‘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’ [‎429] (450/508)

A Voyage ^ EAST-INDIA, C>r.
'jiorttn
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The day after thisRam-jan is fully ended;, the moll: devout
Mahometans in a fblemn manner allemble to their ]VIoic|uits 3
where by their Moolaas fome feleded parts of the Alcoran^ are
publickly read unto them;, which book the Moolaas never touch
without an expreffion of much outward reverence.
For their works of charity 3 there are fome rich men that
build Sarraes in great Cities and T owns (fpoken of before)
where pafiengers may find houle-room and that freely, with
out a return of any recompence^ wherein themfelves and goods
may be in (afety.
Others make Wells and Tanks for the publick benefit^ Or
maintain fervants, which continually attend upon road-ways
that are much travelled, and there offer unto Pafiengers water
for themlelves and beafts, which water they bring thither in
great skins hanging upon the back of their Buttelos ^ which as it
is freely given, fb it muft be freely taken by all thofe, who deiire
to refrefh themfelves by it.
There are fome which build rich Monuments to preferve the
memories of thofe whom they have efteemed eminent for their
aufterity and holinefs; thefe they call Tares or Saints^ amongft
whom fome of thofe ( before-mentioned ) help to fill their
Number, who fequefter themfelves from the world (as they
think) and fpend their life alone upon the tops of Hills, or in
other obfcure corners.
429
SECTION XVII.
Of the Marriages of the Mahometans, and of their P0*
lygamy. See.
A Mongft many other things that confirm the Mahometans in
j\ their irreligion, this certainly is not the leaft^ the indul
gence which gives them to take more wives than one
(Tor they make take four if they pleafe) and that further pro-
mifo which that monllrous Seducerhathmzde unto his follow
ers of a flefhly Paradife hereafter, wherein he will provide for
them all wives which (hall have large rowling eyes, which they
look upon in that fox as a great beauty. And it is a very futable
comfort for fuch as walk lo much after the fiefh.
For Polygamy, or the having of more wives than one, Lamech
a great Grand-child of^i»,was the firft that brought it into the
World, Gen 4.19. And it was firft brought into the Church
by Abraham ; which adt of his, as of others after him (good men
in their generation) though it found permiffion, never had ap
probation from Almighty God. And further, though under the
times of the Lawjit tound fome connivence, yetfincethe p 0 *?"
there hath been no juch cuftom in any of the Chttrches of Chri* .
1 remember