‘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’ [‎419] (440/508)

A Voyage ft? E A S T-1N DI A, d^c.
ArniSj or fruges tantum confumere natus : to devour Corn ^ and
wear owtWooL - O what a fad thing is it for Chrijiians to come
fhort of Indians, even in Moralities, come port of thofe, who
themfelves believe, to come jhort of Heaven*
SECTION XV.
Of their Keligioft, their Pricjis, their Devotion^ their
Churches, See.
ANd now I come to fpeak of their Religion;, I (hall firft take
notice of the Ke/7^« there profefled. That
of the Hindoos or Heathens (hall find a place wherein I may fpeak
of it afterwards.
But firft of the Mahometan Religion^ becaufe the Great Mogol
with, his Grandees, and all other of quality about him are .Mi-
hometans'^ which Religion ( if itdeferve that name) took its
firft Rife, and began to be profeffed in the world about the year
oiChriji 610, as hath been obferved by many Writers. .
The Ring-leader to it 3 and chief Founder of it was Mahomet^
an Arabian by Birth;, born ( as is faid ) in a very obfeure place,
and of very mean and low Parentage, but a Man fiird with
all Subtilty and Craft , who, ( as they write ) after that he had
much enriched himfelf by Wives, came to be the Commander
of a Company of Arabian Volunteers that followed Heraclius
the Emperour in his Terftan Warrs ? but not long after, himfelf
and Souldiers, falling firft into Mutiny, and after that to Re
bellion, which was an excellent preparative to put an inno
vation cr change on Religion, and his Souldiers (landing clofe
unto him, he himfelf, with the help of Sergius, a Chriftian by
profeflion, but an Heretical Ne&orian Monl^, and of Ahdala a
*jew, compofed a Religion that hath nothing in it, or that fa
vours of nothing fo much, as of rude Ignorance, and moft
palpable Impofture^ it being a Monfler of many Heads 5 a moft
damnable mixture of horrid impieties, if it be confidered all-
together.
Yet becaufe it contains much in it very pleafing to flefi and
blood, and Jooths up, and exceedingly with corrupt
Nature, it wanted no followers prefently to embrace, and affert
it 5 fo that in a little time, Wke a Gangrene* it fpred it felf into
many parts of Afia , and fince that hath enlarged it felf like
Hell, fo that, at this prefentday, it hath more that profefs it
in the world, than thofe which profefs Chrijiianity, if we take
in all colledively that do but bear the Names of Chriftians, the
world over.
The poor people, that are fo much ab-afed by the flrongde^
lufions of that great Imp off or, (ay for themfelves thus, that
Hhh 2 God