'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.' [‎148] (189/1024)

148
TheV ersian "Travels
Book IV
Fountain all cover’d with Carpets. At every corner of the is a Room rofi t
and take the frelh Air *, and behind another large Room, the floor whereof is f prca(J
with Carpets, Mattreffes, and Cufbions, according to the quality of theMaiierof
the Houfe. Upon the two Tides bf the Portico are two other Chambers, and doors
to ao from one Chamber to another: and thus are the Houfes of the great Lords
built but only they are more fpacicus.For their Houfes conlili of four great Parlou rs
that look toward the four corners of the Wbrld, and every Parlour has two Chambers
upon each hde, which make eight Chambers, that furround a great Hall in the
middle. The King’s Palace is alfo built after the fame fafhion : and generally the
Perfiatis Houfes are very low, it being a rare thing to fee one three Stories high. Vet
all their Chambers and Rooms are arched, whereip the Pnfian exceeds us.For with,
out all that trouble and time that we fpend, they will prefemiy raife an Archfo
broad and high as eafily demonlfrates theskill of the .Work man. The topsofrheir
Houfes are flat and terrafs’d *, being plafler’d with Earth mixt with Straw chopt
very fmall and well temper’d s which they bind together with a layer of Lime heath
for feven days together, which makes it as hard as Marble, and if they want Lime,
they pave the Terrafs with fquare Tiles bak’d in an Oven > fo that the Rain can do
no harm. But they are very careful to (hovel off the Snow, fo^ (bar it crack the
Tetrafs with lying. Without the-Houfes (how nothing, but within they are curioufly
painted with Birds aniflowers,wherein the Perfians are no badArtifls. They takegreat
delight to have feverallittle Chambers,with feveral Doors,and Lattice-windows, the
quarrels whereof are of Glafs of various colours.This fort of glazing ferves generally,
and indeed more properly, for the Apartment where the Women may come. For they
might have Cryftal* windows if they pleas’d, but they glaze the void fpaces in this
matter, that theirWomen may not be feen •, after they have fram’d the op’n place that
gives light, like a Flower-Pot with feveral Flowers in it, which the Glafs of feveral
colours imitates to the life* whereby ijtTs impoflible that the Windows (houldbe
peer’d through * befides, thatTt-isT>feafant to the Eye. The Doors of their Houfes
are of Tefer-Wood, which is very noble, and their Wainfcotingis as neat. The
Perfians that love oftentation, always difplay their rich Carpets, Mattreffes, Cudiions,
Coverlets, and all the mdft coftly Furniture they have, in the fore part of their
dwellings : For the Haram, or the Women’s Quarter is but meanly adorn’d, in regard
they are never vifited by any men but their Husbands. In fome of their Rooms they
have very narrow Chimnles * for the Perfians kt all their Wood upright which they
burn, becaufe of theSmoak * befides, they make but fmall Fires, in regard they have
fo great a fcarcity of Wood. When^tbey would go to lleep, they lye down upon a
Plank cover’d with a Carpet, and Wrap themfelves in a quilted Blanket. In the Sum
mer they deep in the open Air, upon their Terrafles * and in regard the Women lye
there too,there is an order obtain’d, that the Moullahs that ting upon the Mofqm
{ball not prefume to go up in the morning, becaufe it might be their hap to fee the
Women as they lay *, it being one of the higheft pieces of infamy imaginable for a
Woman to be difcover’d with her Face op’n.
There are fome Houfes that belong to great Lords, that have a fquare place before
their Doors, where they that come to vifit them may put their Horfes,totheendthe
Street fhould not be petter’d. If you look upon the Front of their Houfes, there is
little ornament to be feen, unlefs it be upon fome which have been lately built.
CHAP. V.
A Deftription 0 / Ifpahan, the chief City of the Kingdom and Do
minions of the King o/Perfia.
. • . I
I Spaban t SphabanfiiSphaon>as thePerfians pronounce it,which fomeTravelkrshavc
too unwarily affirm’d to be a fine City, lyes in the Province of Hierac, which
compofes fome part of the ancientKingdom oPthcP art bians.\t is theCapitalCity
of all Perfia, and a very large place, where the King ufually keeps his Court.
The Records of the Perfians declare that formerly it was two contiguous Towns, one