'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.' [‎174] (215/1024)

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174
The P e r s i a n Travels
Boot IV,
nevei make ufe of Bed- cloaths.So foon, as ihcCorps is waih’d, they diefs it with ac ) e ,
white Shirt, a pair of Breeches, a WaPcost ard a Bonnet, all rew, reverhavV
been worn before. Then they put the Body in a linnen Sack, and fow up the rml
of it. That being done, the Prieftsccme and take up the Body to carry it to
which is attended by all the kindred and friends of the deceas’d, with every one J
Taper in his hand. Being come to Church, they fet down the Corps'before the Ab
where the Pried lays certain Pra^essi and then (efong up lighted Tapcjs^^j
about the Corps, they leave it fo all night. The next day in the morning a Bi^
qr an ordinary Pr;ed fays Mafs, at the end whereof they carry the Body before it I
doer of the Bidiop’s houfe, attended as before at what time the Bifhop comes fort^
and fays a prayer for the Soul of the deceas’d. Then eight or ten of the pOorer fort '
that are next at hand, carry the Body to the Church-vard. All the way they (W !
certain Dirges, which the PrieftscontinuejWhi’e the Body islet down into the Grave,
Then the Bilhop fakes three handfuls of Earth, and throws them ore after arotht i
into the Grave, pronouncing fhefe words } From Earth thou cam% to Earthtlm fait |
return^ and (lay there ’till our Lord comes. Thefe words being faid, they fill op th j
Grave. Thofe of the kindred and friends'that will go back find a Collation ready; ]
and if any other perfons will go along, they are not refus’d. For fieven days alfo j
they allow Dinners and Suppers to certain Priefis and poor people, if they are per-
Tons of ability: believing no Soul departed can be fav’d, unlefs the furvivors are at
that expence. Whence it comes to pafs, tbit fo many of the poor people arefo
miferable, and Slaves to the Mahometans, by borrowing Money to defray thofe I
exper ces, which they are not able to pay again.
When an Archbifhop or a Bifhop dyes, they add this farther Ceremony, that an
Archbifhop or a Bifhop writes a little Note, and cuttingop’n the Sack puts the Note
into the Hand of the deceas’d, wherein are theie words i Remember thy fdfctht
from Earth thou cam’jl, and to Earth thou fait return.
If a Slave dye before enfranchiz’d, when the Body is brought into the Churcli,
the Mafter writes a Note, wherein are thefe words * 5 Ret him mt grieve, I mfyijni
fee, and give him his liberty. For they believe that he would be reproach’d in tie
other World for being a Slave, for which his Soul might fufier tribulation. If tie
Mafter be dead, the Mifirefs does th,e fame. Ifan Armenian makes away himfelf,tiiey
never carry the Body out of the door of the houfe, but make a hole in the wall,
where they can moft conveniently,andcarry him to his Grave without any Ceremony,
The night preceding the Feaft of the Holy Qrofi, Men, Women) and Children go
to the Church-yard, whither they carry goodftoreof Food, not forgetting tkir
Wire. Immediately they fall a weeping over the Graves of the dead, and after
they have fpent feme time in that doleful Exercife, they all fall to eating and drink
ing-, thus paffing the whole pight by turns, in blub’ring, eating, and bubbing.
As for the poor people, they would think themfelves undone, and the mofl ,
unfortunate in the world, (hould they want Provifion and Wine to go to the Church* I
yards, the night before the Feaft of St. George, where they go to frolick it, rather [
then to pray for the Dead.
There may be fome few Armenians that embmceMabometanifm for worldlylntereh,
but they are generally the moft obftinate perfons in the world, and moft firm tb
their fuperftitsous Principles.
chap. XIV.
Examples of the Confflancy of \the Armenians, in maintdin 1 ^
their Religion againji the E executions of the Mahometans.
T is the cuftom of the Armenians, that when any one of them apoftatizes,
defires to return again to the Church, he cannot have Absolution but at the
fame City or Village where he firft abjur’d his Religion.
Now it happen’d that a young Armenian being lent to Smyrna with a very
confiderable quantity of Goods, and falling to debauchery, turn’d MahottuW, ®