'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.' [‎139] (160/448)

Terfepolis,
Stair unto the other) is in breadth fix and thirty foot: but fo contrived that it gives a
double paflage leading two feveral ways, one towards the North, the other South? each
ftair alfo in the half way having a paufe or half-pace which is very large and fquare
flagg'd with Porphyre and lined at the fides with a brighter coloured Marble than the
Rock which divides the double ftair, and above the half-pace winds the contrary way
to what it is below both being fo eafie that I very well remember we faw a dozen Per-
fans ride up a breaft without crowding. The other Part of the Hill adjoyning this ftair
is precipitious, in height being two and twenty foot as I gueffed (for I had no certain
meafure,) feeming of old to have been fleightly damasked or wrought into croteique;
and runs due North and South above five hundred paces, as did the Palace •, which
thereby gave it felf a full profpedt to the City below, not unlike the view we have of
Wtndfor Caftle from Eaton.
At the ft air-head there is fome remain of the Gate or place of entrance into the Court,
being about twenty foot wide, fo well as my uncertain way of meafuringby paces would
afcertain: but the height of the Gate and what fuperftrudure it had is not now demon-
ftrable. The profped we have from thence towards the, left hand is a large empty
piece of ground, by gentle Hills bounded both to North and Eaft, feeming to have been
fome Garden-plat or like place of recreation. But Eaftwards more near the ftair are
the figures of four ftrange Beafts carved in ftone, not fuch Beafts as are in Nature, but
rather as iflue from the Poets or Fiftors brains: At firft view I thought they had fome
refemblance with thofe four monfters the Prophet Daniel in his nodurnal Vifion faw
rifing out of the Sea, alluding to the four fupreme Monarchies; but by comparifon found
my felf miftaken. Thefe qnadr^edes ftand two and two •, the firft two being about 20
foot from each other look towards the ftair-, the other two have the fame diftance from
one another in breadth, but are thrice that fpace in length from the two former, and
have their faces turned towards the Hill, which is the contrary way : So as it is pro
bable, thefe four beafts together with the four interpofing pillars^ of which two are
fallen and two remain ferved (as one may imagine ) to fupport fome Gallery or Tar-
rafs that had its profped North towards the Garden, under which a piazza was where
attendants might walk> and South towards the Palace. The main ftrudure ranges all
along towards the South from the top of the ftair, the profped being moft part to the
Weft, the Hill towards the Eaft interpofing. One of the four beafts (to give it the
neareft refemblance 1 can) is like an Elephant •, and the fecond (being neareft to it) is
fomewhat like his oppofite, a Rhinoceros •, the third is like unto a Pegafus, or rather
that volant Gryffin Jrioflo defcribes in his Orlando furiofo } but the fourth is fo disfigured
that it cannot be defcribed: Howbeit, herein thefe beafts differ, for two of them have
vifages with beards and long hair like Men, agreeable to that fourth beaft which Daniel
chap. 7. verf. 7. looked upon as the moft dreadful, prefiguring the Roman Empiretheir
heads are armed with helmets or caps of defence, upon the necks of which are great
round globes of like material: And the Pegafus is trapped with warlike mail, fo ftud-
ded that it feems a fort of Mofaic^o^ and in fuch lively and permanent colours as
if it had been imboffed or wrought but very lately.
A few paces thence is a large fquare ftone Ciftern or Laver, twelve foot in diameter
and twelve inches thick, fupported by ftpnes of a large fize: Near which (ftill towards
the South) are the fradures of fome pillars *, but of what ufe, feeing they are demoli-
ihed, cannot well be afcertained. Flanking this is a Wall that runs from Eaft to Weftj
which I fuppofe is part of the Mountain, and terminates that room to the Southward ^
it is Marble, about nine foot thick and thirty foot high. Near the middle there is an
other double ftair of thirty or forty fteps *, as alfo a half-pace in the half way, flagg'd
with large fquare Marbles and faced at the fides with figures imbelhlhed and carved by
no rude hand. This brought us to a large fquare room which I fhall anon fpeak of. In
the firft place therefore I return to. the foot of this ftair, to take a view of the Wall or
Frontifpiece ; which on either fide the ftair has engraven tn relievo feveral figures and
in feveral fows over each other, refembling fome memorable proceffion: The Images
on either fide have their faces towards the ftair, as if they were to march that way. Thole
that be figured in the loweft rank, by their habit and pofture feem to be of inferiour
quality •, for the At job a or garment moft of them wear reaches fcarce to the knee,and is
fomewhat ftrait near the wafte where 'tis girt about, but towards the skirt more large
and circular, according to that form we fee the Moors wear at this day in Indnftan : Some
are naked downward, others have Calzoons reaching to the calf of the legs ^ fome be
bare-foot, and others wear Sandals. Howbeit, thefe feem to be of the Military pro-
fefiion •, for in one hand they hold a Spear upright in the fame pofture a pike is ordered,
T 2 but