"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" [‎٤‎٢‎٧] (٥٠٨/٤٤٨)

COBctip^
XTIOS
Of their Votaries j rvhere^ of the voluntary andJharp Pe*
n tnces, that people undergo. Of their Lent ; and of
their Pafls^ andFeaJis, &c.
'
A Mong the Mahometans there are ma»y Votaries they call
jt\ Derveefes who relinquilh the world, and fpend all their
days following m folitude and retirednefs, expefting a recora-
pence (as they fjy, and are very well content to fuffer and
wait for it) in that better life. Thofe very (harp and very
ftrid'Penances which many of this people for the preftnt volun
tarily undergo, far exceed all thofe the Romanifts boaft of5 for
inftance^ there are fbme who live alone upon the tops of Hills
(which are clothed or covered with trees, and ftand remote
from any Company) and there fpqnd the whole time of their
following lives in Contemplation, ftirring not at all from the
places they firft fix on, but ad requifita naturae crying out con
tinually in thefe or the like expreffions, Alia Achabar, fkc. that
is, God Almighty look upon me, I love thee, I love not the
world 5 but I love thee, and I do all this for thy fake 5 look up
on me, God Almighty.
Thefe, after they thus retire, never fuffer the Razer or SciP
Icrstocome again upon their heads, and they let their Nails
grow like unto Birds Claws, As it was written of Nebuchadnez
zar ^ Dan. 4. when he was driven out from thefociety of men.
This people after their retirement, will chufe rather tofamifli
then to ftir from their Cells: and therefore they are relieved by
the Charity of others, who take care to fend them fbme very
mean covering for their bodies (for it muft be fiich, other wife
they will not accept of it) when they ftand in ncedthereof^
and ibmething for their bodily fuftenance, which muft be of
their coarfer food, otherwife they will not take it, and no more
of that at one time then what is lufficient for the prefent fupport
of nature.
Some again impofe long times ofFafting upon themrelves 5 and
will take no food at all, till the ftrength of Nature in them be
almoft quite fpent.
And others there are amongft them they call Religious men,
who wear nothing about them but to hide their ftiame^ and
thefe (like the mendicant Friars) beg for all they eat. They
ulually live in the (kirts or out-fides of great Cities, or Towns^
and are like the man our bleffed Saviour mentions, Luk. 8. 27.
about the City of the Gadarens^ which had Devils^ and wore no
clothes^ mithcr abode in any houfe but in the Tombs, And fo do
thele,making little fires in the day 5 (leeping at nights in the warm
afhes thereof, with which they befmear and difcolour their bo-
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