'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.' [‎100] (771/1024)

Dehli and 'Agra capital
meant *, but I learnt (hortly after, that thefe had been five Slaves, who, having feen
their Miftrefs extreamly aiflided at the ficknefs of her Husband, and heard her prumife
him that fhe would not furvive him,but burn her felf with him, were fo touch’d with
compafiion and tendernefs towards this their Miftrefs,that they engaged themfelves in
a promife to follow her in her refolution, and to burn themfelves with her. Many per-
fons whom I then confulted about this cuftome of Women burning themfelves with the
Bodies of their Husbands, would perfwade me, that what they did was from an excefs
of affe&ion they had for them: But I underfiood afterwards, that it wasonly aheffeft
of Opinion, prepoffeffion and cuftome i and that the Mothers, from their youth befot-
ted with this fuperftition, as of a moft vertuous and moft laudable a&ion, fuch as was
unavoidable to a Woman of honour,did alfo infatuate the fpirit of their Daughters from
their very infancy : Although, at the bottom, it was nothing elfe but an Art of the
Men the more to enflaye their Wives, thereby to make them have the more care of
their health, and to prevent poifoning of them.
But let us proceed to another Tragedy, which I (hall rather reprefent to you than
many others, at which I have been prefect, becaufe it hath fomething uncommon in
it. 5 Tis true, I was not there my felf j but .you may,4.Q -as 1, who do not (land out a-
gainft crediting thefe things, becaufe,ifave feen fp iT^y-of them which feem’d incredi
ble to me. This adf ion is grown fo , famous in ^he that n0 body doubts of it, and
it may be, that even your felf have already lieard df + ffin Europe.
Tis ofa Woman, that was engaged in fome Love-iftrigues with a young Mahume-
tan her Neighbour, that was a Tailor, and could play finely upon the Tabor. This
Woman in the hopes (he had of marrying this young man, poifon’d her Husband, and
prefently came away to tell her Tailor, thafiit was'time to be gone together as they had
projected, or elfe that (he (hould be obliged to burn her felf. The young Man fearing,
left he might be entangled in a mifehievous bufine r s, flatly refufed her. The Woman,
not at all furprized af it, went to her Relations, and advertifed them of thefudden
death of her Husband, and openly protefted that fhe would not furvive him, but bum
her felf with him. Her Kindred well fatisfied with fo generous^ refolution, and the
great honour (he did to the whole Family, prefently had a Pit made, and filled with
Wood, txpofing the Corps upon it, and kindling the Fire. All being prepar’d, the
Woman goes to embrace and bid farewell to all her Kindred that were there about the
Pit, among whom was alfo the Tailor, who had been invited to play upon the Tabor
that day, with many others of that fort of Men, according to the cuftome of theCoun-
try. This fury of a Woman being alfo come to this young Man, made as if (lie would
bid him farewell with the reft i but in ftead of gently embracing him, (he takethhim
with all her force about his Collar, pulls him to the Pit, and tumblerh him together
with her felf into the Ditch, where they both were foon difpatch’t.
She which I faw burn her felf, when I parted from to travel into Tcrfa in
the prefence of Monfieur Chardin and Paris, and of many Englifti and Dutch, was of a
middle aige and not unhandfome. To reprefent unto you the undaunted chearfulnefs,
that appear’d in her countenance, the refolution with which fhe marched, wafti’dher
fdf, fpoke to the people i the confidence with which (he look’d upon us,^ view’d her
little Cabin,made up of very dry Millet-ftraw and fmall Wood,went into this Cabin,and
fate down upon the Pile, and took her Husband’s Head into her Lap, apda Torch into
her own Hand, and kindled the Cabin, whilft I know not how many Bmbmans were
bufie in kindling the fire round about: To reprefent unto you, I fay, all this, as it ought,
is not poifible for me j 1 can at prefent fcarce believe it my felf, though it be but a few
days fince I faw it.
Tis true, that I have feen fome of them, which at the fight of the Pile and r ire,
appear’d to have fome apprehenfion ) and that perhaps would have gone back, but tis
often too late : Thofe Demons, the Brachmans, that are there with their great Sticks,
aftonifh them, and hearten them up, or even thruft them in > as I have feen it done to
a young Woman that retreated five or fix paces from the Pile, and to another that was
much difturbed when fhe faw the Fire take hold of her Cloaths, thefe Executioners
thurfting her in with their long Poles. Yet I have often feen one, that is ftill a
fome Woman, and had faved her felf out of their Hands, falling into the Hands of the
Gadous, that fometimes meet there in great numbers, when they know that ’tis fome
fair and young Woman that is to be burnt, and that hath no great Kindred, nor muc
Company with her : For the Women that are afraid of the Pile, and fly away from it,