‘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’ [‎182] (203/508)

182
7he'travels of Peter Delia Valle,
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at Sea ^ which things, becaufe ftoUen 5 and in regard of the Ex-
communication which lyes upon us in that cale 5 are not bought
by our Ghriftians. Having feen the and ftay'd there till
it was late 5 we were minded to fee the more inward and noble
parts of the City, and the out-fide of the Kings Palace > for to
fee the King at that hour we had no intention, nor did we come
prepar'd for it, but were in the fame garb which we wore in the
Ship. Accordingly we walk'd a good way towards the Palace,
for the City is great, and we found it to confift of plots befet
with abundance of high Trees, amongft the boughs whereof,
a great many of wild Monkies, and within thefe clofe Groves,
(land the Houfes, for the moft part at a diftance from the com
mon Wayes or Streets, they appear but little, few of their out-
fides being (een, befides the low walls made of a black ftone fur-
rounding thefe plots, and dividing them from the Streets, which
a re much better than thofe of the Vazar, but without any orna
ment of Windows fo that he that walks through the City, may
think that he is rather in the midft of uninhabited Gardens, than
of an inhabited City : Neverthelefs it is well peopled, and hath
many Inhabitants,whofe being contented with narrow buildings,
is the caufe that it appears but fmall. As we walked in this manner,
we met one of tho(e Men who had been at Goo. with the Vice-
Roy 5 and bccaufe he faw us many together^ and imagin d there
was fome perfon of quality amongft us, or b^aufe he knew our
General, he invited us to go with him to his King 8 Palace 5 and
going before us as our guide, conducted us thither, Healfofent
one before to advertife the King of our coming, and told us,
we muft jjy all means go to (ee him, becaufe his Highnefs was d^-
lirous to lee us and^talk with us: Wherefore, not to appear dif-
courteous, we were conftrein'd to confent to his Requeft,
iiotwithftanding the unexpeftednefs of and our unpreparednefs
for, the vifit.
The firft and principal Gate of the Palace opens upon a little
Piazza . .which is befet with certain very great T rees, affording
a delightful fhadow. I faw no Guard before it, it was great and
open} but before it, was a row of Balifters, about four or five
foot from the ground, which ferv 'd to keep out not onely
Horfes and other Animals, but alfoMen uponoccafion. In the
middle was a little pair of Stairs without the Gate leading into
n , and anotherwithin on the other fide. Yet, I believe, both
the Stairs and the Balifrersare moveable, becaufe 'tis likely that
when the King comes forth, the Gate is clearly open 5 otherwife
it would not be handfome, but this is onely my conjecture. We
enter'd this Gate, afcending the Stairs upon the Rails, where we
were met by the Melienger whom the above-faid perfon had fent
to the King,and who again invited us into the Palace by the Kings
Order. Within the Gate we found a great Court, of a long
form, without any juft and proportionate figure of Archite-
d:ure ; on the fides, were many lodgings in feveral places, and
in