‘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’ [‎375] (396/508)

A Voyage /^EAST-INDIA, &ۥ
whb wear the Livery of Chrift, in being called Chriftians, the
greateft part of whofe Chriftianity lies in their Name. Thole
Armenians there make fome wine to fell 3 of Raifons;, Sugar^atid
other ingredients, that is ftrong and heady, and lufcious, tafted
too much by many Chriftians that come thitherj as by thofe too
that make it. Of the green Grapes there^ though they have
abundance and they great, and (weet, and good, yet they make
no Wine at all: The Mahumetans (in obedience to a Precept of
Mahnmets which forbids Wine) neither make, nor drink it 5 and
others are not ftiffered there to make it of thofe green Grapes,
for fear (as I (uppofe) they (hould make, and drink too much
of it.
To thofel have named of other Nations, (that are to be feen
in Eaji-India) there are befides fome few almoft of every people
in Afta, and many Europeans of divers parts (that ufe to ftir
from their own fires) to be found amongft them, and among
that great variety of People and Nations there to be obferved, I
have taken fpecial notice of divers Chinefaas, and Japanefaas
there, and thofe I have feen of them, for the generality, are a
people of no large ftature, with little eyes, and nofes fomthing
flatted 5 de tribus CapUis^ with a few black hairs that ftandfcat^
tered on their upper lips which make them as handfome beards
as are to be feen on our Hares, or Cats.
There are fome Jews here (as before I oblerved) whofe ftub-
bornnefs and Rebellion, long ago, caufed Almighty God to
threaten them, that they ftjould be after fifted, and fcattered
among all the Nations of the World*
Thofe ancient Satyrifts, Terfim, and Juvenal, after that moil:
horrid ad committed by them in Crucifying our Blefled Saviour
(though not in refped unto that moft cruel action, for they were
Heathens) yet they call them Verpor^ that is^circumcifed, Worms,
vermin. Tacitus after gives them a moft unfavory Epithete, cal
ling themfatentes Judteos^ ftinking Jews. Marcus the Emperour
obferving them well, concluded that they were a generation of
men worfe than favages or Canibals,to be even the worft of men,
as if they were the very reffufe and dregs of mankind*
How ufoal is that Proverb, that when men are fufpeded to do
otherwife than they ftiould, toanfwer, what, am I Jew, that I
(heuld do fo, and fo? I have obferved fomthing to this purpole,
from the people of Eaji-India, who are very valiant at tongue
fights, though not fo with their weapons (as you will hear after-
ward), that people,! fay, who have a very nimble but a bale qua
lity in railing at, and mifcalling one another 5 and their language
is fo full, and fignificant, that they can call a man in it, two or
three bale things in one word 5 but when they come to call mm,
whom they mUcall, Judeo Jew, they belieye (as I have been ot-
ten told) that they can go no higher , efteeming that, above aii
other terms, the higheft name of obloquy. \
Yet we do believe, (becaufe the Lord hath promifed it) that
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