‘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’ [‎436] (457/508)

^6 ^ A Voyage to EAST-INDIA, &€.
ture ? who thus dies may return and live it (he pi cafe, even then
when (he comes to the Pilej which immediately after turns her
into allies .• yet (he who is once thus refolved, never flarts back
from her firft firm and fetled rerolution 3 but goes on finging to
her death, having taken fome intoxicating thing to turn ordi-
fhirb her brains 5 and then 3 come to the place where (he will
needs dye, (he fettle^ her felf prefently in the middeft of that
combuftible (ubftance provided to difpatch her 3 which fuel is
. placed in a round (hallow trench, about two foot 4eep 3 made
for that purpofe near fome River, or other water (as before),
and though (he have no bonds but her own ftrong affections to
tye her unto thd(e flames, yet (he never offers to ftir put of them.
And thus, (he being joyfully accompanied unto the place of
her dying by her Parents and other friends 5 and when all is fit
ted for this hellilh facrifice, and the (ire begins to burn, all
which are there pre(ent (houtj and make a continued noife fo
long as they obferve her to .ftir, that the fcreeches of that poor
tortured creature may not be heard. Not much unlike the cu-
ftomof the Ammonites, who, when they made their children
pafs through the fire to Molech , caufed certain Tabrets, or
Drums to found, that their cries might not be h^ard, whence
the place was called
Now after their bodies are quite confumed, and lie mixed
together in afties, and thofie afties begin tp grow crojd, fome of
them are gathered up by their nearefl: friendsa and kept by them
as choice Relicks j the reft are immediately fowen by theftan-
ders by 3 upon the adjacent River, or water, -
But for thofe poor filly fouls, who fing themfelves into the
extremity of mifery, and thus madly go out of the world,
through one fire into another, througn flames that will notlaft
long into cverlafting burnings, and do it notoutofneceffity, but
choice, led hereunto by their tempter and murderer, and con-
fibquently become fo injurious and mercilefs to themfelves >
certainly they deferve much pity from others, who know not
how to pity themfclves. For ntnto w/jerior mjjero non miferante
feipjum. There are none (o cruel as thofe, which are cruel, and
pitilefs to them^lves. But though (1 (ay) there are fome which
thus throw away their own lives j yet if we confider thoie Hin
doos in general we may further take notice
SECTION XX.
Of the tcndcrnefs of that people in preferring the lives of
all other infer tour Creatures, See.
J ■ *< ■ J ?. .. _■ . '/ Li J —^ ; ' ■ ! V *
■■ - : . A , - • • ? t
FOr they will not (if they can help it by any means) take,
but, on the contrary} do what they can tp preferve the
lives