'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.' [‎294] (317/448)

i
zpj. High efleem of the Perfian Kipgs*
the prefervation of Cities and Men ; to the end, they may enjoy a happy life : yea for
that r-afon it is the Apoftle enjoyns us to pray for Kings and all that are tn Jnthority, that
under \hem we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in allgodhnefs and honefty ; the true reach of
the Law being, onely to maintain property, to fecure the perfons and Eftates of men^and
to order all things To as may conduce to publique good ; lach is the happinefs we enjoy
But in viewing the reverfe fhall find that in Perfta, Turkic and other Mahometan Countreys
it is otherwiie; for there the Princes exercife a merum Iv.permm, not enduring to be limi-
ted or bounded by any Law : fo that the fence being broken down, what defence is
there for the poor fubjed againft rapine, luft, or what may otherwife deftroy and
render the outward man as to this iife moft miferable ? Nay, the inward too •, albeit
there be a feeming toleration; for how many affronts and malfacres aded upon tri
vial pretences are 0 they that profefs Chrift fubjed to ? How oft are their children ra-
vifhed from them and forcibly circumcifed ? with other cruelties, too many to be here
12 That*therefore which the.Perfian Kings of old fo much gloried in, Se ejfe Vonijnos om*
mum Homimm, &c. is now their dodrine : for they have power of life and death j con-
demn without hearing ^ difpofe of mens perfons and eftates when and as they pleafe with
out any refped of right elpecially at mens deaths,where there is any confiderable Eftate j
the heir not prefuming further than to inventory, feeing the King hath the fole power
of difpofure and fo, as in the dividend 'tis well if a tenth come to the right iiiheritor,as
v/e under ft and right. Such alas is the cuftome and conftitution of thole Eaftern Coun
treys ! where the beft reafon they have is That in all Ages they have been nuzzled under
that fort of Government, and through long cuftome ufed to adore their King ; fo that
as of old they are not content to reverence him as the Image of God who (as Plutarch in
the life of Themiftocles albeit a Gentile doth confefs) by his infinite wifdome governs and
preserves all things, with Orpheus account him Animata Dei imago in terris, and with Ho
mer thel)eft beloved Son of Jove but have a more tranfcendent efteem and opinion con
cerning him : For they retain the fame repute as in former times their Anceltors did of
their elemental Deities: Per fas loco Deorum habere Keges, faith v£fchilus, a Worihip aifu-
med firft by Cyrus upon his conqueft of Babylon^ after which time proftrations were
ordinarily made by thefubjeds. So as one in their excufe faith, non pie folum fed etiam
prudenter Reges fuos inter Deos colebant, profirato corpore Regem venerantur.y Plutarch in vita
Themifloclts : with which kind of adoration, Heliogabalm was ferved, more Perfarum, faith
the Hiftorian. But we may fuppofe this was a civil not a divine honour. Neverthelefs from
that reverential awe, they prefumed not either to fpitor cough in prefence of the King, a
cuftome anciently pradifed (as Xenophon obferves)or in publique affemblies appear other
than inanimate Statua's *, and as of old, pull their hands within their fleeves in lign of fer-
vitude, forbearing for thofe times in his prefence .to fpeak to one another, or probably
to think amifs, vlor fome of the fimpler fort liippofe he knows their very thoughts: So
as at the receipt of any Letter from him they firft give it a mombarroc or folemn refped
by the bowing their bodies and kifling the paper before they read; and fwear ufually by
his head, as Shaw-ambajhy and Serry-jhaw, than which they have not a more lolemn atte-
ftation. But herein they imitate others of old**, for in Gen. 42. 16. we find Jofephfazw-
ing by the life of Pharaoh. The Greeks alfo as Juvenal obferves jurare paratis per Caput
alterius were ufed to fwear by one anothers head ; which the Romans themfelves likewife
imitated as appears by Ovid in his Epiftles, Per que tuum mflrumq. Caput quod junximus una
juro and by Sil. lib. 10. Adjuro teque tuumque Caput : but the Perfians l)efides the head
l\vore by the Kings right handfor that was the Oath Darim gave T erem the Eunuch
when chofen to attend the Princefs Statira, afterwards married to Alexander: yea, they
apprehend that the King fees in all places, as may be prefumed by pointing tjieir finger
to the eye and faying Chafh i. e. the King fees •, and his words efteemed Apophthegms
are many times regiftred as well as deeds in Cedar Tablets gumm'd with Cinnaber, his
Name ufually writ with gold upon paper of a curious glofs and finenefs varied into fe-
veral fancies, elfeded by taking oyl'd colours and dropping them feverally upon water,
whereby the paper becomes fleek and chamletted or vein'd in fuch fort as it refembles A-
gat or Porphyry. In a word, they fpare not to parallel their King with Mahomet and
Allyj and as accuftonied of old, ingeminate
De noftris Annis tibi J upiter augeat Aunos, i 0 f s 0 f oHrs fa G ^ s p re f crve fty life.
Yea,