‘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’ [‎140] (161/508)

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XXVI.
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not, nor ever moved from their place 5 onely they accompanyed
the Shew, very fine with Ornaments of Gold and Jewels, and
fome of them having Flowers, others, leavs of or other
Odoriferous Herbs in their Hands. This Dance being ended,
the Proceffion went forwards with the fame Pomp, and a nu
merous Train of Men and Women of all forts. They went
round about the outermoft walls of the Temple, which is fur-
rounded with very large ftreett, inhabited for the moft part
by the faid Dancers , or publick Strumpets. The circuit of the
Proceffion began from the right Hand as you come forth of the
Temple, which comes to be the left as you enter in ^ and in the
fame manner I faw the Proceffion begin at the Temple of th®
Town Ahinelk, which I have defcribed above 5 fo that it muft
needs be one of their ufual Ceremonies. This ftop 'd at thele-
veral places of the ftreets through which it paft 5 and at every
fuch ftopping, the above -mention 'd Dancings, Preambles, and
other Circumftances were again repeated 5 whence the Shew laft*
ed a good while, and concluded at length with the laft Dancein
the Piazza before the Temple-Gate 5 which ended, the Pro
ceffion with the Idols re -entered the Temple, where being re»
placed according to their accuftomed Ceremonies 5 thc folemnity
ended, and all the people departed.
I was told by one of the fpeftators, that this Ceremony was
praftifed every Monday at night, and every New Moon, and
every Full, as alfo upon certain other extraordinary folemnities
with more or lefsPomp proportionably to theFeftivals: And
he added, that the night following there would be a greater
folemnity then this, becaufe the New Moon, and another of
their Feafts were then co-incident, and that the King himfelf
would be there 3 Wheffefore 1 refolved with my felf to
fee it.
November the one and twentieth, This night were an infinite
company of Torches and Candles lighted, not onely in all the
Temple, but alfo in all the Streets, Houfes, and Shops ofi^W
^ ) which made a kind of day-light over all the City. In ea'ch of
the Temples was its Idol, which in fome was a Serpent; and
they had adorned the outward Porches wot onely with lights,
but alfo with certain contrivances of papers, on which were
painted Men on Horfe-back, Elephants, people a fighting, and
other odd figures 5 behind which papers, lights were placed in
certain little Arches,like thofe which we make in our Sepulchres,
thefe^with other gay Ornaments of Silk hung round about, made
a fufticiently prety Shew. In the great Temple , not onely the
infide, in the middle whereof is a very high and flender Cupola,
(which appears without too) but alio all the outer walls, and
all thofe round about the Piazza which lies before it, as alfo the
Houfes of the adjacent fides were all full of lights. The con-
courfe of people of all (brts and degrees, both Men and Women
was vtry great 5 and they appeared to go about viiiting all the
u i Temples*