'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.' [‎94] (765/1024)

t
Dehli and Agra capital
be fo facil as fome make it. TheSed is too much libertine, and too attractive to quit
if, it is a pernitious Law, which hath been introduced by Arms and Force, and tfjH
gets ground by thofe means : and I hardly know any other way capable to (hake and
root it out. If therefore there intervene not fome of thofe grand and extraordinary
itroaksof Heaven, and God by his powerful and particular Providence interpofe not,
(as we ought always to hope, according to the great appearance there have been in China]
in Japan, and in the Perfon of King Jehan-Gyire ) confidering the irreverence of
the Ghriftians in their Churches, fo diflbnant frotn our belief of the part icular prefence
of God upon our Altars, and fo different from that deep and ailoniOiing refpecfi which
thofe Infidels bear to their Mofquees, where they would not fo much as turn their heads,
or fpeakthe lead: word to one another j there will alwayes be great obftacles to their
Converlion. _
In Agra the Hollanders' have alfo an Houfe, \^here ordinarily they keep four or five
perfons. Formerly they had a good trade therein felling Scarlet, great and fmall
Looking-glaffes, plain Lace, and Gold and Silver Lace, and fome fmall Wares* and in
buying Indigo, which is gathered round about Agra, but efpecially at Bianes, but two
leagues diftant from it, and whither they go once a year, having an houfe there for that
purpof^ * as alfo in buying thofe cloths of Jelapotir and Labpm, atfeven or eight days
journey from Agra, where they alfo keep an hoiifC, and whither they fend fome Fadlors
once a year. But now they fay, that there is little profit for them in that trade,whether
it be that the Armenians drive the fame traffick, or that ’tis fo far from Agra to Suratte,ot
that commonly fome mifchief or other befalls their Caravams, which muft pafs by Amada-
vad ovcx all the Countries of the Rajas to avoid the ill ways, and the mountains that
are on the fide of Gznleor and Brampour, which is the nearer way. Yet notwithllanding
tbefe difcouragements, they will never (I believe ) abandon this Factory An East India Company trading post. , as the Eng-
lifb have done theirs in that place,if it were for nothing elfe but their Spices,which there
they fell very well, and for having fome of their People near the Court taking care of
their concerns: fince it cannot beotherwife, but that frequently fome trouble will befal
their Factories by the tyranny of the Governors and other Officers, now from the fide of
Bengala and Eatna, another time from Suratte and Amadavad.
Wc will conclude this part with thofe two wonderful Maufolees, or Tombs, that
give to Agra{o much advantage over Dehli, It was Jehan-Guire that caufed the firft to
be ere&ed to honour the memory of his Father Eckfcar * and Cbah-Jehan raifed the other
in honour of 'taje^Mehale his Wife, that extraordinary and celebrated Beauty of the In
dies, whom he loved fo paflionately, that’tis faid, he never enjoyed any other Woman
but her whilft (he lived, and that when (he died, he was in danger to die himfelf.
I (hall not (fay todifcourfe of the Monument of Eckhar, becaufe whatever beauty is
there, is found in a far higher degree in that ot Taje-Mehale, which I am now going to
defcribe unto you. You may therefore reprefeht to your felf, that at the going out of
the City of Agra Eaft-ward, you enter into a long and broad paved ftreet, which rifeth
gently, and hath on one fide an high and long wall, making the fide of a fquare Garden
that is much bigger then our Ealace-Royal * and on the other fide a row ot new houfes
arched, fuch as are thofe of the principal Streets of Dehli above fpoken of.^ Having
gone the length of half the Wail, you (hall find on the right hand of the fide of the
Houfes a great Gate well made, by which one enters into a Carvan-firab, and over againfi
it on the walls fide, a {lately Gate of a great fquare Pavilion, by which you enter into
the Garden between two Confervatories built up with Freeftone. This Pavilion is
longer then ’tis large, built of a Stone like red Marble, but not fo hard. The Fron-
tifpiece feems to me very magnificent after their way, and as high as that cf St. Louys
in the Street of St. Antony. It is true, you do not there fee Columns, Archi-traves,
. and Cornilhes cut out after the proportion of thofe Five Orders of Archite&ure (b re-
ligioufly obferved in our Palaces: it is a different and particular kind of ftru&ure, but
fuch an one as wants no agreeablenefs even in the unufualnefs of its contrivance, and
which in my opinion, would very well deferve a place in bur Books of Architecrure. I is
almod nothingbut Arches upon Arches, and Galleries over Galleries, difpofed and or
dered an hundred different ways > and yet all appears (lately, well enough contrive
and managed. There is nothing that offends the eye * on the contrary all is plea ing,
and a man cannot be weary in beholding it. The laft time I few it, I was there wit
one of our French Merchants, who alfo could not behold it enough. I durfi not tel im
my thoughts of it, apprehending l might have fpoiled my gull, and framed it accor -