'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.' [‎309] (332/448)

And by Juvenal in his 6. Sat.
Fruitful in tears I T'ears that flill ready ft and
To fally forth, and but expert command*
And Lacrymas non fponte cadentes
effmdunt, &c. by Luc an.
In which decorum they march flowly and with a commendable fiknce', but at his Dormi
tory ululate Lala-miulUy i. e. Let us praife God. There they'firft uncloath and theit
cleanle the Carcafs, for his fins thereby as they fay vaniih: then they anoint him with
Unguents, and fo wrapt in fine linnen bury him, placing his head towards Meccha, his
race towards Heaven, (the rather noted, in that the other Sex are buried with their faces
downwards,)and his arms fpread,as prepared to embrace his Prophet Mahomet. Upon the
Grave they fix two ftones, at his head and feet, which in Arahick^ characters engraved
and coloured, note his Name, Quality and time of Burial. There they leave him,
but give not over twice every day to fing his Reqniemy befeeching to fuccour
him againft his bad Angels: of whom, as part of their Creed, they nourilh this
Opinion:
So foon as any Mujfulman is buried, forthwith Muengar and Qharequar two ugly Devils
at ail him •, the one armed with an iron club, the other with a hook of flaming brafs: in
which frightful pofture they view the Carcafs, and in an imperious or rather infolent
manner command him to lift up his head, to fall proftrate upon his knees, and beg his
Soul, which it is fuppofed was till then departed: The dead Body re-entertains his SouL
and together give an account of their palfed Life: Now upon confeffion if it appear
that his Life was good, the Devils as Spirits flee away, and give way to two good An
gels ( apparell'd in white filk ) to comfort him •, to the day of doom not budging from
him, nor feeming unwilling to proted him. But in cafe his Life upon examination or
confeflion appear bad, then the black-fac'd Caco-dasmon with the iron club hits him fd
pat on the head as thumps him ten yards deep into the ground j where he fleeps not long
tor immediately the other fpiteful HeUiound with the flaming hook pulls him' up again •
in that horrid fort tormenting him till Mahomet calls a Parliament and gives deliverance!
In one place of his Alcoran he promifes to fave them all ^ but in another ( forgetting his
promife) appoints them to pafs over a narrow Bridge (he calls it the Bridge of Judge
ment ) each Man carrying his fins in a bag behind him ^ but in paffing over, with fuch as
have heavy loads the Bridge breaks, and they fall into Hell*, fuch as have lefs weight,
into Purgatory, &c.
In former times they uled to burn the Bodies, as did the Romans and moft Ethnimes.
The Carcafs was folded in linnen called Linum Vivum made of the ftone Asheflos, which
was both fpun and woven into linnen; and being put into the fire would not confume, but
preferved the aflies from mixture with other things, and fo was committed to the Sepul
chre. This precious fort of incombuftible-linnen at the firft was fold at a high rate,but after
wards became more common: for fuch time as Sylla befieged Athens, it was obferved
that what was anointed with that oyl became free from burning. Pliny alfo reports That
he faw Napkins frequently ufed, which when dirty or foul, were cleanfed by Fire and not
by Water. A rare kind of walhing! Of this alfo were confected the famous everlait-
ing Lamps and Tapers. The ftone is called Asbefton, i. e. Unextinguifhable; but the
linnen or ftufF Amianthm : fome of w T hich. Lamps have (as Hiftorians'fay ) burnt 1500'
Years, clofed in glaifes and placed in Caves and old Sepulchres: the aliment being this
Ashefton mixt with Naphtha, or other like bituminous matter or fubftance.
Concerning the Furniture of their Houfes, call him to mind who by the foot of Alci-
des found out his other dimenfion: A Pan, a Platter and a Carpet is the Epitome. Their
diet is foon dreft, readily eaten, and as quickly digefted as defcribed. Their Table is
ufually the Ground, 'covered with fome fleight fort df Carpet, over which they
fpread a pintado cloth, and fit crofs-legg'd as Taylors: But this manner of fitting was
not fo amongft the Per/ians of old, nor fo with other Nations, as appears Gen. 43. 33.
where'tis faid, That Jofeph fat at Table with his Brethren: And, Prifci fe deb ant admenfam,
we find in Homer. Howbeit, in after-times the Oriental Nations non fedentes fed jdccntesm
leftd s, mollis coenabant, alfo pradifed amongft the Jews in the time of the firft Cxfars.
Afore each Man they lay five or fix thin cakes of wheat, or pan cakes, for other Bread
they make none: this, feme tear afunder ^hen they eat it, with their ten fingers, re-
prefenting (forfooth) as fome imagine the Ten Commandmenrs- ^ ~ , "~ 1 ~' 1 vfcattering
manv