I Ml , I, . . .... I ■ • -- — — — 



42 A Relation of the Chap.VII. 



one of the moft eminent parts of the Seraglio. The Floor is pav'd with a very delight- 

 ful kind of Marble laid in fquare pieces s and it has two large Windows jutting out 

 upon the Gardens, fomewhat like Balconies, from which you have a Profped of the 

 two Seas. In the midft of that Dome or Loiar)\)'0\i find a Fountain, the water where- 

 of is receiv'd into two Bahns, or Cifterns : The former, which is the highcit, and 

 withal the leaft, is of one piece of White Marble, having in it a little intermixture of 

 Red and Black Veins, and piere'd through at fix feveral places, for the reception of lb 

 many fmall Pipes of Copper, through which the water falls down into the other Baiin, 

 which is alfo of Marble, of feveral pieces, and feveral colours. 



Abtfesrtjorm'd. Within the Domo, there is a great number of Poles,which are difpos'd all about it, 

 and fupported by certain pieces of Iron coming out of the wall. Upon chofe Poles 

 they dry the Linnen, which they had us'd in the Bath i and of that Linnen there are 

 feveral forts. Heretofore, the Pages were allowed only a long piece of Linnen Cloathj 

 which came only twice about their waifs : but upon obfervation madc.that they abusM 

 them, and that handfome young Lads playing together, fnatch'd that piece of Linnen 

 one from the other, purpofely to difcover their nakednefs, they uie in the Baths only 

 fuch Garments of Linnen as arc fow'd clofe above, and reach /rom the walk down 

 to the feet, much after the manner of a Woman's Petti-coat. At their coming out of 

 the Bath, they have two other forts of Linnen to dry themfelves withal, of the large- 

 nefs of ordinary Table-Cloaths, whereof the one is Red, with a bordure of Silk of 

 three ringers breadth, which covers them, as foon as they arc out of the water, from 

 the walk downwards to the Ham •, and the other is white, wherewith they rub them- 

 felves. For thefe two forts of Towels they have but one name, to wit, Pecbeta- 

 maU 



why tkLe- On one fide of the Fountain, which is in the midft of the Vomo^ there is an en- 



vantines^o not trance into the bath, and near that is the Hall, where they uncloath thcmfelves in the 



ufe Paper un- \y mter _ t j me . A little Gallery which lies on the left hand, leads to the places detign'd 



em j* ^ ^ e ea {^ ll g f nature, and every feat has a little Cock, which fupplies them with 



water to warn themfelves, after they have done. It is accounted .a heinous iin among 



them, to make ufe of Paper for that purpofe ••> and the reafon they give for it is thi^, 



that, poffibly, the Name of God might be written upon it, or it might contain fome 



Text of the Law, which would be a profanation of it, and confequcntly ought to be 



avoided. Beiides, they have another opinion, That Paper is not fo proper fo well to 



make clean that part, which the neceffity of the Eody does ordinarily fo much defile, 



but that there may be fomethtng of ordure lefr, and that being oblig'd to prefent 



themfelves before God with an abfolute Purity of Body and Mind, their Prayers could 



not be heard, if they ftiould not be wholly clean. 



fh Perf ans The Perfians are yet more fcrupulous than the Turfy upon this account. For though 



more fcrupulous they both agree in this, That their Devotions are ineffedfual, nay indeed that they are 



than the not in a condition to perform them, without crime, if they be not pure, as to Body and 



Turks, Mind*, Yet the former are of a perfwafion, That the leaft ordure which, through 



negligence or inadvertency, might remain upon their perfons, or their garments, 



would render their Prayers fruitlcfs and criminal, which the Turfy, fomewhat left 



fuperftitious as -co that particular, will not acknowledge. 



They are great Certain it is alfo, That in Pofia they are extraordinary Lovers of cleanlinefs ', in- 

 loytrs of clean- fomuch that I have obferv'd, That at Ifrahan, the Metropolis of that Country, where 

 lUufs, t fe g treets are not pav'd, when there falls a little Snow or Rain, which muff occafion 



Lome dirt, few people will come out of their houfes, u'nlefs they be fore'd thereto by 

 fome Concern of great importance. And when they do go abroad at fuch a time, at 

 the houfe door into which they are to enter, they put off their ihooes, their upper- 

 Garment, the Cap which covers their Turban ts j and if they have the leaft dirt or filth 

 'about them, they think themfelves impure, and that it would be a difrefped to the 

 perfon whom they are to vilit. Nay, a Perfian fhall be very fcrupulous, and make a 

 great difficulty to receive a man into his houfe in foul weather ', and if any one pre- 



fents 



