'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎137] (158/448)

ChiUmymr, or Antiquities of Terfepolu.
Moreover, as the Name Perfepolis is a derivative from fn —"
by which laft that Countrey was denominate until! IwCtime • albeitTn
we find the Perftans called Elamites by the Jem who then fnake the W
NoM thefirll Fo.n„f .ji, Ci^ i s
from who,_confpinng with BMu,the Governour a?ainfl: W
pa/w An.Mmdi 3150. put a period to the A Empire after it had rfnifni,
eight and thirty great Kings: Neverthelefs tne City was enlarged and beaSn k " ^
mand C^/« his Son, and made the Royal Seat upwards of two hundred vears nT
rmg the reign of thirteen Kings, the laft of whom was who nSn^
gave place unto the Greeks. In its flourifhing condition it was fairh O
S«/ f ; the richeft, the nobleft, and the lovelieft City undefthe Sun • So r rt ^
vited Amiochm Ephar, e! ( ioL his frantick humour nick-named to march thl
ther with a confiderable Army in hope of maftering the greatell ^chequer in Se World
with like fuccefs he had Rtjer^lem, whence he had but a little before facrilegiouflv
ravifhed ten Tun of gold •, but hence by the Citizens and Diana's Priefts that av
Syrian was repuifed with fhame. fuftmlib. 11. calls it Caput Rejrni,
mn^refenam^ orb* Terrarum frolm i The capital Kingdom, Ituffed with no lefs than the
fpoils of the Umverfe. So that Sir Walter well obferves Therp
1„.!» whole World wMcl, bdng laid 1„ J. tatnco
weighed it. For although Babylon and Shujhm were very rich, the one furnimina Vb.
Ma. ViCtor with fifty thoufand Talents, the other with nine mfc ofS Sd
fifty thoufand Talents in bullion •, mPerfcfolis the main bulk his vaft Treafure
lay as in a hoord, there being found upwards of a hundred and twenty thoufand Ta!
ients; or oiccording to Strabo, two and thirty millions feven hundred and fifty thoufand
pounds, all which came to Akxander's own fhare after that he had allowed the Souldiers
three dayes free plunder of the Town. So beautiful alfo and fo ftatelv in its ftrufture
the timber being molt of Cedar -and Cyprefs wood, and the elegancy of building fo en'
rious and regular, as in that Age it was accounted and ftiled the Glorv of the World'
and may therefore juftly challenge this Infcription, '
Pcrfepolis,
Totim Orbis fplendor fuit.
Now, albeit the City was fuch, yet it cannot be deny'd but that her greatell luftre was
borrowed from the lofty Palace of the Perfian Emperours, which both for Situation
profped, richnefs in material, and curiofity of Art, rendred it incomparable. Pint arch
in vita Alexandri calls it The proud and ftately Palace of the great King. Of that maieftv
as put XhsMacedonianV idor into amazement at his entrance thereinto: For,in the prefence
was a Stat& of pure gold thick powdered with fparkling ftones, in which Alexander was
mthroned ^ in the Bed-chamber (amongft other curiofities) an artificial Vine (prefented
by Pythem) the ftalk of which was burnifhed gold, the clufters Orient Pearl mixt with
Rubies of great price ^ and no lefs rich the Bed: the bedftead alfo was gold, and thick
fet with gems; the Bolfter was eftimated worth five thoufand Talents, and the Foot
ftool at three thoufand Talents of gold, (the Hebrew Talent is four thoufand five hun
dred pounds;) fo that you may well wonder at the fum.
Give me leave now to defcribe a part of this ftrudure, by which the whole may be
imagined. It was built at the Eaft-end of a fpacious Vale, upon a Rock or rifing ground
four hundred paces from the City, the plat containing fifty acres of ground or there
abouts. The Walls on either fide were elaborately carved with "figures of Men and
Beafts. The fecond ftory was of Porphyre mixed with Marble of other feveral colours,
imbelliflied with coftly ftones in Mofaick fort but the architrave, Freez^ and moft part of
the Arches were ftudded with gold, being flat and tarraffed at the top. Towards the Eaft
it had a high and ftately Tower or Keep, circled with a triple wall each higher than
other, and at fuch a diftance as gave pleafant walks between: The firft was 16 cubits
high *, the fecond was double as much *, the laft threefcore: all three of Marble well po-
lifted battlemented above and below to be entred by feven gates of burnilhed brafs.
From the ^nmit of that Tower the Kings had not onely a delightful profped over all
the City that fpread it felf below, but (notwithftanding the Hills that furround the
Plain) as it were an unlimited Horizon uncircumfcribed fave by Heaven it felf. Ad-
joyning this was a Mounfwhich contained about four acres of ground, and built after
the nobleft manner. It was the Maufoleum, in which and in the contiguous Hills were
T in-
11!
mm
liJ * 1