‘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’ [‎277] (298/508)

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Into the EAST-INDIES.
Nation^wbo were honeft perfonSjand would ferve me'in the voy
age. Whereunto I readily confentedj both to do him a kindnefs 3
and becaufe I wanted Servants, having but two} and not know
ing where to get others that were trufty and fit for my purpofe.
I ofter'd him alfo my Houfe at Rome, and my Perfon likewife
in what-ever it might be ufeful to his fervice 5 remembring the
Obligation I had to his whole Nation for the fake of Sitti MaaHi
Giocrida) my dear and efteem'dWife, who was of it. With
thefe and other the like Gomplemenb to him and the Prieft
Rezqallah who brought him , and who was Son of thePrieft
Jofeph Elbanij a Maronite, (who read Arabick to me when I was
before at Aleppo ) he departed, giving me many benedidions
after their manner , and leaving a great Frienlhip eftablifti'd
with me.
Augnji the third. In the Morning I went to fee the Synagogue
of the Jews at Aleppo, fam'd forfairnefs and antiquity. Their
Street is enter'd into by a narrow Gate, and lyes fo much lower
then the reft, that it is defcended to by a confiderable number of
fteps. After I had gone through many of their narrow Lanes,
which they contrive fo, purpofely to hide the goodnefs of the
BuHding from the Turks, I came at length to the Synagogue j
which is a good large fquare uncbver'd Court, with cover'd
Walks or Cloyfters roundabout, upheld by double Pillars di-
fpos'd according to good Architedure. On the right hand of
the entrance, is a kind of great Hall, which they make life of
for their Service in the Winter, when it is cold or rains 5 as they
do of the Court in Summer and fair weather. In the middle of
the Court four Pillafters fupport a Cupoletta, under which in a
high and decent place, like our Altar, lyes the volume of the -
LaW ? and there alfo their Dodtor and principal Rabbi ftands f
reading in a kind of mufical tone , to whom all the people alter
natively anfwer. They ftand in very great number difpers'd in
the Court, Cloyfters, and Hall, with their bonnets on their ' /
Heads, and promifcuoufly like us in our Churches, Men and #
Women together- (though I have fometimes feen it otherwife
in Italy') } yet they are mixt in fuch order that thofe of one fa A
mily Men and Women ftand all together; and, I believe too,
they have their peculiar places and benches to fit upon. More
over, the right fide of the Synagogue was fill'd with Jews origi-
ginaries of the Country from ancient time ^ but the left with
European Jews,who although inhabitants,and marry'd at Aleppo,
yet are originally adventitious 3 and thefe are all Spaniards, and
fpeak Spantfi for their natural Language $ yea, many of them
were born and bred up if not Spain or Portugal, at leall: in Italy,
Germany, or other Countries of Chriftendome. I was carry'd
to fee this Synagogue by a Jew nam'd or in our Lan
guage BleJJed, whom I had known at my laft being at Aleppo
He was born and bred in Mantua, a man well qualifi'd, dane'd,
play'd, and fung competently well 5 and upon thefe accounts
came
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