22 The Persian Travels Ëook Î. 



from one fide to the other: and the Foot of every Pillar, which is of white Marble^ 

 is hollow'd into little Niches equal with the Floor, where the People put their 

 Shooes , when they go farther to their Devotions. The infide of the Walls is 

 vamifh'd in Squares of lèverai Colours, with Flowers, Cifers,artd Arabian Letters 

 interraix'd , and wrought in Embofs'd-woik , fo well painted , lb well gilded, 

 that it feems to be but one piece of Work, cut out with a pair of ScifTars. From this 

 Duomo you pafs to another lefTer , but more beautiful in its kind. The lower 

 part is of traniparent white Stone , of the fame nature with that in the Front, cut 

 in great Panes like a Door that never opens. This Duomo has no Pillars , but eight 

 Foot high , it is all of white Marble , where are to be feen Stones of a prodigious 

 length and bredth : The infide of the Vault is a violet Enamel, painted with all 

 forts of Flowers in Fiat-work , but the outfide of both theDuomo's iscover'd with 

 vernifh'd Brick-work, and Flowers embofs'd A la Moresque. Upon the firft the 

 Flowers are black upon green \ upon the fécond , white Stars upon black : which 

 diverfity of Colours is very pleafing to the Eye. 



Near the Door out of which you enter into the IefTer Duomo, on the left hand, 

 Hands a Chair of Walnut-tree curioufly carv'd, and faften'd to the Wall j it (lands 

 upon a Platform rais'd fix fteps high , without any Canopy. On the right hand 

 (lands anothe»Chair of the fame Wood , and an exquifite piece of Workmanfhip j 

 with a kind of State over it of the fame Wood, faften'd to the Wall. There is 

 a little Rail about it^ and the Platform is four fteps high. On the South-fide of 

 the Mofquee there are two white traniparent Stones , which when the Sun fliincs 

 upon them look red : And fometimes after the Sun is fet, you may read at thofe 

 Stones by the reflexion of the Sun-beams. 



Juft "againft the Moiquee on the other fide is another Front , which is the only 

 Remain of a ruin'd Building. It was the abode of the Shecl^lman^ or the Chief Pried. 

 There had been large Baths which belonging fo it, but they are all deftroy'd} 

 fome others there were of lefs note , which are not lookt after. 



In the great Piazza of Tauris and in the parts adjoyning , (lands a fair Mofquee, 

 a Colledge , and a Caftle , which fall to decay , thefe Buildings being forfaken } 

 by reafon they were made ufe of by the SounnPs, which were followers of Omar. Near 

 the fame Church is a ruin'd Church of the Armenians , whether they fay St. Helena 

 Cent the true Crofs. There is another Mofquee , which was formerly a Church 

 dedicated to St. Jo^zBaptift , where they fay one of his Hands was preferv'd a long 

 time. 



The Capuchins have a very convenient Houfe at Tauris ; for Mirz.a-Ibrahim Go- 

 vernour of the Province, whole credit is equal to the Kan of Taurus , which is 

 the chiefeft Command in Perfta, favours him very much with his protection. This 

 Governour has made himfelf very confiderable at Court , and very much refpe&ed 

 by the King for his indefatigable pains, and his extraordinary agility in augmenting 

 the King's Revenue : having found out fuch ways for that purpofe as never entred 

 into the thoughts of any that preceded him in the fame Employment. He is very 

 curious to learn all the Noble Sciences,which is a quality very rare among the Perfans : 

 He alio takes great delight in the Mathematick's and Philofophy, difcourfing often 

 with Gabriel de Chinon, Governour of the Capuchins Covent in Tauris. But the 

 great defire which Mirz.a-Ibrahim had to have his two Sons taught by the (aid 

 Gabriel , was the chief motive that made him fo favourable to that Covent. He 

 bought the Friers a place to build their Houfe, and liberally furnifh'd them for the 

 Expence of the Work. 



When the Sun fets and rifes , there are a certain Company of People who are 

 oblig'd to make a hideous noife with Drums and Trumpets in the Meidan , or great 

 Piazza of the City. They (land upon one fide of the Piazza in a Gallery fomewhat 

 rais'd , which is a Cuftom obferv'd in all the Cities under the Perfian Government. 



As you go out of Tauris upon the North-fide , there is- a Mountain clofe by, 

 there being only the River between it. The name of it is Einali-Zeinali, and for- 

 merly there ftood upon the top of it a fair Hermitage of the Armenians , which the 

 Mahometans have converted into a Mofquee. At the bottom of the Mountain 

 (lands a Fortrefs and a Mofquee, which they let go to ruine, becaufe they were built 

 by the Ottomans. A little farther upon the brink of the Precipice (lands a Mona- 

 ftery, near to which are two Caves, where are certain Sepulchers and Marble Pillars 



lying 



