'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎330] (353/448)

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trees ever-fruitful and verdant: In center of that Elyiium is a Tree higher than all the
Mountains of the World were they heaped one upon another •, fo broad, that Paradife
becomes delightfully fhaded by' it. The trunk of this Tree is of Diamond, the leaves of
Gold, and the boughs of Jet; each leaf is wrought into an antique lhapc •, in this moll;
admirable, for that on one fide in letters of light are the Name of God, on the rever^
the Name of Mahomet. From feveral quarters 4 Streams gufti out of pureft Water,Milk,
Coho and Honey *, thefe empty themfelves into Mchanzar^ whence this mixture of Ne
penthe flows into other parts of Paradife. Aromatic flowers are there in abundance, fuch
as ravifh both eye and fmell: Aieiry Chorifters, the meaneft of which as fer excel our
Nightingales as they do Ravens. The air is a compound of fenfe-ravifhing odours. Maho
metans there(for Chrifliansjem^ov Gentiles have not fuch glory)are ever young and fpright-
full, a hundred times bigger and more frolick than ever was Mahomet. The Women are fe
vered from the Men ; not that they are kept from them (for Gabriel is never abfent or
averfe to let them in) but that by fuch a fcreen they may become more ardently amorous
and afFeded to their Damozella's, who have fuch vifages as fair Ayfcehzd (Mahomet's belt
beloved O their hairs being threads of gold, their eyes Diamonds as big as the Moon:
their lips refemble Cherries, their teeth Pearrl, their tongues Rubies, their cheeks Corral,
their nofes Jafper, their fore-heads Saphire: round-fae'd, courteous and merciful. In
this Paradife is (fay they) a Table of Diamond, feven hundred thoufand dayes journey
long*, about which are Chairs of gold and Pearl, for ufe and ornament.
The Males are to be of Mahomet's favour and complexion fuch as their Prophet had
when Gabriel mounted him towards Heaven: none but will be much brighter than the
Sun, with fuch eyes, eye-brows and ears as are fcarce credible. To conclude, Gabriel
the Porter of Paradife has feventy thoufand Keyes which pertain to his Office, every Key
being feven thoufand miles long •, by which you may imagine the Doors are no Pygmie
ones. In a word, 'tis no lefs ingenious than the reft that Mahomet confefled he writ three
parts of four. Untruths in this his Legend or Romance rather: To confute them would
then be a labour needlefs, though Melanfthon hath done it *, fo that I may well fay as Se~
neca did to Lucilim, Non njaco fltifquam ad tant as inertias. For indeed Perjididm eorum re-
citajfe, fuperajfe eft.
Such are the fanatick Dogmata of the Ale or an > credited by molt Afiafichsy whofe
Difciples are of above feventy forts of Orders or Degrees: fome of which with heed I
have obferved \ and here (as the cover of their Legend) ftiut up, ranking them in an AI-
phabetkkway, left I fhould any way injure their feniorities.
Abdalli, Alamheli-, Alfaqui, Alfwcani, Anefii, Afaphii, Bedvini, Benefiani, Bofarmam,
Buani. Caddi, Cadalefchi, Calyfhi, Calfiy Choggi, Cobtiniy Cumerati. Dephtardarii, Derti-
ijfty Dervi/lari, Dmmi. E'dhemi, Emeri, Emavcm-^eddi. FylallLkadri, Herewij Hod-
geij Hugiemali. Imamu Kalenderi. Levari. Malahedi, Melichi, Mendee, Morabitt, M ot-
rabouri] Mudreeffi, Mufti, Mulai, Mulevei, Muezjini, Mufladini, Mutevelii, Muzjtlmanni.
Naappi, Nimerulahi, Ozjnannu Papajfi. Ramdani. Santoni, Seriphi, Shahi } Sophini, Sunni,
Syetti. Talifmami, Tecknai, Torlaceni, Torlaqui. Zaidi, Zophilari^&c. whofe Tenets how
ridiculous foever they be, yet are fo efteem'd of here, that in their defenfe they will be
come Martyrs. But Saint Auguflin's definition is true. That Caufa non poefiafacit Marty-
rem. And 'tis well obferved, That thefe falfe Teachers are fo ravifhed and tranfported
when they have found thac they have a dominion and foveraignty over the Faith and
Confciences of Men, as no perfecution nor torture can ever make them to relinquifh it.
Now fince this blafphemous Anthropomorphite perfwadeshisSedariesThatathis Afcent
into Heaven the Almighty touched him with his hand, it feems he was ignorant That God
is infinite as well as Eternal, and without any compofition: fo as that Tenet of his is an
Errour againft the very ElFence of God. Maledittus eft ( fayes Auguftin) qui Deitatem ad
Homlnis line amenta refert. Deus enim non eft humana forma particeps, neq, corpus humanum
Divina. Yea, Trifmegiftm could fay, Anima eft imago Mentis, Mens imago Dei, Deus enim
menti praeft, mens anima, corpori anima: The Soul is the image of the Underftanding, Un-
derftanding is the image of God; God rules over the Underftanding, Underftanding.
over the Soul, as the Soul doth over the Body.
Their Rules are various. The Mufti is chief in hearing and deciding cafes of errour:
which if he fail in, the Meccan Protomift determines. The Caddi- Cadalejhi and Muftaedeni
are next m Ecclefiaftick Dignity. The Hodgei, Emeri and Mulai the firft are Exp oil-
tors, the'other Mendicants, eating their bread in idlenels. The Fylalli converfe moft.
The Deruiffi are wandring Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing: '(Deruftei Oratores Petifici are men
tioned by Herodom lib, 9.) The Talifmanni regard the hours of prayer, by turning the four-
hour'd glafs. The Muyeuni cry from the tops of Mofques, battologizing Llala-HyMa.