely in general. What Goods I had ^
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