‘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’ [‎412] (433/508)

A Voyage to E AST-INDI A, &c.
women have the lower part of their left Noftrils pierced,
wherein they wear a Ring (when tTaey pleafe) of Gold, or Sil
ver 5 or of fome other bafer Metals, Thofe Rings of Gold have
little Pearls faftned to one end of them, and that Pearl is dril a
through, that both ends of the ring may meet in it. And
doubt! efs, the women of the greateft quality (though I faw it
not) are bedeck'd with many rich Jewels. This I have obferved
in feme of thofe of the better fort I there (aw, that they did
wear great broad hollow Rings of Cold enamel'd 5 and fome
made of Silver, or Brafs, upon their wrifts, and upon the fmall
of their legs, to take off and on 5 two or three of them upon
each Arnij and Leg, which make a tinkling noife, very proba
bly fueh Ornaments asthejewifh women were threatned for,
Ifaiah 3. where Almighty God tells them, that he would take
away their tinkling Ornaments about their feet, the tiracelets, and
the Ornaments of their legs, their Rings, and Nofe-jewels,
For my Lord Embafladour, and his Company, we all kept
to our Englifh Habits, made as light and cool as poffibly we
could have them. His waiters in red Tafiata Cloaks guarded
with green Tatlata, which they always) wore when they went
abroad with hinij my felf in a long black Caflbck 5 and the co
lours and falhion of our garments were fo different from theirs,
that we needed not, wherefoever we were, to invite fpe^ators
to take notice of us.
And now, the Conftancy there obferved by the Natives of
both (exes, in keeping to their old faftiions in their Habits, ex-
ampled to them by their Predeceflors in many foregoing Gene
rations, and by them (Hll continued, is the great praife of this
people, as the commendation of every Nation in the World al-
moft, befidesours, ftillconftant to their ancient falhions in their
Apparel.
SECTION XII.
Of their Language, their Boohj, their Learning, See,
TH E Language of this Empire, I mean the Vulgar, bears
the name of it, and is called Indoftan; it hath much affi
nity with the Perfian, and Arabian Tongues: but the Indoftan is a
fmoother Language, and more eafie to be pronounced than the
other, a Language which is very (ignificant, and fpeaks much
few words; They write k (as we) to the right hand. It is ex-
prefled by letters, which are very much different from tliofe
Alphabets, by which the Perfian and Arabian Tongues are form*
ed. The Perfian there is fpoken as their more quaint and
Gourt-tongue. The Arabian is their learned Language, both
written "backward to the left hand like the Hebrew^ from whence