'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.' [‎92] (131/1024)

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9 2
The Persian Travels.
Book II,
God gave him, took along with him three hundred thirty-Iix thoufand Demons,
and made the earth fo fertile, that it was but to Sow w Corning and Reap at
Night. That the fame Angel taught Adam to Plant and Sow, ana all other neceffary
Sciences. Moreover that the fame Angel made the feyen Iowa Spheres, the lead
whereofreaches to the Center of the World, in the fame manner as the Heavens
do all contriv’d one within another. That all thefe_ Spheres aie of different
Metals, the firft next the Center is of Iron, the fecond of Lead, the third of Braf s ,
the fourth ofLaten, the fifth ot Silver, the fixth of Gold, and the feventhof
Earth. The feventh is that which contains all the reft, and is the chiefeft ot all, as I
being the moft fruitful and profitable to Man, and the moft proper to preferve Man.
kind, whereas the reft feem rather to be tram d For its deftruchon. They believe
that over every Heaven there is Water, whence they conclude that the Sun fwirnsina
Ship upon that Water, and that the Maft of his Ship is a Crofs, and that there area |
great number of Boys and Servants to guide the Ships of the Sun and Moon, 1
Bdides, they have the Pidture of a Barqqe, which,they fay belong d to the Angel t
Bacan^ whom God fends to vifit the Sun and Moon, to fee whether they move right
or no, and keep clofe to their duty. V , .
In reference to the other World andLife tOvComej they believe there is no other
World, but where Angels and Devils, the Souls of good and bad r elide. ^ That in
that World there are Cities, Houfes, and Churches, and that the Evil Spirits have
alfp Churches, where they piay* fiogiog and rejoycing upon Tnftruments, and
Feafting as in this World. That when any one lies at the point of ueaih, three
hundred and fixty Demons comeand carry his-Soul to a place full of Serpents, Dogs,
Lyons, Tygres, and Devils » who, if it be the Soul of a wicked man, tear it in
pieces > but being the Soul of a Juff man, it creeps under the bellies of thofe Crea
tures into the prefence of God, who iits in his feat of Majefiy to judge the V \odd
That there are Angtls alfo that weigh the Souls of Men in a badance, who being
thought worthy, are admitted immediately into Glory. That the Angels and
Devils are Male and Female, and beget Children. That the Angel^Grf&rie/ is the
Son of God engender’d upon Light, and that he has a Daughter call’d Soum who
has two Sons. That the Angel Gahrielhzs feveral Legions of Demons under him
who are infteadof Souldiers, and others that are his Officers of Juftice, whom he
fends from Town to Town, and from City to City, to punilh the wicked.
In reference to Saints, they hold that Chrift left twelve Apoftles to Preach to the
Nations. That the Virgin Mary is not dead, but that (he lives fomewhere m the
World, though there be no perfon that can tell where (he is. That next tohet
St. John is the chiefeft Saint in Heaven , and next to them Zacbarias and ElizM
of whom they recompt feveral Miracles and Apocryphal Tales. For they believe
that they two begat St, John only by embracing j that when he came to beet
age they Marry’d him, and that he had four Sons which he begat upon the watersof
Jordan. That when St. John defil’d a Son, he pray’d to God, who drew him one out
of the water j fo that St. John had no mote to do with his Wife but only to give ta
the Child to bring up. That he dy’d a natural death, but that he commanded to
Difciples to Crucifie him after his death, that he might be like Chrift. Laftly,!*
he dy’d in the City of Fa/fer, and that he was buri’d in a Chryftal Tomb, broi#t
by miracle to the City, and that this Sepulchre was in a certain Houfe near the Rivo
Jordan, , t
They highly honour the Crofs, and (ign themfelves with it j but they are vet}
careful of letting the Turkf obferve them j and during their Ceremonies, they etjj
Watch at their Church doors for fear the Turks ftiould enter, and lay fome unju
Fine upon them. When they have ador’d the Crofs, they take it in two pie<$,
which they never put together again, ’till their Service re-begins. The r^lon vi)
theyfo adore the Crofs is drawn out of a Book which they have, Entitul a Tt
van. Where it is written that every day early in the Morning, the Angels ta e
Crofs and put it in the middle of the Sun, which receives his light from ,f , as
Moon alfo doth hers. They add, that in the fame Book are Pictur’d two Ships, 0
of which is nam’d the Sun, the other the Moon *, and that in every one o
Ships there is a Crofs full of Bells: And moreover, that if there were not a Lro
thofe two Ships, the Sun and Moon would be depriv’d of Light, and the Ships 1
fufferShipwrack.
Their