'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.' [‎141] (162/448)

( Perfepolis.
Mace or other like Enfign of Majefty; another an Umbrella. In the one hand the Kin?
holds a fhort fpear, Hafiafrmma armor urn efi & %. which as 1
apprehended was the Scepter of old,and by the had in veneration.
ftrnm ; origme Rege And faith
Sjmdan^mfta. mU almd eft qmmSceftm;
The Spear was no other than a Scepter; as for example, holding a Spear in his
hand fwore by that Scepter. Which neverthelefs was foon after converted fnto
as we have authority m bh. Heft. 5.2. where Ahafmrm the Perftan King held out the golden
Scepter in his hand for the Queen to touch in %n of favour and probably it was in-
nched with precious ftones, with which this great Prince was fo delighted that the
Jewels he ufuajly wore were eftimated at ioooo Talents. In the other he holds a Mound
or round Ball figmfymg Sovereignty Some others feem to be of principal note ; for
they have round folded Caps a fpan long and flat at the top, not unlike to Caps of State
or Maintenance ; with long Vefts in large plats and folds, and ample fleeves like unto
the ancient Maunch or Surplice, and armed with fliort crooked Scemiters ftuck thwart
their breafl: into a girdle: And other fome (according to the mode now ufed there)
wear high peaked Caps, fuch as I found worn in and in the right hand
they hold a fliort Staffor Batoonfuch as in pidturesare given.Generals or thofe that have
eminent Command in Armies. Others referable Souldiers, and are armed with Sword
and Dagger, Half-pike and Bow with very large Arrows i but their quivers are of an
antick fliape different from thofe which are at this day ufed. There are alfo the figures of
Lions contending for prey, Tygres, Goats and other Beafts. And in vacant places be
twixt the Images the Wall is damasked a lagrotefco or adorned with Trees and Land-
skips; which though not drawn by Lyfippm, neverthelefs for the great Antiquity thev
bear may worthily receive acceptation from any Traveller.
Adjoyning thefe towards the Weft is a Jafper or Marble Table about twenty foot
from the pavement, wherein are infcribed about twenty lines of Charaders, every
line being a yard and half broad or thereabouts*, all of them very perfed to the eye,
and the ftone fo well polilhed that it referves its luftre. The Characters are of a ftrange
and unufual fhape*, neither like Letters nor Hieroglyphicks yea, fo far from our
deciphering that we could not fo much as make any politive judgement whether they
were words or Charaders; albeit I rather incline to the firft, and that they compre
hended words or fyllables, as in Brachyography or Short-writing we familiarly pradife:
Nor indeed could we judge whether the Writing were from the right hand to the left,
according to the Chaldee and uliial manner of thefe Oriental Countreys} or from the left
hand to the rigljt, as the Greeks, Romans and other Nations imitating their Alphabets
have accuftomed : Neverthelefs, by the pofture and tendency of fome of the Chara-
ders ( which confift of feveral magnitudes) it may be fuppofedthat this writing was
rather from the left hand to the right, as the Armenian and Indian do at this day. And
concerning the Charaders, albeit I have fince compared them with the twelve leveral
Alphabets in Poftellm, and after that with thofe eight and fifty different Alphabets I find
in Purchaj, molt of which are borrowed from that learned Scholar Gromay which indeed
comprehend all or moft of the various forms of Letters that either now are or at any
time have been in ufe through the greateft part of the Univerfe, I could not perceive
that thefe had the leaft refemblance or coherence with any of them : which is very
ftrange, and certainly renders it the greater curiofity *, and therefore well worthy the
Scrutiny of fome ingenious Perfons that delight themfelves in this dark and difficult Art
or Exercife of deciphering. For, how obfcure fbever thefe leemed to us, without doubt
they were at fome time underftood, and peradventure by Daniel, who probably might be
thefurveyour and inftrud the Architedor of this Palace, as he was of thofe memorable
Buildings at Shujhan and JEchatan) for it is very likely that this ftrudure was raifed by
Aflyages or his Grandfon Cyrus, and is acknowledged that this great Prophet (who like-
wife was a Civil Officer in highelt truft and repute during thofe great revolutions of
State under the mighty Monarchs Nehmhodonofor, Beljhazzar, Aftyages, Darius and Cy-
rus ) had his myfterious Charaders: So as how incommunicable foever thefe Charaders
be to us, (for they bear the refemblance of pyramids inverted or with bafes upwards,
Triangles or Delta's, or (if I may fo compare them) with the Lamed in the Samaritan
Alphabet, which is writ the contrary way to the fame Letter in the Chaldee and Hebrew:)
yet doubtlefs in the Age thefe were engraven they were both legible and intelligible i
and not to be imagined that they were there placed either to amufe or to delude the
fpedators : for it cannot be denied but that the Terfians in thofe primitive times had
Letters peculiar to themfelves, which differed from all thofe of other Nations, according
to