'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.' [‎41] (590/1024)

A Relation of the Grand Seignors Seraglio. 41
their nakcdnefs, they u(e in the Baths only inch Garments of JLinncn as are
ibwed clofe above ^ and reach from the wafte down to the Feet, much after
the manner pf a Womans ^etthcoat. At their coming out of the Bath, they
have two other forts of Linncn to dry themfelves withal, of the largcnefs of
ordinary Table-Cloths, whereof the one is Red, with a border of Silk of
three fingers breadth, which covers them, as loon as they are out of the water,
from tfie wafte downwards to the ham; and the other is White, wherewith
they rub themfelves. For thefe two forts of Towel^ they have but one Name,
to wit, Fecbefamal. # _ ^ . 4 , , .• j -; T , ' . ■ ; ,
On one fide of the Fountain, which : is in the mid ft of the Domd,! there is ,
an entrance into the Bath, arid near that is the Hall where they lincloadi them- vant:!nes
fclvcsin the Winter-time. A little Gallery which lies on the left hand, jeads'^.^^^
to the places defigiVd for the eafing of nature, and every feat has a little Cock, ccm } '
which fupplies them with water to walh themfelves, after they have done. It is
accounted an heinous Sin among them, to make ufe of Paper for that purpofc ;
and the rcafon they give for it is this, That, poffibly, the Name of God might
be written upon it, or might contain fome Text of the Law, which would be
a profanation pi it, and confequently ought to be avoided. Befides, they have
another opinion, That Paper is not fo proper fo well to make clean that part, which
the neceility of the Body does ordinarily fo much defile, but that there may 1 be
fomething of ordure left; and that being obliged to prefent themfelves before
God with an abfoiute Purity of Body and Mind, tKeir Prayers could not be
heard, if they lliould not be wholly clean.
The V.erfms are yet more fcrupulous than the Turfy upon this account. For 7^ Pcrfians
though they both agree in this. That their Devotions are incftcdual, nay m-moreferufuim
deed that they are not in a condition to perform them without crime, it they the
be not pure, as to Body and Mind; Yet the former are of a pcrlWalion, That Turk ’ s *
the kali ordure which, through Negligence • or Inadvertency, might remain,
upon their Perfons or their Garments, would render their Prayers fmidefs and
criminal, which the Turfy ^ fomewhat lefs fuperftitious as to that particular, will
not acknowledge. , : J- ■ i ,
Certain it is alfo, That in Per ft a they are extraordinary Lovers of Cleanliness ; They are great ^
inlomuch that I have oblerved, That at If ah an ^ the Metropolis of that Country, °f dcan i
where the Streets are not paved, when there falls a little Snow or Rain, which lne s °
muh occafion fome dirt, few People will come out of their Houles, unlefs they
be forced thereto by fome Concern of great importance. And when they do
go abroad at fuch a time, at the Houfe-door into which they are to enter, they
put off their Shooes, their tipper-garment, the Cap which covers their Turbants 5
and if they have the leaft dirt or filch about them, they think themielves im
pure, and that it would be a difrefpcdl: to the Peffon whom they are to Vifir.
Nay, a Perfian Dial 1 be very (cfiipuious, and make a great difficulty to receive
a Man into his Houfe in Foul Weather; and if any one prdents himfelf into
that pleafure, he makes a fign to him with his hand to keep at a certain
diftance from him, in the place wherein he is to enter into Dilcourfe with
Kim. For if by chance as he comes out of the Street, where there is fome dirt,
and where Horfes pafs to and fro, and may caff: fome of it upon him, he has
the leaft {pot of any daggling about him, and afterwards touch the Perfon,
whom he conies to Vifit, this latter would be that is to fay, Unclean, and
thereupon be obliged immediately to change his deaths; fo great is the Super-
ftition qf the Perfians^ as to that particular.
, At the end of the Gallery, there is a door which gives you paffage into three chambers very
Chambers, which are fo many Baths for the ufe of the Grand Sei'gnor’s Quarter. f v , er *j ve
There is adjoyning to the laft of thofe Chambers a fpacions place pav'd Chequer-
We With Marble of different colours^ and there the. IchogUns are trimm’d. . This '
place has a little eminency in the midft of it, from which there is a gentle delcenc
pf all elides, that the Water wherewith the Barbars waffi their Heads and Beards
Jpay the more cafily be carried off,* and the place be always kept clean. On both
jides of the Wall, whereby it is enclos’d, there is a great double Cock, with two •
Leys belonging to it, which, at the fame mouth, fupplye's them alternately with
Either hot water, dr cold, and that falls into a Bafin or Receptacle of White
■' ‘ J " ■ - - ' ‘ '* Marble.: