‘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’ [‎415] (436/508)

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infimrf-
A Voyage to E A S T-I N D I A, &c.
treme Burning^ fach as is fpoken of^ Deut ,28.22. or rather with st
moft grievous Peftilence, which on a fudden fweeps away many
thonfands when it comes into great populous Cities. This Pefli-
lence makes the bodies of Men there which are vilited with it^
like an Houfe^ which on a fudden is covered all over with fire at
once. The City Amadavar (at our being there with the King)
was vifited with this Pejiilexce inthemoneth of May, and our
Family was not exempted from that moft uncomfortable vifita-
for within the (pace of nine dayes 3 feven perfons that were
tion
Englifli of our Family were taken away by it;, and none of thofe
which dyed lay fick above twenty hours,, and the major part
well and (ick, and dead in twelve hours. As our Surgeon (who
was there all the Phyfician we had 3 and he led the way) falling
fick at mid-day 3 and the following mid-night dead. And there
were three more that followed hitn, one immediately after
the other., who made as much hafte to the Grave as he had done.,
and the reft went after them 3 within that fpace of time (I named
before.) And ( as before I obferved ) all thofe that dyed in
our Family of this Pejtilence^ had their Bodies fet all on fire by
it 5 fo foon as they were firft vifited j and when they were dy
ing, and dead, broad fpots of a black and blew colour ap
peared on their Breafts 5 and their flefti was made fo extreme
hot by their moft high d^ftemper, that we who furvived, could
fcarce endure to keep our hands upon it.
It was a moft fad time, a fiery Tryal indeed. But fuch is the
goodnefs of Almighty God, that he makes the miferies of Men
here , dut tolerabiles, aut breves, either fufferable 5 or Ihort >
(b that if the thing impofed be extreme heavy to be born , it
continues not long, as this moft grievous vifitation, moft violent
for the time, ifke a/nighty ftorm, and then blown away. For
here the mercy of God fuddenly fiept in, betwixt the living and
the dead? fo that not onely in our Family, but alfo in that.great
City, the Plague was ftayed.
All our Family \_ my Lord Ambaffadour onely excepted ]
were vifited with this ficknefs, and we all, who through Gods
help and goodnefs out-lived it, had many great blifters, filFd
with a thick yellow watery fubftance, thatarofe upon many
parts of our bodies, which when they brake, did even burn and
corrode our fkins, as it ran down upon them.
For my part I had a Calenture before at Mandoa , which
brought me even into the very Jaws of Death, from whence
it pleafed God then to refcue and deliver me, which amongft
thoufands and millions of mercies more received from him, hath,
and (hall for ever give me caufe to jpeak^good of his Name,
There are very few Englifh which come thither, but have
fome violent ficknels, which if they efcape, and live temperate
ly, they ufually enjoy very much health afterward. But
made many breaches unto my Lord Ambaflador's Family 5 foi 01
four and twenty Waiters 2 befideshis Secretary and my ielt,there
Si#
was