'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎90] (129/1024)

9°
The Persian Travels.
Book II.
whereot ends in one tingle Nut, which being cover’d with Earth produces the
tree. Moft of the people of the Country do fay, that in regard there is among t h e
Palm-trees the diftindfion of Male and Female, that therefore they muft be pla nte ^
one by another, for that otherwife the Female Tree will bear no Fruit. But others
affirm that nicety to be unneceffary •, and that it fuffices, when the Male is inBloflbfn
to take a Flower from the Male, and put it into the Heart of the Female a littfe
above the Stem *, for unlefs they (hould do fo, all the Fruit would fall off before it
came to maturity.
There is at Balfara a Cady that adminifters Juftice, and who is eftabliffi’d by th e
authority of the Prince that commands there. In the City are alfo three forts of
Chriftians, Jacobites, Neftorians, and Chriftians of St. John, There is alfo a Houfc
of Italian Carmelites V and there was a Houfe of Portugal Auftin-Fmts, but they have
forfak’n the Town ever fince their Country-men quitted the Trade.
The Chriftians of St. John are very numerous at Balfara, and the Villages there-
labours j who anciently liv’d by the River of Jordan, where St. John Baptiz’d; and
from whom they took their Name. But fince the time that Mahomet conquer’d
Paleftine, though Mahomet formerly gave them his Hand and his Letters of p r j.
viledge that they fhould not be molefted, neverthelefs they that fucceeded the
falfe Prophet refolv’d to extirpate them all *, to which purpofe they ruin’d their
Churches, burnt their Books, and exercis’d all manner of cruelties upon their per-
(bns: which oblig’d them to retire into Mefofotamia and Chaldea, and for fome time
they were under the Patriarch of Babylon, from whom they leparated about a
hundred and fixty years ago. Then they remov’d into Perfia and Arabia, and the
Towns round about Balfara y as Souter, Vejfoul, Rumez, Bitoum, Mono, Endecav,
Calafabat, Aveza, Vega, Dorech-, Mafquel, Gumar, Cariamws, Balfara, Onezer, Ztc\
Loza, Nor do they inhabit City or Village by which there does not run a River,
And many of their Bifhops have aflur’d me, that the Chriftians in all the foregoing
places make above five and twenty thoufand Families. There are feme among them
who are Merchants *, but the moft part of them are Trades-men^efpecially Gold-
fmiths, Joyners, and Lock-fmiths.
Their Creed is full of fables and foul errours. The Perfians and Arabiant call them
Sahbi, a People that have forfak’n theiy own Religion, to take up a new one. In
their own Language they call themfelves Mendai Jahia, or THfciples of St. John,
from whom, as they afeertain us, they have receiv’d their Faith, fheir Books, and
their Traditions. Every year they celebrate a Ftaft for about five days, during
which time they go in Troops to their Biftiops, who Baptize them according to the
Baptifm of St. John.
They never Baptize but in Rivers, and only upon Sundays. But before they
go to-the River they carry the Infant to Church, where there is aBilhopwho
reads certain Prayers over the Head of the Child i from thence they carry the Child
to the River, with a Train of Men and Women, who together with the Bilhop
go up to the knees in W ater. Then the Bifliop reads again certain Prayers out of a Book
which he holds in his Hand, which done he fprinkles the Infant three times, faying,
Beefmebrad er-Rabi, Kaddemin, Akjreri, Menhal elgennet Alii Koulli Kraleltf or, In th
"Name of the Lord) firfl and lafi of the IVorld and of Paradife, the high Creator of nil
things. After that, the Bifhop reads fomething again in his Book, while the God
father plunges the Child all over in the Water j after which they go all to the Parents
Houfe to feaft. If any tax their Baptifm for inefficient, in regard the Three Perfons
of the Divinity are not nam’d therein, they can make no rational defence for them
felves. Nor have they any knowledge of the My fiery of the Holy Trinity, only
they (ay that Chrift is the Spirit and Word of the Eternal Father. They are To
blind as to believe the Angel Gabriel to be the Son of God, begotten upon Light j
yet will not believe the Eternal Generation of Chrift, as God. Yet they confers
he became Man, to free us from the Puniffiment of Sin; and that he was conceiv’d
in the womb of a Virgin without the knowledge of Man, by means of the Water
of a certain Fountain which (he drank of. They believe he was crucifi’d by th e
Jews *5 that he rofe the third day; and that his Soul afeending up to Heaven, his
Body remain’d on Earth. But like the Mahometans they corrupt their Faith, by
faying, that Chrift vanifti’d when the Jem came to take him, and that he deluded
their cruelty with his Shadow.
■ . . ‘ ■ ", -. ' ■ . ' : ■ ■ -s In
I
*