i8s The Persian Travels Book IV. 



Rolling-pin, and bak'd upon Plates of TinnM Copper. This Bread is never eat'n 

 but only ierves for a Table-Cloth to preierve what falls from the Dirties, and what 

 every man leaves particularly upon his own Plate , which is all wrap'd up in the Lea- 

 ther and giv'n to the poor. Next to that they let upon one end of the Sofra a l'ort 

 of moft excellent Bread two foot long , and one broad , then which never was better 

 eat'n in the World. By and by follow'd BoyPd and Roaft flerti and fifli , with two 

 Chefts of Unions of Maz.andran , and Granatcs from Schiras. 



After we had made a large Brcakfaft , the King was pleas'd to put me upon a dif- 

 courle of my Travels into the Indies y and ask'd me what Princes I had had accefs to" 

 and how many I knew by their faces? Then caufing a Satchel to be brought him' 

 he open'd it hirafelf , and fhcw'd me leveral portraitures in Miniature, Prefcntly I 

 knew Sha-Geban , Jurcngc-Zcbe , and three of his Sons ^ the King of Cjolconda and 

 Vtfaponr ; Sba-£ft-Kan,and two RajSs. Among the reft he fhew'd me a c Pcrfum Lady's 

 Piclure and gave it me •, to the end , laid he , that your French Ladies may lee how 

 our Per fan Ladies are clad. After that he fliew'd me the Pitfures of two Venetian 

 Curtifans, the one a Widow, and the other a Virgin , with a Parrot upon her 

 hand dad a r tcr the French mode. Upon which the King putting the qucftion to 

 me which I lik'd belt? I reply 'd that (he pleas'd me beft who had the Parrot upon her fift. 

 And why not the other laid the King? Becaufc,' aniwer'd I, (he looks like one 

 that had renoune'd the world. Thereupon the King falling into a laughter, and 

 turning toward Father Raphael ; Patri , Patri , laid he , is it pojjible thatjuch a Lady 

 as this fwdd have renounced the World? This led us into a difcourie of beauty 

 wherein when the King demanded my opinion , I told him that Womens beauty 

 depended very much upon the Cuftom of the Country ; for that in Japan Women 

 with broad faces were moft in requeft •, inGb«*imall feet were ad mir'd-, in the Ifles 

 of Borneo and Achen , Women the blacker their Teeth were, the more they were 

 bclov'd-, that in the Wand of Macajfer , to make their Women lovely, they pull 

 out four of their Teeth when they arc young , to put in four of Gold in their 

 room-, as I have feen a Captain of Java , who pull'd out four of his fore Teeth 

 and let four Diamonds in their place. In fliort , I told His Majefty that in his own 

 Dominions full Eye-brows which meet together were highly cfteem'd •, whereas the 

 Women of France pull them up by the Roots. But which , laid the King, doft thou 

 like beft , the black or the fair? Sir, continu'd I, were I to buy Women as I 

 purchaie Diamonds , Pearls , and Bread , I would always choofe the whiteft. With 

 that the King fell a laughing , and ordcrd me a brimmer in his own Cup , which 

 was a great Honour indeed. From hence we fell into a more ferious difcourle con- 

 cerning the prefent State of Europe , (peaking very low, and the reft of the Com- 

 pany retiring all the while out of hearing. Only I obicrv'd that there was one Lord 

 middle ag'd , and clad after the Georgian mode , who ftood within five or fix paces 

 behind the King , and that many times as the King drank , he only wet his Lips 

 and gave the reft to that Lord to drink, which when he had done, he retir'd again 

 to his place. Upon inquiry I found he was the Kings Uncle by the Mothers 

 fide. 



While we were talking of ferious things the Curtifans were bid to retire out of 

 the Hall, which they did, into a Gallery that look'd upon a Garden, where they 

 late , where immediately a Sofra was laid before them cover'd with Fruits and Sweet- 

 meats , and one of their Society continually powr'd out the Wine which they drank 

 round without intermiflion : One would have thought they (hould have been fuddl'd ; 

 yet when they came in again , no man could perceive they had been drinking! 

 Alter they had Danc'd awhile, they were ordered to retire again, and the King 

 lent for his xMufick, which was both Vocal and Inftrumental • his Inftrumental 

 Mulick confifted of a kind of a Lute, a Guittar, a Spinet, and two or three Bale 

 i-lutcs. He had alfo in the Gallery where the Curtifans were , a large Ebony Cabi- 

 net eight foot high, adorn'd with fcveral Sifter figures, wiiich prov'd to be an 

 Organ that went alone. It was part of the prefent which the Miifcovite AmbafTadors 

 made the King, which he order 'd to be fet a going, that we might hear it as we 

 late. Nofooner had the Organ ftop'd, but the Curtefans were call'd in again, 

 and the King caus'd the Gold Ladle to go round , commanding that no man {hould 

 leave a d rop ^h every man had done, the King was pleas'd to ask me which 

 or the Curtifan s I thought to be handfomeft ? Thereupon I rofe up, and taking a 



Wax* 



