92 The Persian Travels Book II. 



God gave him , took along with him three hundred thirty-fix thoufand Demons, 

 and made the earth io fertile, that it was but to Sow in the Morning and Reap at 

 Night. That the fame Angel taught Adam to Plant and Sow , and all other neccfiary 

 Sciences. Moreover that the fame Angel made the ieven lower Spheres , the leaft 

 whereof reaches to the Center of the World , in the lame manner as the Heavens 

 do , all contriv'd one within another. That all thefe Spheres are of different 

 Metals, the raft next the Center is of Iron , thefecond of Lead, the third of Brais 

 the fourth of Laten , the fifth of Silver , the fixth of Gold , and the ieventh of 

 Earth. The ieventh is that which contains all the reft , and is the chiefeft of all , as 

 being the mod fruitful and profitable to Man , and the moft proper to prefer ve Man- 

 kind , whereas the reft feem rather to be fram'd for its deftruftion. They believe 

 that over every Heaven there is Water, whence they conclude that the Sun fwims in a 

 Ship upon that Water, and that the Maft of his Ship is a Crois, and that there are a 

 great number of Boys and Servants to guide the Ships of the Sun and Moon. 

 Befides , they have the Picture of a Barque , which they fay belong'd to the Angel 

 Brxem , whom God fends to vifit the Sun and Moon , to fee whither they move right 

 or no , and keep dole to their duty. 



In reference to the other World and life to come , they believe there is no other 

 World , but where Angels and Devils , the Souls of good and bad refidc. That in 

 that World there are Cities , Houfes, and Churches, and that the Evil Spirits have 

 alio Churches, where they pray, finging and rejoycing upon Inftruments, and 

 Feafling as in this World. That when any one lies at the point of death , three 

 hundred and fixty Demons come and carry his Soul to a place full of Serpents , Dogs , 

 Lyons, Tygres, and Devils ^ who, if it be the Soul of a wicked man, tear it in 

 pieces ; but being the Soul of a juft man , it creeps under the bellies of thofe Crea- 

 tures into the prefence of God, who fits in his feat of Majefty to judge the World. 

 That there are Angels alfo that weigh the Souls of Men in a BaHance , who being 

 thought worthy, are admitted immediately into Glory. That the Angels and 

 Devils are Male and Female , and beget Children. That the Angel qabriel is the 

 Son of God engender'd upon Light , and that he has a Daughter call'd Sow, -et who 

 has two Sons. That the Angel Gabriel has feveral Legions of Demons under him , 

 who are inftead of Souldiers, and others that are his Officers of jufticc , whom he' 

 fends from Town to Town , and from City to City , to punilh the wicked. 



In reference to Saints , they hold that Chrift \tk twelve Apoftles to Preach to the 

 Nations. That the Virgin Mary is not dead, but that ihc lives ibmewhere in the 

 W 7 orld , though there be no pcrfon that can tell where fhc is. That next to her 

 St. John is the chiefeft Saint in Heaven, and next to them Zacb.trias and Elizabeth, 

 of whom they recompt feveral miracles and Apocryphal tales. For they believe 

 that they two begat St. John only by embracing J that when he came to be of 

 age they Marry'd him, and that he had four Sons which he begat upon the waters of 

 Jordan. That when St. John defir'd a Son , he pray'd to God, who drew him one out 

 of the water ^ ib that St. John had nomoretodowith his Wife but only to give her 

 the Child to bring up. That he dy'd a natural death, but that he commanded his 

 Diiciplcs to Crucifie him after his death , that he might be like Chrift. Laftly , that 

 he dy'd in the City of Vhjhr , and that he was bury'd in a Chryftal Tomb , brought 

 by miracle to the City , and that this Sepulchre was in a certain Houfe near the River 

 Jordan. 



They highly honour the Crofs, and fign themfelves with if, but they are very 

 careful of letting the Turks obferve them ^ and during their Ceremonies , they let a 

 Watch at their Church doors for fear the Turks fhould enter, and lay ibme unjuft 

 Fine upon them. When they have ador'd the Crofs , they take it in two pieces , 

 which they never put together again , 'till their Service rebegins. The reafon why 

 they lo adore the Crofs is drawn out of a Book which they have, EntituPd The Di- 

 van. Where it is written that every day early in the Morning , the Angels take the 

 Crois and put it in the middle of the Sun , which receives his light from it , as the 

 Moon alfo doth hers. They add , that in the fame Book are Pittur'd two Ships , one 

 of which is nam'd tTie Sun, the other the Moon j and that in every one of thefe 

 Ships there is a Crofs full of Bells : And moreover , that if there were not a Crois in 

 thofe two Ships, the Sun and Moon would be depriv'd of Light, and the Ship^ would 

 iuftcr Shipwrack. 



Their 



