‘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’ [‎424] (445/508)

A Voyage to JL AS T-IN DI A, d^»
"Tndherethe thing being rightly and ferioufly confidered^ it
is a very great (hame that a Mahometan (hould pray five times -
every day, that Pagans and Heathens (hould be very frequent
in their devotions, and Chriftians (who only can hope for good
anfwers in prayer) fo negligent in that great prevailing duty.
For a Mahometan to pray five times every day^ what diverfions
foever he hath to hinder him, and for a Chriftianto let any thing
interrupt his devotion 5 for a Mahometan to pray five times a
day,, and for one that is called a Chriftian not to pray (fome be
lieving themfelves above this and other Ordinances) five times
in a week, a moneth, a year ! -
But this will admit left caule of wonder if we connder how
that many bearing the Names of Chriftians cannot pray at all,
thofe I mean which are prophane and filthy, and who live as if
there were no God to hear, or to judg, and no Hell to punifh.
Such as thefe can but babble, they cannot pray, for they blas
pheme the Name of God, while they may think they adore it.
I (ball add here a (hort ftory , It happened that I once having
fome difcourfe with a Mahometan of good quality, and fpeak-
ing with him about his frequent praying, I told him that if him-
fclf, and others of his profeflion who did believe it as a duty to
pray fb often, could conclude their Petitions in the Name of
fefus Chrift, they might find much comfort in thofe their fre
quent performances, in that great duty : He anfwered, that I
needed not to trouble ray felfwith that, for they found as great
comfort as they could defire in what they did. And prefently
he would needs infer this Relation. , 1 1 •
There was ((aid he) a moft devout Mufsleman who Lad In^
habitation in a great City where Mahomet was zealoufly pro-
fefied, that man for many years together fpent his whole ^ a y^ n
the Alofquit) or Church, in the mean time, he minding not the
world at all, became fo poor, that he had nothing left to buy
bread for his family 5 yet,notwithftanding his poor condition,he
was refolved ftill to ply his devotions: and in a moi ning hen
he perceived that there was nothing at all left for the further
(ubfiftence of himfelf and houfhold) took a folemn leave
wife and children, refolving for his part to go and pra) and dye
in the Mofquit, leaving his family (it no relief came) to familh
at home. But that very day he put on this refolution, theie
came to his houfe in his ablence a very beautiful young man (as
he appeared to be) who brought and gave unto his wife a very
good quantity of Gold bound up in a white Napkin, telling
her, that God had nowremembred her husband, and lent him
his pay for his conftant pains taken in his devotion 5 wi^all
charging her not to fend for her husband, for though h>, had
taken fuch a folemn leave of her that morning, yet he would
come home to her again that night 5 and fo he depai ted trom
her.. The woman prefently bought in fome necefiaries for her
houfe (for they had eaten up all before), and further made fome