RALPH FITCH ad. 



1583-91. 

 preach. This house is five and fifty paces in length, 

 and hath three pawnes or walks in it, and forty great 

 pillars gilded, which stand betweene the walks ; and it 

 is open on all sides with a number of small pillars, which 

 be likewise gilded : it is gilded with golde within and 

 without. There are houses very faire round about for 

 the pilgrims to lie in : and many goodly houses for the 

 Tallipoies to preach in, which are full of images both of 

 men and women, which are all gilded over with golde. 

 It is the fairest place, as I suppose, that is in the world : 

 it standeth very high, and there are foure wayes to it, 

 which all along are set with trees of fruits, in such wise 

 that a man may goe in the shade above two miles in 

 length. And when their feast day is, a man can hardly 

 passe by water or by land for the great presse of people ; 

 for they come fromi all places of the kingdome of Pegu 

 thither at their feast. In Pegu they have many Talli- 

 poies or priests, which preach against all abuses. Many 

 men resort unto them. When they enter into their 

 kiack, that is to say, their holy place or temple, at the 

 doore there is a great Jarre of water with a cocke or a 

 ladle in it, and there they wash their feet ; and then 

 they enter in, and lift up their hands to their heads 

 first to their preacher, and then to the Sunne, and so sit 

 downe. The Tallipoies go very strangely apparelled with The apparell 

 one camboline or thinne cloth next to their body of a of their prksts. 

 browne colour, another of yellow doubled many times 

 upon their shoulder : and those two be girded to them 

 with a broad girdle : and they have a skinne of leather 

 hanging on a string about their necks, whereupon they 

 sit, bare headed & bare footed : for none of them weareth 

 shooes ; with their right armes bare and a great broad 

 sombrero or shadow in their hands to defend them in 

 the Summer from the Sunne, and in the Winter from 

 the raine. When the Tallipoies or priests take their 

 Orders, first they go to schoole untill they be twenty 

 yeres olde or more, and then they come before a Talli- 

 poie appointed for that purpose, whom they call Rowli : 



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