‘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’ [‎183] (204/508)

Into the E A S T-IN D I E S. 182
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in the middle 3 were planted divers great Trees for (hadow : The
King's chief apartment, and (as I believe, by what I (hall men
tion hereafter J where his Women were, was at the end of the
Court, oppofite to the left fide of the Entrance. The Edifice,
in comparison of ours, wasbf little confideration 5 but, accord
ing to their mode, both for greatnefs and appearance, capable
of a Royal Family .It had a cover'd porch in that form,as all their
ftrudures have, and within that was a door of no great largenefs
leading into the Houfe. Here we found Cicco the Portugal youth,
become an Indian in Habit and Language, but, as himfelf told us,
and as his Portugal Name,which he ftill retain'd among the Gen
tiles, demonftrated, no Renegado but a ChriHian > which I ra
ther believe, becaufe indeed the Indian-Gentiles admit not, nor
care to admit other ftrangers to their Religion, aslhaveelfe-
where noted 5 for conjoyning fo irifeparately, as they do, their
Religion to the Defcents or Races of Men, as a Man can never
be of other Race then what he was born of 5 fo they alfo think
that he neither can nor ought to be of any other Religion,
although in Habit, Language, aftd Cuftomes, he accommodate
himfelf to the people with whom he lives. With the fald Ciccti
we found many other of the King's Courtiers who waited for us,
and here we conversed with them a good while before the Gate,
expeding a new Meffage from the King, who, they told us, was
now bathing himlelf, according to their cuftom, after fupper.
Nor was it long before Order came from the Ring for us to enter,
and accordingly we were introdue'd into that fecond Gate 5 and
palling by a clofe room like a chamber,(in which I few the Image
of Brahma upon his Peacock, and other IdoletsJ we enter'd into
a little open Court, 'furrounded with two rows of narrow and
low Cloyfters, to wit, one level with the ground, and the other s
fomewhat higher. The pavement of the porch was alfo fomething
rais'd above the plane of the Court, fo much as might (erve for a
Man to fit after our mariner. The King was not in this fmall
Court, but they told us we muft attend him here, and he would
come prefently : Whereupon we betook our felves to fit down
upon that rais'd pavement of the porch, the Courtiers ftanding
round about us 5 amongft which, the Portugal Cicco, and ano
ther Indian Man, fwho, as theyfaid, was a Chriftian, and being
fbmetimes a flave to the Portugals, had fled hither for Liberty,
and was entertain'd in the King's Guard) ferv'd us for Interpre
ters 5 but not well, becaufe the Man fpoke not the Portugal
Tongue fo much as tolerably, and Cicco having been taken
when he was very young, remembred but little of his own
Language.
No fooner were we feated in this place, but two Girls about
twelve years old enter'd at the fame Gate whereat we came in 5
they were all naked, (as, I faid above, the Women generally go^
faving that they had a very fmall blew cloth wrap'd about their
immodefties, and their Arms 3 Ears, and Necks, were full of or
naments