‘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’ [‎306] (327/508)

The Travels of Peter Delia Valle,
' " ' 1 **
^d^e^thene^Ck^ call'd il Convent o, their Simoniacal
Elections of Grand Matters 5 and other things, of which the
F nights were much afraid. To thefe old difgufts, another hath
lately been added : Upon the lofs of their Galhes taken by the
Turks a while agoe 3 with the (laughter of many Knights, the
Order for repairing the fame, thought, (and, I believe, hadal-
ready Wolv'dJ tolayaGabel, (^whether perpetual or tempo,
ral I know not) upon the Commendams and Pofleflions of
the Order ^ which, without the Pope's leave, could not be
done. * The Pope extreamly dillik'd this courle, conceiving no
rieceflity of attempting it for that lofs 5 fince they had loft no
thing but two pieces of wood ^ and as for the Knights, they
might be recruited by the income of moneys which are paid
upon the admittance of others to take the Crofs ^ befides that
as to intereft, they had rather gain'd then loft, having by the
death of fo many Knights, gotten fpoyls enough to pay the
charge pretended, without burdening the ^pofleffions of the
Ordei with any impofition. All which Reafons confider'd, the
Pope hearing that they were refolv'd to impole the faid Gabel
without addrefling to him, became extreamly difpleas'd with
the Knights, threatning them with Excomunications and other
punHhments: Whereupon the Order difpatch'd this Prior of the
Church, (who is alfo a Grand Crofs and a PrieftJ Ambafladot
extraordinary to his Holinefs, to pacific him.
December the twenty (ixth, We had news at Syracufe, that aa
Englifh Fleet had landed fome Forces at Cadiz upon the Coaft
of which were valoroufly repuls'd by the Spaniards. They
are great amplifiers of their own Exploits, and writ word that
•the faid Fleet confifted of eighty Ships, and landed twelve thou-
fand men.
December the twenty ninth. Being defirous to vifit fome Ca
valiers of the Family of la Valle in the City of Catania, where
there lives many, by all circumftances, deriv'd from the fame
Root with us of Rome 5 I fet forth thither this Morning in the
Bifhop's Coach, accompani'di>y Sig: Paolo Satalia a Sj/racufuft,
We travell'd not far from the Sea-fide, leaving on the right hand
a little fruitful Ifland, near the Continent ot Xicilj, now caird
Manghep, huthy Virgil with good reafon Tapfumque jacenttm\
for it is alFplain and very low. A little further we left on the
right hand alfo towards the Sea, the City Augujia 0 fometimes
call'd Megara ^ whence Virgil, making mention of it, faith
Megarofque Sinus, In the Evening,we palVd through Carlo Lw-
trni, built upon high clifts, and fo call'd as ifit were Lentinidi
Carlo., becaufe Charles the Fifth, Emperor, built it, with intent
perhaps to transfer the City of Lentini ^whichlies hard by) thi
ther for better air. At length having travell'd twenty four niilej
fwm Syracufe, we took up our Lodging in Lentini at the houfe
of Sig: Flamtnio Mollica Baron of Bagnara, who a few days
before had fent to vifit me in Syracufe, and receiv'd me here witli
extraordinary civility. Decembtr