The Persian Travels Book I Ï. 



God gave him , took along with him three hundred thirty-fix thoufand Demons, 

 and made the earth fo fertile , that it was but to Sow in the Morning and Reap at 

 Night. That the fame Angel taught Adam to Plant and Sow , and all other neceffary 

 Sciences. Moreover that the fame Angel made the feven lower Spheres , the leaft 

 whereof reaches to the Center of the World , in the fame manner as the Heavens 

 do , all contriv'd one within another. That all thefe Spheres are of different 

 Metals, the firft next the Center is of Iron, thefecondof Lead, thethirdof Brafs, 

 the fourth of Laten , the fifth of Silver , the fixth of Gold , and the feventh of 

 Earth. The feventh is that which contains all the reft , and is the chiefeft of all , as 

 being the moft fruitful and profitable to Man , and the moft proper to prefervc Man- 

 kind, whereas the reft feem rather to be fram'dfor its deftruftion. They believe 

 that over every Heaven there is Water, whence they conclude that the Sun fwims in a 

 Ship upon that Water, and that the Maft of his Ship isaCrofs, and that there are a 

 great number of Boys and Servants to guide the Ships of the Sun and Moon. 

 Befides, they have the Picture of a Barque, which they fay belong'd to the Angel 

 Bac an , whom God fends to vifit the Sun and Moon , to fee whither they move right 

 or no , and keep clofe to their duty. 



In reference to the other World and life to come , they believe there is no other 

 World , but where Angels and Devils , the Souls of good and bad refide. That in 

 that World there are Cities , Houfes , and Churches , and that the Evil Spirits have 

 alfo Churches , where they pray , finging and rejoycing upon Inftruments , and 

 Feafting as in this World. That when any one lies at the point of death , three 

 hundred and fixty Demons come and carry his Soul to a place full of Serpents , Dogs , 

 Lyons , Tygres , and Devils , who, if it be the Soul of a wicked man , tear it in 

 pieces } but being the Soul of a juft man , it creeps under the bellies of thofe Crea- 

 tures into the prefence of God, who fits in his feat of Majefty to judge the World. 

 That there are Angels alfo that weigh the Souls of Men in a Ballance , who being 

 thought worthy, are admitted immediately into Glory. That the Angels and 

 Devils are Male and Female , and beget Children. That the Angel Gabriel is the 

 Son of God engendered upon Light , and that he has a Daughter call'd Souret who 

 has two Sons. That the Angel Gabriel has feveral Legions of Demons under him , 

 who are inftead of Souldiers, and others that are his Officers of juftice, whom he 

 fends from Town to Town , and from City to City , to punifh the wicked. 



In reference to Saints , they hold that Chrift left twelve Apoftles to Preach to the 

 Nations. That the Virgin Mary is not dead, but that fhe lives fomewhere in the 

 World , though there be no perfon that can tell where fhe is. That next to her 

 St. John is the chiefeft Saint in Heaven , and next to them Zachariat and Elizabeth , 

 of whom they recompt feveral miracles and Apocryphal tales. For they believe 

 that they two begat St. John only by embracing \ that when he came to be of 

 age they Marry'd him , and that he had four Sons which he begat upon the waters of 

 Jordan. That when St. John defir'd a Son , he pray 'd to God, who drew him one out 

 of the water -, fo that St. John had no more to do with his Wife but only to give her 

 the Child to bring up. That he dy'd a natural death , but that he commanded his 

 Difciples to Crucifie him after his death , that he might be like Chrift. Laftly , that 

 he dy'd in the City of F after , and that he was bury'd in a Chryftal Tomb , brought 

 by miracle to the City , and that this Sepulchre was in a certain Houfe near the River 

 Jordan. 



They highly honour the Crofs, and fign themfelves with it} but they are very- 

 careful of letting the Turks obferve them -, and during their Ceremonies , they fet a 

 Watch at their Church doors for fear the T arks lhould enter , and lay fome unjuft 

 Fine upon them. When they have ador'd the Crofs , they take it in two pieces , 

 which they never put together again , 'till their Service rebegins. The reafon why 

 they fo adore the Crofs is drawn out of a Book which they have, Entitul'd Thr Di- 

 van. Where it is written that every day early in the Morning, the Angels take the 

 Crois and put it in the middle of the Sun , which receives his light from it, as the 

 Moon alfo doth hers. They add , that in the fame Book are Pi£tur'd two Ships , one 

 of which is nam'd the Sun, the other the Moon-, and that in every one of thefe 

 Ships there is a Crofs full of Bells : And moreover, that if there were not a Crois in 

 thofe two Ships , the Sun and Moon would be depriv'd of Light, and the Ships would 

 fuffer Shipwrack. 



Their 



