244 Tbe Persia n Travels Book V. 



After that, the fame woman can never retuwn to her Husband again. 



The Children derive their Nobility from the Father, whither he be' bora of a 

 Slave, -or an Amoutba, or a Legitimate wife. The Nobility of the PtrJUm which 

 is call'd Negabet, is founded upon their being delcended from Maboma. They 

 who claim that extraction, have the title of Mir or Prince : and their Daughters 

 carry the appellation of Mirz.a or Princcfs. " They are very numerous and very 

 poor. But the title oi' Mir without a good Eftatc or high Employment iignifics 



little or nothin 



&« 



CHAP. XIX. 

 Of the Heath -Mid Burials of the Pcrfians. 



TIs the Cuftome among the Perpans, that when the Patient lyes very dange- 

 roufly ill, they light feveral fires upon the Terrafs of the Houfe, to give the 

 People notice to pray for him. So fbon as the breath is out of his body, the 

 whole houfe rings with cries and lamentations, especially of the women who tear 

 their hair, and fhevv fuch antick poitures, that a man woulcl think them pollefs'd. 

 In the midft of their tears they make long repetitions of the worthy actions of the 

 deceas'd , and every foot they fet up a yelling. Then they go and advertize the 

 Cap, that fuch a one is dead j to whom the Cap anfwers S»c; oat/ia Sulumet-BafK-et, 

 May your head be in japty. In the mean while he leals a Licence to the Monr- 

 dercbonr, to take the body and wafh it in a houfe which is built on purpole near a 

 running water.After that cornea great number of Moullatfs, with the Lnfigns of 

 the Mofquee } \vh'\ch are long ftaifs like Pikes,at the end whereof are thia plates of 

 Iron and Latten, ib weak that they bend downward with the leal): motion : the 

 bodies of the ftaves being wrapt about with certain pieces of Taffeta. Thef'e Moul- 

 lahs tear their throats crying out Alia, AIL, yilii , repeating nothing ehe, and 

 dancing fometimes upon one foot and Sometimes upon another \ and becaule they 

 that baul loudeft get the moft money, they put their thumbs in their ears with 

 their^fingers upon their cheeks, and tear their throats wi;h all the force they have. 

 The body being wafh'd, the cloaths of the deceas'd belong to the Mokrdercboar. 

 When they carry the Beire, it is the cuitome that every one that meets ir, prof- 

 fers their moulders to help carry, while the others eafc themfclves } for which 

 the Kindred of the deceas'd make fome acknowledgment. If he be a pcrfon of 

 Quality, all his Horles are bridl'd and faddfd, and others perhaps borrow'd : One 

 carries his Turban, another his Scimitar, another his Bow, another his Arrows 

 another his Buckler, and whatever elfe is of any ufe to fet forth his Quality and 

 his Courage. The biggeft Church-yard that belongs to JJpaban, \sC.ilrcfton-, 

 but there is not one handfbmeTomb in it. The Armenians lay a great (tone over the 

 grave,and the rich fez up an Arch with four Pillars, under which they eat and drink 

 in the fhade when they vifit the Tombs of their Anceftors. 



Their graves are fix foot long, fix foot deep, and two foot wide, wherein they 

 lay the bodies with their faces turn'd toward Mecca j and then they fet up two 

 tiles of each fide his face to keep the earth from falling upon it. If he be a rich 

 man, or have been a itout 'Souldier, they bury with him his Turbanr, Scimitar 

 Bow and Arrows, and fez Victuals by him ; which part of the hole being made up 

 with brick, the reit is fill'd up with earth. The AloulU's alone return to the 

 honfeof the deceas'd, where they have meat fet before 'em, and are aifo farther 

 pay'd for their finging and bawling. A while after the Kindred coming to vific the 

 Heir, dlfbqurfc him upon the contempt of the wurld, tell him that it is but as a 

 Caravan, fome of which arrive fooner at their journeys end then others. Light 

 days after the Heir returns their vifits. As for the Grandees they order in their 

 Wills that their bodies mall be either carry'd to Mecca or Mejhed. 



As well the Pcrpans^s the Turks, believe that as fbon as the grave is filPd, that 

 the two Angels Neguir and Manger, revive the dead as far as his wair -, ask him 



the 



