66 The Persian Travels Book IV 



Of the manner of their Baftifm. 



THe g<mrs never ufc Circumcifion , but at the Birth of their Children praftife 

 fomething like our Baptifm. For iome days after the Child is born, they wafh it 

 with Water wherein certain Flowers are firft boyl'd , and during that dipping, the 

 Pried, who is preient, makes certain Prayers. If the Child dye without that Warning, 

 they do not believe but that it goes to Paradile j but they hold that the Parents (hall 

 give an account for their neglect of the Infant , becaule that Wafhing increafes his 

 favour and his merit in the fight of God. 



Of their CMarriages. 



THe Religion of the (jaurs permits them to have five Wives, if they can maintain 

 them j nor is it laudable to repudiate any one but in cafe of an evident Adultery, 

 or that (he turn Mahometan ; befidcs, it behoves her Husband to ftay a whole year, 

 to fee whether (he will repent or no. If (he come and acknowledge her fault to the 

 Prieft , he enjoyns her Penance for three years , after which he remarries them, and 

 they become man and wife again. 



As to the Ceremony of Marriage, the Prieft, when the Couple come to him, asks the 

 Man and the Woman in the prefence of Witneffes whether they both confent •, then 

 taking a little Water he fays a few Prayers over it, and then warning both their Fore- 

 heads he pronounces certain words, and there's all. But they are not to marry within 

 the third degree \ nor do they know what it means to defire a Difpenfation. 



But you muft obferve by the way, that though they are allow'd five Wives, there is 

 but one which can be truly laid to be marry'd , with whom they are oblig'd to lye at 

 leaft two nights in a week, Fryday and Saturday, and (he always goes before the reft. 

 But if (he have no Children in feven years, the man is allow'd to marry another, but net 

 to repudiate the other , whom he is bound ftill to maintain according to his quality. 



So ibon as Women or Maids perceive the cuftom of Nature upon them , they pre- 

 fcntly leave their Houfes, and ftay alone in the Fields in little Hutts made of Hurdles 

 or Watlings, with a Cloth at the entring in, which ferves for a Door. While they are 

 in that condition, they have Meat and Drink brought them everyday, and when they 

 are free,* they fend according to their quality, a Rid, or a Hen, or a Pigeon for an 

 Offering r, after which they go to the Bath, and then invite fome few of their Kindred 

 to fome fmall Collation. 



Of their Fa.fi s , leafs , and principal Ceremonies. 



THe Caurs drink Wine both men and women, and catSwines -fleOi , provided it be 

 of their own breeding and feeding. They are very careful left their Hogs eat 

 any ordure •, for (hould they perceive that they had devour'd any thing of naftinefs, 

 they are ftritlly forbid'n to eat them. They never pare their Nails } fo that if by way 

 of difgrace, or by any misfortune they are conftrain'd to cut their Nails or their Hair, 

 they carry that which they cut off to fome place appointed without the City for that 

 purpole. Five days in a year they abftain from Meat, Fi(h, Butter, and Eggs •, and three 

 other days they faft altogether 'till Evening. They have alfo thirty Holy-days in 

 honour of thirty of their Saints, which they keep very ftriclly, no man daring to work. 

 But the day of the Birth of their Prophet is celebrated with an extraordinary Pompv 

 befides > that then they beftow large Alms. 



There is one day in the year when all the Women of every City and Village meet 

 together to kill all the Frogs they can find in the fields , and this is done by the Com- 

 mand of their Prophet , who was one day very much annoy'd by them. 



Their Priefts have feveral Books full of fmall Piftures in Water-Colours , ill done, 

 reprefenting how the feveral Sins of Men (hall be punifh'd in Hell, efpccially Sodomy, 

 which they abominate. 



Of their Funerals. 



y^Hen the Cjaitrs are fick they fend for their Priefts, to whom they make a kind of 



Confeffion •, whereupon the Priefts enjoyn them to give Alms, and other good 



Works , to gain pardon of their Sin?. They 



