'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.' [‎93] (132/1024)

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Chap. Yin. of Monfieur Tavernier.
Their chief Feftivals are three. The one in Winter, that lafts three days, in
memory of our firii Parent and the Creation of the World. The other in the
Month of Augiift, that alfo lalts three days, which is call’d the Feaft of St. J^/?.
The third which lafts five days, in Jum, during which time they are all re-baptiz’d.
They obferve Sunday, doing no work upon that day. -They neither Faft nor do any
penance. They have no Canonical Books, but a great number of others that treat
of nothing but Witchcraft, in which they believe their Priefts to be very crafty,
and that the Devils are at their beck. They hold alT Women to be unclean,
and that it is not at all available for them to come to the Church.
They have one Ceremony, which they call the Ceremony, of We Hen^ of which
they make great Accompt, which is not lawful for any to’ perform but a Prieft Born
of a Virgin at the time of her Marriage. When a hen is to be kill’d the Prieft
puts off his ordinary habit, and puts on a Linnen Cloth, girding his \Vafte with a
fecond , and throwing a third about his (boulders like a Stole. Then he takes the
Fowl, and plunges it in the water to make it clean * after which he turns toward
the Eaft and cuts off the head, holding the Body in his hand’till it has bled out all
the blood. While the Hen bleeds, with his Eyes lifted up to Heaven, as if he were in
an extafie, he repeats in his own Language thefe words following; In the name ofGod^
may this flefh he profitable to all that eat of it ? They obferve the fame ceremony
when they kill Sheep. For firft, they cleanfe the place very carefully where the
Sheep is to be kill’d, waftiingit with water, and ftrewingit with boughs, nor is the
number of people fmall that affifts at this Ceremony, as if it were at fome folemn
Sacrifice. If you ask them why it is not lawful for the Laity to kill Fowls? They
anfwer that it is no more lawful for them to kill than to confecrate them i and that is
all the reafon which they bring. They eat of nothing dreft by the lurhyb and if a
Turk, ask them for drink, fo foon as he has drank, they break the Cup. And to make
the Turks more hateful, they Ti&ure Mahomet like a great Gy ant, (hut up in Prifon
in Hell with four more of his Parents s and they fay, that all fhe are carry’d
into the fame place full of wild Beads to be there devour’d.
They pretend all to Salvation. For, fay they, after the Angel Gabriel had fram’d
the World by the command of God* he thus difcours’d him. Lord God^ faid he*
behold I have built the World as thou didll command me. It has put me to a great deal of
trouble^ and my Brethren alfo> to raife fuch high Mountains that feem to fufiain Heaven.
And who indeed was able to make way for Rivers through Mountains without va(l labour y
and to give every thing its proper place? Moreover^ great God, by the aid of thy
powerful Arm y we have brought the Wirld to fo much perfedion, that men cannot thinly
upon ary thing needful for them y which is not to be found therein. But infiead of that fatU-
fallion which I ought to have for having accompli (h^d fo great a work^ I find no reafon but
to be altogether griev'd. When God demanding the caufe, the Angel Gabriel anfwer’d ;
My God and Father y I will tell you what affii&sme* becaufethat after the making of
the W)rld as 1 have done y I forefee that there will come into it a prodigious number of
Jews, Turks, Idolaters y and other Infidels y Enemies of your ITame y who will he un
worthy to eat and enjoy the Fruits of our Labours. To whom God thus reply’d: Never
grieve, mySon y there jhall live in this World which thou hafi built, certain Chriftians
°f J°hn who fhall be my friends, and fhall be all fad'd. Upon which the Angel
admiring how that fhould be! What, faid he, will there not be feveral Sinners among
thofe Chriftians, and by confequence will not they be your Enemies? To whom God thus
concluded : That at the day of Judgment the Good (hould Fray for the Wicked, and by
that means they (hould be all forgiven, and obtain Salvation.
Thefe Chriftians have a ftrange Antipathy againft the Blew Colour call’d Indigo,
which they will not fo much as touch. For certain yen?/dreaming that their Law
fhould be abolifti’d by St. John, told it their Country-men. Which they under-
ftanding, and feeing that St. John prepar’d to Baptize Chrift, in a great rage,
fetch’d a vaft quantity of Indigo, which they call Aft// in their Language, and flung it
into Jordan. They add alfo that thofe Waters continu’d unclean for feme time, and
had hinder’d the Baptifm of Chrift, had not God fent his Angels with a large Veffel
of water, which he caus’d them to fill out of Jordan before the Jews had defil’d it
with Indigo j for which reafon God particularly Curs’d that Colour.
CHAP.