"رحلات السيد بيترو ديلا فالي، وهو نبيل روماني، إلى الهند الشرقية وصحراء الجزيرة العربية. وفيها يصف بدقة البلدان المختلفة، وكذلك العادات، الأعراف، التجارة، الطقوس الدينية والمدنية، لهؤلاء الأمراء وتلك الأمم الشرقية: في رسائل وديّة إلى صديقه السيد ماريو سكيبانو. وتم إضافة سرد عن رحلة السير توماس رو إلى جزر الهند الشرقية" [‎١‎٦‎٧] (٥٠٨/١٨٨)

Into the EAST-INDIES.
contentment to him to fee me. He defir'd rae (everal times to
cat more, perceiving that I rather tafted of things to pleafe him,
than to fatiate my felf. He caus'diiivers other Fruits pickled
with Vinegar and Salt to be brought tne 5 by a Woman who
came from the inner rooms through the little Court} as ahb for
my drink, (in a cup made likewile of Palm-leavsJ a kind of
warm Milk v to which they are accuftom'd, and which feem'd to
me very good.
Both before and after, and whilft I was eating, I had much XlIL-
difcourfe with the King, who entertain'd me fitting there above
two long hours 5 but not remembring it all, I {hall onely fet
down fomeof the moft remarkable particularsi He alk'd me-
concerning our Countries, all the Chriftian Princes, with the
other Moors and Pagan-Princes whom I had feen, concerning
the power and Armies of each, and their Grandeur in compari
son of others. On which occafion I told him, thatamongft
us Chriftians the prime Prince was the Pope my Lord, the Head
of the Church, and the High-Prieft, to whom all others gave
Obedience, the next, was the Emperour, in dignity the firft
of Souldiers, or fecular Princes ^ that the firft Nation was France^
and that for Territory and Riches, Spain had moft of all 3 with
many other circumftances too long to be rehearfed. Which
diicourfe led me to tell him, as I did, that the King of VoHngal^
as they fpeak, that is, the King of fo much efteem'd id
India.) pay'd Tribute to our Lord the Pope for the Kingdom of
Naples, which he held of his Holinefs in homage 3 for which he
had a great conceit of the Pope. Amongft the Moorifh Princes,
Ifaid concerning the Moghol^ whom he much cryed up to me,
that we held hun indeed tor the richefi: in treafure, but other-
wife had greate^ eftee m of the Turk and the Perfian^ becaule
though the Mogf.ol hath not an infinite number of people, and,
without doubt, more then others, yet they were not people fit s
for war ^ and that Sciah, amongft the reft, did not value him at ^
all, as manifeftly appear'd in the late war. Of Sciah Ahhas,, the
King profefs'd to account him a great Prince, a great Souldier,
and a great Captain ^ and I related to him, how I had been for
a great while together very familiar with him, and that he had
done me many favours, having me with him in divers notable
occafions: whereto he anfwer'd, that he did not doubt it, and
that, being fuch a perfon as I was, there was no Priiice but would
highly favour me. He alk'd me alfo concerning the commodi
ties of our Countries, and of thofe which are brought from
thence into thefe Oriental parts 5 and Cbeing that in India they
are accuftom'd to the Portugals, who, how great Perfonages fo*
ever they be, are all Merchants, nor is it any difparagement
amongft them ) he alk'd me. Whether I had brought from my
Country any thing to bargain With all, either Pearls or Jewels,
for I knew very good ones cam^ from thence ? I anfwfcr'd him,
that in my Country the Nobles of my rank never pra &is d
Merchandize,
j