‘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’ [‎441] (462/508)

A Voyage E A S T-I N D I A, &c.
fields (fuch as the Poets dream'd of) «o which their fouls mufl:
pafs over zx. Styx, or Acheron, and there take new bodies.
Others of them think that ere long the World will have an end,
after which they (hall live here again on a new earth. Some
other wild conceivings of this people follow afterward.
Some Bramins have told me that they acknowledge one God 3
whom they defcribe with a thoufand eyes 3 with a thoiifand hands,
and as many feetjthat thereby they may exprefs his power^as be
ing all eye to fee, and all foot to follow^ and all hand to fmite of
fenders. The confideration whereof makes that people very ex^
ad: in the performances of all moral duties^ following dofe to
the light of Nature in their dealings with men, moft carefully
obferving that Royal LaWj in doing nothing to others, but what
they would be well contented to fuffer from others,
Thofe Bramins talk of two books, which not long after the
Creation, when the World began to be peopled, (they fay) were
delivered by Almighty God to Br anion (before fpoken ot) : one
of which Books (they fay) containing very high, and fecret,
and myfterious things was fealed up, and might not be opened ^
the other to be read, but only by the Bramins, or Priefts. And
this Book, thus to be read, came after (as they further fay) into
the hands of Bremarv (of whom likewife fomthing before) and
by him it was communicated unto ita^and Vermijj'ar, two other
fam'd Prophets amongft them, which thofe Heathens dolike^
wile exceedingly magnifie ^ as they do fbme. others, whofe
names I have not. Now that Book which they call the shefier,
or the Book of their written word, hath been tranfcribed in all
ages ever fince by the Bramins, out of which they deliver Pre
cepts unto the people.
They fay that there are feven Orbs, above which is the feat
of God 5 and that God knows not fmall and petty things, or, if
he do, regards them not.
They further believe that there are Devils, but fo fettered
and bound in chains, as that they cannot hurt them.
I obferved before the tendernefs and fcruple, which is in very
many of that people in taking the lives of any inferioui , and
meerly fenfible, yea and of hurtful creatures too. And thofe
which are moft tender -hearted in this cale are called Banians,
who are by far more numerous than any other of thofe Indian
Seds^ and thefe hold P^%^/his Metempjychofts, as a prime
Article of their Faith. W hich that untaught people come up
very near unto, thinking that all the fouls, both of men and wo
men after they leave their bodies make their repole in « tiie r
Creatures, and thofe Souls (as they imagine) are belt lodged
that go into Kine, which (in their opinion) are the belt ot ail
fenfible creatures ^ and therefore ^as before) they ^
large funis of money unto the Mogol to redeem them tiom
flaughter. And this people further conceit, that ^SQubot
the wicked go into vile Creatures, as the Sous o
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