Chap. XIV. of Monlieur Taveknmel 257 



Baths after they have been with their Wives } and there are fome ib fuperftitious 

 as to go there every day. Thefe Baths are round Chambers, ib dole, that there 

 is no light but what comes from little round windows made in the top of the 

 roof. In the firft place, there is the Krafvie, which is a Chamber (even or eight 

 foot fqoarc j where, in the middie of the Room, is a great Copper-plate, in the 

 form of a flat Bafcn, and underneath they make a fire of Brumes or Horfe-dung : 

 fothat the Plate heats all the water which is in the Chamber: When it is hoc 

 enough, a fervant belonging to the Bath goes up to the Terras, and winds a horn, 

 to give notice to them that have a mind to come. Should a Perji.m or a Maho- 

 metan mils once in eight days, he would feel an itching all over his body not to be 

 endur'd. For the pores, which thehtat of the Bath had open'd, coming to be 

 fliut, the vapours of the body not able to get out, prick and tickle the skin. The 

 Men go early in the morning, and ft ay till two hours after Suh-rifing : At the en- 

 try of the Bath is the place where they undrefs - 3 and when they are ftript all 

 but the fecret parts, which they cover with a napkin, they pour hot water upon 

 their moulders 5 and then comes a man and rubs oft* all the fweat and filth of the 

 Body with a coarfe Cloath j after which they plunge themselves into a Refervato- 

 ry of hot water, which they call KolUtain. But thefe common Baths are very 

 dangerous, and many people of both Sexes have got the fowl Difcafe, who were 

 never addi&ed to impurity. 



There are alfo in Per/la hir'd people, which they call Sak/s, whole bufmefs it is 

 to give water to the people as they go along the Streets. Their Barbers are very 

 neat, and furpafs ours for lightnefs of hand 5 for a man can hardly feel their Ra- 

 fors. They .have alfo a Knife to pare the nails of the hands and feet, which they 

 do very dextroufly. As for their Beards, thofe that belong to the Law cut it with 

 Sciflcrs, but they leave it not fo long as the Turks do, by much. But the Courtiers 

 and Souldiers (have all oft', except from their upper-lips, where they take it for a 

 mark of great honour to wear long Muft aches, which they fay is the ornament of 

 the face. 



The habit of the Perfians is a Robe which they call Cab.tje, that comes down 

 a. little below their knees. This is of very fine quilted Cloath, well cotton'd in 

 the Winter, but much thinner in the Summer.. Thefe Linnens would be very 

 cheap, but that the Ferfons of Quality change their Robes every day. Their 

 Sleeves are long, and clofe to their arms., and reaching as far as the wrift. The 

 Robe is fit to their Bodies as far as the Waft ; but then it is made wide and looie. 

 Over this they wear a noble Girdle of Silk, adorn'd at the end with flowers of 

 Gold, over which they were another Girdle of fine Kerman-wool. The richer 

 fort are fo vain as to wear three Girdles, two of Silk, and one of Kerman-wool, 

 which is ty'd uppermoft. Under the Robe or Veft they wear a fhort Waftcoat of 

 flower'd Fuftian quilted, their Shirts being of Silk of divers colours. They ufe 

 as little Soap in Perfia as they can ; for Soap is very rare in Perfia. When we 

 come out of the Indies, we are fore'd to bring with us Linnen enough to ferve us 

 for fix months, and then to carry ir back again ; for they wafh much better in In- 

 dia then in Pcrfia. Their breeches being of Silk, come down to their Ankles, 

 without any codpieces. Their Scjje, or Bonner, which we call a Turban, is made 

 of a piece of fine Silk mingl'd with Gold, being in form much like our large 

 Pompions : the top thereof is a little flat ; and here it is that the end of the 

 Sil-k being garnifh'd with flowers of Gold and Silver, ends in a kind of Polie. 

 Thefe Bonnets are very heavy, efpecially tbofe that are for the moft part nothing 

 but Gold and Silver. The meaneft of thofe is worth 200 Crowns $ but there are 

 fome which the King and the great Lords wear, that are worth four or five 

 hundred. You mall feldom meet an Officer of any Quality that does not wear a 

 rich Jewel in his Bonnet. The Courtiers and Souldiery wear their Daggers upon 

 their ftomachs, ftuck in their girdles. The meaneft Souldier inlays the handle and 

 /heath of his Dagger j but the Grandees have them all befet with Pearls. There 

 was in the handle of Sha- Abbas the Second's Dagger, a Diamond of above fixty 

 Carat9, which, with fome other Srones that belong'd to it, was valu'd at 13000 

 'Tomans, or 200000 Crowns. Over their Veft they wear a Jufticoar, much like 

 ours. It is faften'd at the top with a button : and moft- ufually they have nine 

 tufted buttons before fet by three and three at an equal diftance : but they only 



F f 2 ferve 



