Chap. VI. of Monfieur Tavernier. 29 



get in to this Court , especially fuch whofe Habits and Afpect they do not like i 

 But as I cloth'd and carry 'd my felf, I never was deny'd entrance into any place 

 cither in Pcrfia or India. 



In this firft Court, on the left hand as you enter, are little Chambers, where 

 they that receive the Alms which by the Foundation of the Mofqaee are to be 

 diftributed every day, come and eat their proportion, and then go their ways. Thofe 

 Chambers ferve as an Afylnm to thole tha*t cannot pay their Debts , as at the Mofqnee 

 of Ardeitil. Neither are thele Priviledg'd places like ours , where they that retire 

 muft live at their own Charge : For in Perjia they are fed at the Expence of the 

 Mofqnee ; and being in that manner freed from Care , their Friends more eafily bring 

 their Creditors to Compofition. 



Out of the firft Court you pafs into a fecond , which is larger, and all pav'd - 7 and 

 from that into a third , which is fquare, and rais'd like a Terrafs. You enter into it 

 through a large Gate , at the end of an open PafTage , where ftand the Lodgings of 

 the Mouttafrs. 



Out of that Court by an afcent of Brickwork of ten or twelve Steps, you enter 

 into a fair Court, which is alio rais'd like a Terrafc :, in the midft whereof is a fair 

 Fountain. It is continually fill'd by little Pipes of Water which run into it , and is 

 empty'd by others that carry the Water into feveral parts of the whole Enclofure. 

 There are fome Buildings in this Court, but one of the fides of it is taken up with 

 the Front of the Mofqnee , which is no difpleafing Structure. There are three large 

 Gates belong to it , very well expanded , according to the mode of the Country :, 

 with a Brick-wall before , about the height of a Man , with Holes in it for Light, 

 made like a Lozange. The Threfhold of the middle Gate is cover'd with a plate 

 of Silver *, and between thefe three Gates and that of the Daomo , are feveral 

 Doctors, that hold Books in their hands, and read perpetually. 



This Mofqnee is Octagonal , and at every angle is a fmall wooden Door of Walnut- 

 tree, varnifh'd with grey and yellow. The Tomb of Sidi-Fatima is at the farther 

 part of the Mofquce , there being only room for one Man to pafs between the Wall 

 and the Tomb. It is encompafs'd with a large Silver Grate , fixteen Footiquare; 

 the Bars whereof are round, and knob'd in thofe places where they crofs each other 5 

 it is lighted by feveral Lamps of Gold and Silver : which altogether is very pleafmg 

 to the Eye. The infide of the Mofqnee, to the elevation of the Angles that fupport 

 the Duomo, is composed of fquare Tiles varnilh'd over with divers Colours:, and 

 the Cupola of the Duomo, as alfo the Vault of the Portico of the Mofqute , is a Morefco 

 piece of Painting in Or and Azure. Upon each fide of the Mofqnee, and near the fide 

 where the Tomb of Sidi-Fatima ftands , appears a great Hall, where the Royal Alms 

 are diftributed to the Poor,which confift of Pilaw and other diet,very well dreft.From 

 this Tomb you turn to the left hand toward an Afcent , diftant five and twenty or 

 thirty Paces :, and at the top of this Afcent is a Door, over which there an is In- 

 fcription in Honour of Sha~Abas the Second . The Door being open'd, (hews you 

 the place where the Body of that King repofes : and through another Door with 

 a Grate in it, you may difcover, under a fmall Duomo, the Tomb of ShaScf his 

 Father •, which is cover'd with a Carpet of Cloth of Gold. They were conti- 

 nually at work upon the Tomb of Sha-Abas, which they faid, they would make very 

 famous. 



I had not been two hours in Kom , but a multitude of People ran by the Inn Gate, 

 all in extraordinary haft. Asking what the matter was, they anfwer'd me, that 

 it had been a day long defign'd for the two "Prophets to fight. Thereupon I went 

 to the Piazza , which was ib crowded , that I had much ado to get to fee. In the 

 firft place a futfkient number of Tumblers and Puppet-players , divided into two 

 Bands, kept the middle of the Piazza, and made a fufficient Ring for the Combat. 

 Each Band held a Bull by the Horns, one of which they call'd Mahonitt , and 

 the other Haly : and whether it were by accident , or by the cunning of the Bull- 

 Mafters, after an obftinate Combat, wherein the Beafts foam'd again with heat 

 and rage ; Mahomet at length quit the Field , and yielded Haly the Victory. Then 

 all the People fhouted for joy , and all the Piazza was fill'd with the noife of 

 Flutes and Hautboys*, and every one coming as if it were to adore Haly , cry'd out, 

 'Behold the Works of god , that Haly has made ! At length they bring the Bull 

 Haly under a Gate, with his Head turn'd toward the People, Where after they 



have 



