130 



The Persian Travels Book III. 



fit down and eat a Bit or two : Then they call the Lord of the Town, and if there 

 be any other Lord, they come both together, with fome other of the Seniors of the 

 Parifh} who being fet down, eat up one of the Beaflsj which the old men had fet 

 apart for them; the reft is divided among the people, fitting upon the ground. 



There are fome Villages where you (hall have fifty Goats and Sheep, or Lambs 

 and Kids , kill'd together at one time. As for their Bofa, there are fome that bring 

 above 2ooPintsj others moreorlefs, according to their quality. Alltheday long 

 they eat and drink, and fing and dance to their Flutes a dozen together , which are 

 in fome meafure harmonious, as confifting of feveral parts, and decreafing propor- 

 tionably from the Treble to the Bafe. When the old men have folac'd themfelves 

 with eating and drinkiug, they go home, and leave the young people, Men and Wo- 

 men, Boys and Girls to be merry by themfelves: They ftay as long as there is any 

 Drink -, and the next day they go early to Mowing. 



They have other Ceremonies particular only to their Families. Once a year in 

 every Houfe they make a Crofs after the Form of a Mallet , about five Foot high , 

 the two Sticks that compofe the Crofs, being as big as a man's Arm. This the Mafter 

 of the Houfe lets in the Evening near the Door in his Chamber, and calling aH his 

 Family together, gives them every one a lighted Wax-Candle. Then firft he fixes 

 his own to the Crofs, next his Wife fticks hers, and fo all the Children and Servants : 

 If the Children be fo young, that they cannot do it themfelves, the Father and Mo- 

 ther do it for them. If one of the Candles burn out before it be put out, 'tisaPro- 

 gnoftick that he orfhethat fix'd it there, fhall not live out their year. If the Can- 

 dle falls, then he whofe Candle it was, fhall be robb'd, or be forc't to fly for his 

 Life. 



If it thunders, all the people run out of the Village , and the young people of 

 both Sexes fet themfelves to finging and dancing in the prefence of their Elders : 

 And if any one be Thunder-ftruck, they bury that perfon honourably, believing him 

 to be a Saint. ; Befides that, they fend over all the Countrey for a white Goat, 

 I which they breed up and keep in the Village where it happen'd to thunder, having it 

 in great veneration, till thundring in another place, the people fend for it thither 

 alfo. If the Thunder fall upon any of their Houfes, though it kill neither Man , 

 Woman, Child, nor Beaflr, all that Family fhall be kept upon the publick ftock all 

 that year , without being ty'd to any Labour but of Singing and Dancing. Thefe 

 people, during that time, go from Village to Village Dancing and Singing at peoples 

 Doors, but never going into their Houfes \ for which the Inhabitants are bound to 

 bring them out fomethingtoeat. 



There is a day in the Spring, when all that have been ftruck'n with Thunder, meet 

 together in the Village where the white Goat is kept -, who has always a Cheefe hang- 

 ing about his Neck as big as a. Parma-Cheefe. This Goat they take and carry to the 

 Village of the chief Lord of the Countrey. They never go in, but the Lord with 

 all the reft of the Village coming out, they all together proftrate themfelves before 

 the Goat. Having laid fome Prayers, they take away his Cheefe, and immediately 

 put another in its place. The Cheefe which was taken away, is at the fame time cut 

 into little pieces , and diftributed among the people. After that , they give the 

 Strangers to eat, and beftow their Alms upon them ^ fo that by this wandring from 

 Village to Village, they get good ftore of Money. 



They have among them but only one Book^ and it is as big as one of ourlargefl 

 Folio's, and it lies in the hands of an old man, who has only the priviledge to touch it. 

 When that old man is dead, they choofe another old man to keep the Book ; whofe 

 Duty it is to go from Village to Village, where he hears of any fick people. He 

 carries the Book with him, and after he has lighted up a Wax-Candle, and put the 

 people out of the Room, he lays the Book upon the Stomach of the fick perfon, opens 

 it, and reads in it, then blows over it fev'ral times, £> that the Breath pafles toward 

 the mouth of the Party: Then he caufes the party difeas'd to kifs the Book feveral 

 times, and as often lays it upon his head, which is a Ceremony of half an hour. When 

 the old man goes away, one gives him a Beef or a Heifer ; another gives him a Goat ' 7 

 every one according to their Quality and Eftate. 



They have alfo Old Women that take upon them to cure the Sick. Thefe Women, 

 feel the body of the fick party, all over, but more particularly they handle and grope 

 that part where the diftemper lies : during which time they let go feveral bejches out 



of 



