'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.' [‎164] (491/1024)

Travels in India.
Pan II,
Chap. v.
' I . \ ‘ / V
What tht Idolaters lelieve touching a Divinitj,
w . . v ; , \ ■' / ' ; ./
T Hough the Idolatrous Indians attribute to the Creature, as to Cows, Apes
and feveral Monitors, thofe Divine Honours which are only due to the
true Diety; yet they acknowledge one only Infinite Gbd, Almighty^ and only
Wife, the Creator of Heaven and earth, who fills all places with his prefence.
They call him in fome places P^ermejferj.n othersPcrc^Mc/,and Wefimn among the
Bramns that inhabit the Coaft of Cormandd. It may be, becaufe they have
heard that the Circle is the moll perfed of all Figures, therefore it is that
they fay God rs of an Oval Figure 5 for they have in all their Pagods an Oval
Flintftone, which they fetch from Ganges, and worfhip as a God. They are fo
obftinately wedded to this foolifh imagination that the wifefi: among the Bra-
mins will not fo much as hear any argument to the contrary. So that it is no
wonder that a people led by fuch blind Guides, Ihould fall into fuch Abylfes
of Idolatry. There is one Tribe fo fupedtitious,in reference to that article,that
they carry thofe Oval Flints about their Necks, and beat them againft their
Breafts, when they are at their devotions. In this dark and lamentable mill of
ignorance, thefe Idolaters make their Gods to be born like men, and aflign
them Wives, imagining that theirs are the pleafures of men. Thus they take
their Ram for a great Deity, in regard of the Miracles which they believe he
wrought while he liv’d upon Earth. Ram was the Son of a potent Raja King , who
was call’d by the name of Deferet, and the moll vertuous of all his Children,
which he had by two lawful Wives. He was particular belov’d by his Father,
who defign’d him to be his Succefibr. But the Mother of Ram being dead,
the Rajas other Wife, who had her Husband entirely at her beck, prevail’d
with him to exterminate Ram and his Brother Lokeman from his Houfe, and
all his Territories 3 upon whofe exclufion the Son of that Wife was declar’d the
Rajas Succeflbr. As the two Brothers were about to be gone, Rams Wife
Sira, of whom he went to take his leave, and whom the Idolaters worlhip
as a Goddefs, beg’d of him that fhe might not leave him, having made a refo-
lution never to forfake him } whereupon they all three went together to feek
their fortunes. They were not very fuccefsful at firft j for as they pafs’d through
n Wood, Ram being in purfuit of a Bird, Ilray’d from the Company, and was
miffing a long time; infomuch that Sita fearing that fome difafter was befall’n
him, befought Lokeman to look after him. He excus’d himfelf at firft, by rea-
fon that Ram had oblig’d him never to leave Sita alone, forefeeing by a Pro-
phetick Spirit what would befall her, fhould fhe be left to her felf. Never-
thelefs Lokeman being over perfwaded by the prayers of his fair Siller, went
to feek for Ram his Brother } but in the mean time Rhevan another of the 1 -
dolaters Gods, appear’d to Sita in the fhape of a Faquir, and beg’d an Alms
of her. Now Ram had order’d Sita, that fhe fhonld not flir out of the place
where he left herwhich Rhevan well knowing, would not receive the Alms
which Sita prefented him, unlefs fhe would remove to another place j which
when Sita had done, either out of negligence or forgetfulnefs, Rhevan feizd
upon her, and carry’d her into the thick of the Wood, where his Train flay’d
for him. Ram at his return miffing Sita, fell into a fwoon for grief, but be
ing brought again to himfelf by his Brother Lokeman, they two immediately
went together in learch of Sita, who was fo dearly belov’d by her Husband.
When the Bramins repeat this Rape of their Goddefs, they do it with tears
in their eyes, and great deraonflrations of forrow ^ adding upon this fubjea,
an infinite company of Fables more ridiculous, to fhew the great courage 01
Ram in purfuit of the Ravifher. They employ’d all Creatures living upon the
difcovery \ but none of them had the luck to fucceed, only the Monkey call a
Harman. He crofs’d over the Sea at one Leap, and coming into Rhevans Gar
dens, found Sita in the extremity of affli&ion ^ and very much furpriz’d to hear