‘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’ [‎39] (60/508)

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Into the EAST-INDIES. 39
for certain, that all thefefo monftrous figures have fecretly fome
more rational fignifications 5 though exprefs'd in this uncouth
manner: As we knowin ancient time among the Gentiles of our
Countries there was^n the figures of quadrifronted Janusoijft-
piter Ammon^withthQ Head of a Ram j of Amhis^wkh the Head
of a Dog, and many other extravagances not onely of the Grecz-
atts and but alfoof the Rofttaus , The uieiingj 1 illars,
and Walls of this Temple were adorn d with Painting, efpeci-
ally red which how dear tis to the IftdidHs^ Iformeily intima
ted.The doors of their Houfes^amely.thePofts^Architraves.and
Barrs that faften it, are all colour d fo j adding fome mixture pf
white limes to the red ^ for of white too they are 16 enamour d,
that all Men are generally cloth'd with it. A cuftom peradven-
ture deriv'd to them from JEgflt where it was in ufe, as Herodotus ^h. z.
writes*,and whence perhaps Fythagoras himfeli: learnt it 5 who went '
cloth'd in white, as we find noted by tflian, and others. And I 'I • • IZ '
obferve, that in many particulars the manners of the prefent In
dians much refemble thofeof the ancient^ nce
the Egyptians who defcended from Cham the Son of Noah) were
a very ancient people , I rather believe that the Indians learnt
from the jEgyptians, then the Egyptians from the Indians 5 and
'tis known, that from JEgypt there was always Navigation and
Commerce into India by the Southern Ocean. The red colour,
amongft thefe Indians is, befides by the Women, worn alfo by
thzSami^ who are a kind of religious perfons 5 with red, the
Cioghi who live like Hermits and go about beggingfometimes
paint their bodies in many parts 5 and alfo with red blended
with yellow, that is, with (bme parcel of Sanders or Saffron^
almoft all the Indian Gentiles dye their fore-heads, and fome-
times their garments 5 accordingly^ as Strabo reports frcMH the
teftimony of OnejicritPts^ they did likewise in the time ot Alex* 15,
under the Great. Laftly, they wear red Turbants upon their
Heads, and their Girdles are ottner wrought with red then any
other colour. After having feen the Temple of Mahavir ^ we
went to vifit anold Brachman, accounted very learned amongft
them.-, with whom we difcours'd as well as we could by an inter-
preter,becaufe he underftood no other Language but the Indian,
We found him amongft many Scholars,to whom he was giving a
Ledure:He (hew'd us his Books written in an antique Charaaer,
which is the learned amongft them, not common to the vulga^
but known onely to the learned, and us d by the Brachmansj as ?,/ ^
who, in diftindion from other vulgar Charaders, us'd vanouliy ^
infundry Provinces of India^ cdW itNagheri, I have, and fhali ^ *7
carry with me two fmall Books of it, which I fbmetimes bought .
in Lar, This Brachman is call'd Keca Azarg , of which words,
Bee a is his proper Name , and Azarg his Title of Honour,
Amongft other Books, he (hew'd us that of their feft 5 in which,
though it was bound long ways, as 'tis the fafhion oi their Book^
yet the lines were written crofs the paper , after the manner 01
J 4 lome