'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.' [‎301] (324/448)

The Terjiam 'Royal ^ o i
laft Aflyrian Monarch, whofe Dodrine was edeyhibe, lade : for thefe look temptingly^
drink notably5 and covet Mens Souls and Money greedily. They fcorn, nay upbraid the
foberer fort with epithetes of flave, rejeded, unfociable, and unworthy their notice.
So as, true it. is at this day what Trogm Pomp, obferved long ago, Parthi Vxorihm & fe-
minis non conviviis tantum virorum, fedetiam confpeBu inter die eh ant, See. But that the Women
had greater liberty, is obferved by an Author of good credit, Perfarum repbm in
coena ac contiwiis adjidet re gin a, Vemm uhi ludendi & inehriandi incejfit voluntas, eas amar.*
dant, & muficas pellicefq, advocant: The Queen is prefent with the Perfian Kings at
Supper and Banquets, but withdraws when the King is dilpofed to drink and be
merry '• for then they call for Mufique and Curtefans, reBe hoc quidem, quod ehrietatis
& Uhidinis fua participes fieri Vxores nolmt ^ done in regard they would not have their
Wives partakers in thofe intemperate and wanton Enterprizes. Plutarchi moralia in
conjugdia pracepta. And yet Xenophon in the Inftitution of Cyrm lib. 1. fayes, That the
Perfians cuftome was to kifs each other at meeting and parting. And in the i^.ch. and
15.-2/. of the Apocryphal part of Hefier 'tis f^id Tulit auream virgam & pofuit fuper
collum eju* & ofculatm efl earn. Howbeit, that manner of lalute is now very olfenfive
to the Perfian.
Concerning the Arms of Perjia, Zonarat in his firft Book and nineteenth Chapter out
of an ancient Monument obferveth, that in old times they bore Luna an Eagle crowned''
of the Sun, dilplayed Saturn $ which continued for many defcents their Royal Enfign,
till Cyrus (as in the Empire,in Efcutcheon alfo) made an alteration. Xenophon gives us the
view thereof ^ Erat Cyro ftgnum aurea Aquila in longa haft a fufpenfa , & nunc etiam id infigne
Perfarum Regibus manet, &c. Born till Craffus perifhed by them, at which time a Sa-
gittary was blazoned in their Royal Standard: A fit Emblem of that people, who for
skillinHorfemanlhipandfrequent riding might properly be refembkd to a Sagittary:
from whence alfo that Coin of Dariques came, a round piece of Gold (fifteen ihillings
in our Money,) being ftamped on the one ilde, and a Sagittary (his Coat-armour)
on the other •, memorized by Plutarch in the life of Jgefilaus, who complained that liis
defign of conquering Jfia was prevented by thirty thoufand Sagittaries meaning a
Bribe of fo many pieces of Gold bearing thatftamp, given to betray his Enterprize.
But Mahomet when he had yoked their Necks under a two-fold bondage, the other were
rejeded, and a Symbol of greater myftery in their Banner diiplayed, viz.. Mercury, a
Crefcent Luna, with this impreza, Totum dum impleat Orhem *, alluding to an univerlal
command: which fince was borrowed by the French, how properly I know not, but may
appear to luchasgo to Fountain-hleau, where that device I faw iterated. But Mahomet's.
predidion failed when that Santoon of Ardaveil invented a new Enfign, viz.. Venus, a Lion
couchant Sol\ the Sun orient in his Face, of the fame : minted alfo in their Brafs medals,
and (as a tie of amity) accepted of by the great Mogul and other neighbouring Princes
in India. But the Cawns, Beglerbegs, Sultans (the fame the Greek* called Homotimi, i.
e. Perfian Nobles, Satraps the Romans,) Agaes, Soldagars, and Coofel-balhes bear no
Coat-Armour ^ not that they are intituled flaves, but from their ignorance in Heral
dry: for no honour there is hereditary. Neverthelefs, this I can fay in praife of the
Perfian, They are very humane and noble in their natures * 7 differing in their ingenuity
and civility to one another, but much more to ftrangers, very much from the Turks,
who are rugged and barbarous. For the Perfians allow degrees amongft: themfelves, and
of other people have a due efteem according to their birth and quality, yea, give refped
agreeable to merit.
In old times (commonly though corruptedly fo called, feeing as one fays well our
Times are the ancient Times, in that the World is now ancient, and not thofe we count
fo by a retrograde computation) they were Idolaters, fuch as the Gowers be now, the Cur-
di in Syria, the Perfees in India, the Pegouans, &c. but by converfe with Greeks and Romans,
abolilhed their Celeftial worfhip, and (as .relates) received Demonomie, conti
nued till The Firmament they called Jupiter the primum mobile of other God?,
him they feared: but Jpollo (the 1 Sun, or Mithra as they termed him) they molt affeded,
and to whom they dedicated many Temples, attiring him with epithetes of honour, healthy
and gentlenefs 5 as yet memorifing his Image in the ftamp and Coat-Armour of their Em-
perours. The Moon alfo had adoration amongft them, fuppofing her efpoufed to Apollo j
and for her benevolent influences towards produdion, Crefcente Luna frumenta grander
femt, PUn. 18. as yet continued: for upon the fir ft view, they give it a Mombarrock.
They alfo had Reward and Punifhment- ranked in the Catalogue of their Deitiesf."
Venm had equal reverence: the Earth alfo, Water, Air, and Fire, wanted not the
names of Deities, Fire and Water efpecially. Zertooft charged them to keep a con
tinual