‘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’ [‎41] (62/508)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
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pedigree, as the Tribes of the Jews fometimes were; jet they /^UO
inhabit the Country promifcuoufly mingled together, in every
City and Land feveral Races otic with another. Tis reckon'd
that they are in all eighty four 5 fome fayvmore, making a more
exaft and fubtle divifion. Every of thefe hath a particular
name, and alfo a fpecial office and imployment in the Common
wealth, from which none of the defcendents of that Race ever
fwerve ^ they never rife nor fall, nor change condition:
Whence fome are Hufbandmen, others, Mechanick, as Tay-
lers, Shoemakers, and the like , others, Fadors or Merchants,
fuch as they whom we call Banians , but they in theirXanguage
more corredly Vania : Others, Souldiers, as the Ragia-puti 5
And thus every oneattends,and is employ 5 d in the proper Trade
of his Family , without any mutation ever hapning amongft
them 5 or Alliance of one Race contracted with another*
D to dor us and Strabo , (almoft with the famewoflds, as if the
one had transfcrib'd the other) affirm, that anciently the
Races of the Indians were feven, each addicted to their proper
profeflion ^ and for the firft of all, they place that of the Philofo-
phers, who, mo doubt, are the Brachmans. Into feven kinds
of men with their particular , and by Generation perpetuated
Offices, Herodotus in like manner writes , (and Diodorm con
firms it, though he difagrees in the number ) the people of
Mgyp was divided inthofedaysi whereby 'tis manifeft what
correfpondence there was between Mgypt and India in all things.
Nor do I wonder at the divifion into feven Races onely, becaufe
what is obferv J d at this day, muft then alfo have hapned, namely,
that the fo many Races which they reckon, are reducd to four
principal \ which, if I miftake not, are the Brachmans, the Soul
diers, the Merchants, and the Artificers 5 from whom by more
minute fubdivifion all the reft are deriv'd, in fuch number as in
the whole people there are various profeffions of men. ^ In the
fubftantial points of Religion all agree together, all believe the ^
Tranfmigration of Souls, which according to their merits and ^
demerits (they think) are fent by God into other bodies, either
of Ammals more oriels clean, and of more oriels painful life $
or elfe of men more or left noble and handfome, and more or lefi
pure of Race, wherein they place not a little of their vain (uper-
ftition 5 accounting all other Nations and Religions, befides
themfelves, unclean 5 and fome more then others, according as
they more or lefs differ from their Cuftoms. All equally believe
that there is a Paradice in Heaven with God, but that thereinto
go onely the Souls of their own Nation, more pure and without
any fin, who have liv'd pioufly in this world; Or in cafe they
have fin'd, that after divers Tranfmigrations into various bodies
of Animals and Men, having by often returning into the world
undergone many pains, they are at length purg'd, and at laft dye
in the body of fome man of Indian and noble Race, as the
Brachmans, who amongft them are held the nobleft and pureft »
G becaufe