‘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’ [‎42] (63/508)

The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
becaufe their employment is nothing elfe but the Divine Woi>
fhip 3 the fervice of Temples and Learning, and they obferve
their own Religion with more rigor then any others. Tis trwe;,
the Brachmanswho amongft the Indians 9 in my opinion^
much refemble the Levites of the Jews, are divided too into
feveral forts, one more noble then another, and 3 according to
nobility, more rigorous alfo in matter of eating , and in their
other fuperftitious Ceremonies 5 for fome of them are Aftrolo-
gers, fome Phyfitians, fome Secretaries of Princes 5 andfo of
other forts of Scholars which I know not well, but the moft
efteem'd and moft fublime amongft the Brachmans, and confe-
quently, the moft rigorous of all in point of eating and other ob-
fervances, are thofe who perform the Office of Priefts, whom
they call Boti, Ordinarily they never admit into their Sed any
man of another Religion 5 nor do they think that they do ill
herein, or contrary to the zeal of faving Souls ^ fince believing
theTranfmigration, they conceive it not neceffary to (alvati-
on to change Religion, although one be of a falfe Sed > but Judg
that if this Soul (hall be worthy to have pardon from God 9 it
lhall after death, and after being purg'd fundry ways, paft into,
and be born in the body of fome Indian amongft them, and live
excellently 5 and fo by this way at laft arrive at Paradice and
live with God, although in the beginning it was in the world
in the body of the worft finner and mifcreant what ever. With
people of other Religion they never eat, nor will have any com
munication of food, and, as much aspoffibie, they avoid even
to touch them ^ conceiving themfelves polluted by communi
cating with others. And herein they are fo fcrupulous, that
even amongft the Indians themfelves, one of more noble Race,
notonly neither eatg,nor makes ufeofthe fame clothes^r veflels,
nor communicates in any thing with one lefs noble, but alfo en
dures not to be touch'd by him 5 which if it fall out by chance
that he be, he muft purifie himfelffrom the defilement by wafti-
ings, and other arrogant Ceremonies. And hence 'tis a prety
fight to behold the great refped which upon this account the
ignoble bear to the more noble then themfelves, and how upon
meeting in the ftreet, the ignoble not onely give place, but dance
wildly up and down for fear of ruftiing againft the noble, and
polluting them in any meafure ^ which, if they (hould not do,
the Noble, and efpecially the Souldiers, would make them do
it to the Mufick of blows. From this averfenels to communi
cate one with another, particularly, in the ufe of eating and
dnnkmg-veflels, concerning which they are moft ftrid, is fprung
a Itrange Cuftom, which I was delighted not onely to fee, but
alio fometimes out of gallantry to imitate in converfation. It
happens Tery often during hot weather, both in Travelling and
m Towns that people have need of refrefbing themfelves, and
urinkingrof a little water, but becaufe every one hath not a
tlrmking-veflcl of his own ready, to avoid defiling or being de-
fil'd