A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1330- 



moe strange things among them which I meane not here 

 to insert. Another most vile custome the foresaide 

 The burning nation doeth retaine : for when any man dieth they burne 

 of their dead, j^jg j^^^^ corps to ashes : and if his wife surviveth him, 

 her they burne quicke, because (say they) she shall 

 accompany her husband in his tilthe and husbandry, when 

 he is come into a new world. Howbeit the said wife 

 having children by her husband, may if she will, remaine 

 [II. i. 56.] still alive with them, without shame or reproch : not- 

 withstanding, for the most part, they all of them make 

 choice to be burnt w* their husbands. Now, albeit the 

 wife dieth before her husband, that law bindeth not 

 the husband to any such inconvenience, but he may mary 

 another wife also. Likewise, ye said nation hath another 

 strange custome, in that their women drink wine, but 

 their men do not. Also the women have the lids & 

 brows of their eyes & beards shaven, but the men have 

 not : with many other base & filthy fashions which the 

 said women do use contrary to the nature of their sexe. 

 From that kingdom I travelled 10. daies journey unto 

 Mobar, or another kingdome called Mobar, which containeth many 

 Mahapor. ^ties. Within a certaine church of the same countrey, 

 the body of S. Thomas the Apostle is interred, the very 

 same church being full of idols : and in 15. houses round 

 about the said Church, there dwell certaine priests who 

 are Nestorians, that is to say, false, and bad Christians, 

 and schismatiques. 



Of a strange and uncouth idole : and of certaine 

 customes and ceremonies. 



IN the said kingdome of Mobar there is a wonderfull 

 Strang idole, being made after the shape and re- 

 semblance of a man, as big as the image of our 

 Christopher, & consisting all of most pure and glittering 

 gold. And about the neck thereof hangeth a silke riband, 

 ful of most rich & precious stones, some one of which is 

 of more value then a whole kingdome. The house of 

 this idol is all of beaten gold, namely the roofe, the pave- 



414 



