‘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’ [‎333] (402/470)

C hap . XXXIH. The Voyagcs of 353
raifedfuch an admirable Structure, appearing morelikca vaft City;
than one entire Building : and fuch was the Satisfaction I reaped
from itthat I fliould not have repented my Labour to have travai
led a Thoufand Miles to fee it. This ftupendious Palace is feated,
as appears by the Rums, on a Plain, environed on every fide with
Hills j and has extended it's Compafs as far as the Hill called
whrnet , which is as much as to fay, the Mount tf Mercy. On the Eait
are two places of Entry with Marble Stairs, each ftep being 30 Foot
long and 17 of thofefteps arc wrought out of one Stone, which muft
neceffarily'have been a very great one, each ftep being hall a Foot
high. Being afcended 3 2 or 3 3 of thofe Steps we came at a great fquare
Refting place the W ails and Pavement whereof was altogether of hard
and pohlhed Marble. On each fide were the Images-of divers Beafts
as Lions , Elephants, Gnffins, Hoffes and others Animals, after
wards we came into a large and fpacious place, about cp Paces fquare,
where were Eight Gates, 4, whereof were 4. Paces and 3 Two Paces
wide. Above and on each fide of thefe Gates were divers Statues
and other Figures, . which for their Boldnefs, due Conftrudion of
Members, Symmetrie of Parts, Analogy of Depreffion and Eleva
tion , Holding and Forelhortning of Plains, with all other Tokens
of true Art, furpafs all the Carved works that ever I have feen either
in Greece , Italy , or the whole World befides, that Lhave had the
Fortune to fee. Below ftood a hard bright polifhed Stone, fet faft
in the Wall which might have ferved for a Mirror, on which was an
Infcription in very ancient Characters fuch as the modern
cannot read. The Letters below were broad and rifrng higher grew
fmaller towards the Top like an obe I had work enough to view
all the Images that were up and down, as of Giants, Lions, Bulls,
Griffins , Tygres , The Olympian, or Games of Hercules, Bat
tels, See. The Statues have moftly Weapons, Inftruments of Mu-
fie, or Garlands in their Hands. Here and there are feveral Horfemen
armed with Bow and Qiiiver, Som with Spears, Rondaces, Seymi-
ters and fuch like Weapons. Their Habit is very ftrange and feems
to be very ancient: fome have round Bonnets as'the nobis VenettrrA
now, and Knights Templars of old ufed to wear. Abov the great
Gate is a huge Statue appearing abov the reft, having along Robe
on with curled hair and a long Beard, a Torfe about his Head as •
T-t 3