‘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’ [‎160] (181/508)

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XI.
The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
never rofe from hiTfeat, and the Chamber was fomething dark^
befides that, the painted doth on h.s (boulders bung down very
i w p|- ls Nephew who fate befide him was not naked, but clad
in a whole white garment; and his Head was wrapt up ma
greater volume, white, like a little Turbant.
When I came before the King, his Men made me come near to
the little Porch in the midft ot them, where ftanding by my lelf 5
after the firft ralutations 5 theKing prefently bid me cover my head,
which I fortb-with did without further mtreaty 5 though with
the Mother, becaufe a Lady, I wasV.wilhng to fuper-abound m
Courtefie, fpeaking to her all the t«ne -uncover d : But with
the Son who was a Man, I was minded to enjoy the prmledg
of mv defcent. and receive the favour which he did me, as due
to my quality. To fit upon at firft they ofFer'd me nothing, nor
was it fitting to fit down upon the bare ground: Yet to lliew
fome difference between my felf and the by-ftanders, atter 1 had
put on my Hat, I lean'd upon my Sword, and fo talk d as long
as I was ftanding, which was not long =, the King, who at firft
fat fide-wife, turning himfelf direftly towards me, although
by fo doing he turn'd his back to his Nephew. He aik d me
almoft all the fame queftions as his Mother had done; Whence
I came ? What Countries I had travell'd through? What Princes
i had feen ? Whether I had left my own Country upon any
misfortune? Or why? How I would have done thus alone m
ftrange Countries, in cafe ot ficknels or other accidents ? To all
whkh I anfwer'd, as I had done to his Mother 5 and upon my
faying, that I wander'd thus alone up and down trufting in the
help of God ^ He afk't me. Who was my God ? I anfwer'd him,
(pointing upwards} the God of Heaven, the Creator of the Uni-
verfe 5 whereupon certain Souldiers there pre ent, (^in all likely-
Moors) as ifapplauding me^faid,^^ Chodia^Chodia^ which in
thePerfian Tongue fignifies Lord^nd is meant of God ^ inferring
that I worftiip'd the true God, whom they Moors pretended to
know, in oppofition to the Idols of the Gentiles of the Country}
And they us'd thePerfian word Chodia 0 becaufethat probably
the Sed of Mahomet came into thefe parts from Perfta, (which is
not very remote from India } as alfo fromor perhaps,
becaufe the Indians of the Territory of Idal-Scihh and Dawn,
being in great part ufe much the Perfian Tongue which
is fpoken in the Courts of thofe Princes no lefs then their natural
Language 5 whence thefe other Indians more inwards to the
South have, byreaionof neighbourhood, communication both
in Religion and Speech. The King told me feveral times that
he had very great contentment in feeing me, and that no Euro
pean of my quality had ever been in his Country 5 that my per-
fon well (hew'd of what quality I was: iNor was he miftaken
herein 5 for what other would ever go out of 'r>to 'is
Country ? unlefs fome Portugal Merchantelio ot iholc . ^o co e
hither for the moft part to leek wood to make malts auu s
or