'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎93] (764/1024)

Cities of Indoftan.
Thcfe Fathers affirm further, that,he being upon the point of death, comm anded
that they (hould be called to make him a Chriffian, but that then they were not maH ^
acquainted with it. Many fay, that this is not fo, and that he died as he had live/
without any Religion, and in the deOgn he had, as well as his Father EtW tofet
himfelfup for a Prophet, and to become the Head of a particular Religion of his own
compofure. However it be, there is another thing I have learned of a Mahumetan
that wasSon to an Officer of Jehan-Gum ? namely, that this King beibg one dav
in a debauche, called to him a certain Religious man of Florence^ whom he called Fa
ther Jtecb, as being a little fiery man } and after he had commanded him to fay all he
could againji the Law of Mahumet, and/fir the Law of Chrift, in the prefence of ma
ny knowing Mullahs, he would have made this terrible tryal of both thofe Laws viz
That a great Pit fhould be made, and a good Fire in it, and that Father with the
Gofpel under his arm, andoneof thofe Mullah with the Alcoran under his, ffiould caft
themfelves both together into that fire, and that he would embrace the Law of him
that ffiould not burn. But that the fad countenance of the Mullah, altogether aftoniffit
and the compaffion he had of the Florentine Father, who accepted the condition divert’
ed him from it. Whatever the truth ,be of this ftory, 3 tis certain, that whilft Jeban-
Guire lived, thefe Fathers were refpe&ed and honoured in this Court, and that they
conceived great hopes of the advancement of Chriftianity in thofe parts j but that fince
that time they have had no great caufe to hope much of it, except perhaps what they
received by that familiarity, which our Father Buze had with Vara. But 1 ffiall fay no
more of this matter of our Millions, intending to give you a particular long Letter of
it another time. v ,
Certainly I cannot but exceedingly approve of Millions, and the good Miffionaries
efpecianyour Capucms and Jefuits, and fome others of our neighborhood, becaufethey
give meek inllru&ioos,without that indifereet zeal and tranfport which is expreffed by
fome others, and they charitably entertain the Chriftians of the Country in their Reli
gion, whether they be Catholicks, or Greeks, or Armenians', Neftorians, Jacobites, or
others * and forafmuch alfo as they are the refuge and comfort of poor Strangers and
Travellers, and by their knowledge, fober and exemplary life, they confound the igno
rance and licentious life of the Infidels: which feme others do not always pra&ife * who
therefore would do better to keep themfelves clofe in their Convents, and not come hi
ther and give us a mafquarade of our Religion, and by doing fo, and by their ignorance
jealoufie, loofnefs,and theabufe of their authority and character, become a ftumbling-
block to the Law of Jefus Chrijl. But a particular thing infers no general j and notwith-
ftanding thofe mifearriages, l very much applaud the Millions, and pious and learned
Miffionaries, they are abfolutely neceffary : it is the honour and prerogative of Chriffi-
anity, to have every where thorow the World Subftitutes of the Apoflles. But after all
that L have feert, and after all the converfe and difeourfe I have fo often had with
thofe obffinate Infidels, I may take leave to fay, that I almoft defpair to fee ftruck fuch
great ftroaks, as the Apoftles did, who converted two or three thoufand People in one
Sermon: finding by experience, and knowing very well upon other accounts, after I
have travelled through all the places of the Millions in the Eaft, that all the Miffionaries
together, not only in the Indies, but in all the Mahumetan Dominions,do indeed by
their Inftru&ions, accompanied with Charity and Alms, make fome progrefs among the
Gentils, but do in ten years not make one Ghriftian of a Mahumetan. Truly thele In
fidels have high thoughts of our Religion, they never fpeak of Jefits Chrifl but with great
veneration^ and they never pronounce the word Ay fa, that is to fay, Jefus, without
adding that of Azeret, which is Majejty. They even agree with us, that he was mira-
culoufly born of a Virgin-Mother, and that he is the Kelum-Allah, and the Rouh-Allah,
the Word of God, and the Spirit of God: but Tis not to be hopedrfhat they will approve
the reft of our Religion, fo as to abandon theirs in which they were born, and their
falfe Prophet, to embrace ours, what reafbns foever be given them. Our Ghriftians of
Europe ought to Wifti, and even to employ their Power, Care and Charity, that Miffi-
omries may be fent over all, fuch as may be no charge to the People of the Country,
and whom want may not induce to do mean things, as well for the reafons already al-
ledged, as for this caufe, that they may be ever ready to lay hold on all occafions,always
to bear witnefs to the Truth, and to labour in the Vineyard when it ffiall pleafe God to
give them an overture. But for the reft we ought to be difabufed, and not to fuffer
our felves to be fo eafily perfwaded of fb many ftories, and not to believe the thing to
O v be