‘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’ [‎323] (344/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
all my Relations. I defcended my felf into the Tomb, to
gether with Sig ra Maria who was willing likewife to pay this laft
Office^ and with help of the Fryers and Sextons plac'd it there
with my own hands. After which, caufing the Vault to be
clos'd up 5 I took leave of the Fry ers;, giving them fome Alms of
Money and Torches, Befides the perfom above-mention'dj
there were prefent at this adion, Maddnna Gmlia Vogli a Bolon-
ncfe 3 fervant to Sig: Lanra y Eugenia the Indian Maid, Michel
an Indian martj Ibrahim Ahdifciva a Sy nan y Cio: Robe ha Chal
dean, with others of my fervants and familiars 5 befides the
F. Guardian. This laft Office of Piety which remain d 5 I have
pay'd to the mortal reliques of my dear Gdnfort ^N Mrnni ^
yet it is not the lafl: that I perform to her better and immortal
part, which I accompany with fuffrages ^ neither have I aban
don a thofe in the Tomb, but depoftted them 3 intending Cwhen
it (hall pleafe God) to leave my own afhes lay'd in the fame place a
and to rife again with her.
Now from this meditation of death, let us pafs (Sig; Mario)
to a Remarkable, which occurrs to me of a very long life.
^nly the feven and twentieth. Being the Feaft of S» V ant ale o,
in the Church of the Fathers Delia Scnole Pie 9 I went to fee
F. Gajpare DragOnetti, who hath liv'd in the faid Schools ever
fince the year i6oo 3 and although now a hundred and fifteen years
old and more, (as appears by the Dimifrory 5 Lettcrs at his Ordina^
tion, and the writings of a Canoofhip which he hath had ever
fince the fame was conferrd Upon him, whiah was in the year
1530 or 1531, and were feen when he entred into the pious
Schools) neverthelefs is found and lufty, and not onely fees
without Spedtacles, arid hath his Teeth good, but labors daily
in teaching Children the Grammar in thofe Schools 5 which
profeffion he told he, he hath exercis'd publickly above fixty
years, and before the Jefuits begat!tfe fame in 5 who, he
(aith, when they came firft to he remembers liv'dinave-
ry mean and fmall Houfc, and fent their novices to learn Gram*
mar in his School. Before he read Grammar at he had
read it many years in Sicily in the City of Lenoni b where he was
born 3 his Father being of Calabria, and having retir'd thither!
know not upon what occafion. In Sicily, he told me, he re*
member'd Giovanni de Vega, who was the firft Vice-Roy under
Charles V 3 and he very well remember'd the firft time that the
Turks upon the follicitation ofFr^r^r the Kingcame tg
inteft thofe Coafts: Moreover , he remember'd when Tripoli
was loft , long before the lofs of Goletta and Tunis ^ with feveral
other things fufficiently ancient for the age of one man. The
Grammar which he had alwayes read , and ftill reads to his
Scholars, is that of NebrijJenjts, which he approves for the beft
of all 5 and by his Difcourle with me about Grammatical
Points, he feems to me exactly (kill'd therein. He told me, he
Tt 2 had
r tVi
.i
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