‘The perillous and most unhappy voyages of John Struys, through Italy, Greece, Lifeland, Moscovia, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan, and other places in Europe, Africa and Asia. Containing, I. Most accurate remarks and observations of the distinct qualities, religion, politie, customs, laws and properties of the inhabitants: II. A due description of the several cities, towns, forts and places of trust, as to their site and strength, fortifications by nature, or art, &c. with other things worthy of note: and III. An exact memorial of the most disastrous calamities which befell the author in those parts (viz) by ship-wrack, robberies, slavery, hunger, tortures, with other incommodities and hardships’ [‎147] (196/470)

■^JS C hap. VF . The Voyages oflohn Struys 147
to perform the Works of Unchaftity with a Woman , as to do it in
prefence of an Image , or having their Crofs about them, for that l669 '
. they lay off upon fuchOccafions, and ifit be in the Room where an
H Image hangs, they draw a Curtain before it, as if they were fure that
^ that Image was an Informer, and one that got Bread and Butter for
«il«S telling School-tales
, They are very obferving of their Duty in the great Faft at which
time if any man among them chance to fleep , he is forbidden to
, communicate, during the T erm of a year and 9 days. If it be a Prieft
j?® 1 ' he isfufpendcd from Office and Benefice for a whole year ; but if a
Proponent, he is rendred incapable of taking any facred Fundion
upon him fo long as he lives
®et«| They hold it for a Crime unpardonable for a to marry with
w'fati a Stranger, but to commit Adultery with a Heretic- Woman only Ve-
F 11 ^: nial and pardonable in it's own nature, but if a W oman of that nation
become Proftitute to another ofa different Opinion to their own , it
rprocEif is not accounted fo hainous, by reafon that the Oiffpring may be
bnwii educated in their Religion, and confequently tends to the'lncreafe
lichoftd of the Church, for they have a Maxim contrary to that of J*. Faul,
tkrti; m faiamw,mdautevenianlbona . Let us not do Evil that Good may
win 4 come of it.
torepiijui Thefc external fuperftitions of purification are the main reafon
) i that every perfon that is of any Coniiderable Ability, has a Bathing-
' f c ,: tub in his HoUfe, which in T urkji and Perjia are equally made ufe of for
Purification and Health. They have alfo Common Bathsin every
Town and Village, wliitherboth Men and Women , without any
conttl diftinaionhaverecourfej running in and out naked, only fome o'f
the Women for Modefty fake have a few Bur-dock leaves about their
Gallei|
middle, which are firft dried and afterward laid to fteep in Oil of
' ,113 ) Olives, which afterwards they rub their Bodies with, in the Sweating-
tiTb. They can indure extremity ofHeat and Cold to a Miracle , for
I have feen them run out of the Water, which I could not fuffer my
finger in, and of a fudden over Headand Ears in Snow, where they
ikf would lay a quarter or half an Hour and then into the Bath again ,
that remained fcalding hot , which if one fhould do who is not
:er®?j hardned to it from the very Cradle, he were fure to leave his skin be-
hind him. Befides the feveral Inftances I have already given you,
T 2 I have