The Persian Travels Book IV. 



Fountain all cover'd with Carpets. At every corner of the Portico is a Room to fit 

 and take the frelh Air *, and behind another large Room , the floor whereof is fpread 

 with Carpets, Mattrefles, and Cufhions, according to the quality of theMafter of 

 the Houfe. Upon the two fides of the Portico are two other Chambers , and doors 

 to go from one Chamber to another : and thus are the Houles of the great Lords 

 built, but only they are more fpacious. For their Houfes confift of four great Parlours, 

 that look toward the our corners of the World, and every Parlour has two Chambers 

 upon each fide , which make eight Chambers , that furround a great Hall in the 

 middle. The King's Palace is alfo built after the fame fafhion : and generally the 

 Perfian Houfes are very low, it being a rare thing to fee one three Stories high. Yet 

 all their Chambers and Rooms are arch'd, wherein the Perfian exceeds us. For with- 

 out all that trouble and time that we lpend , they will prefently raife an Arch fo 

 broad and high as eafily demonftrates the skill of the Work-man. The tops of their 

 Houfes are flat and terrafs-'d ^ being plafter'd with Earth mixt with Straw chopt 

 very fmall , and well temper'd -, which they bind together with a layer of Lime beat'n 

 for feven days together, which makes it as hard as Marble,! and if they want Lime, 

 they pave the Terrafs with fquare Tiles bak'd in an Oven I fo that the Rain can do 

 no harm. But they are very careful to fhovel off the Snow, for fear it crack the 

 Terrafs with lying. Without the Houfes fhow nothing , but within they are curioufly 

 painted with Birds and FIowers,wherein the Perfians are no bad At tifts.They take great 

 delight to have feveral little Chambers, with feveral Doors, and Lattice-windows, the 

 quarrels whereof are of Glafs of various colours. This fort of glazing ferves generally, 

 and indeed more properly,for the Apartments where the Women may come.For they 

 might have Cryftal-windows if they pleas 'd , but they glaze the void fpaces in this 

 manner, that their Women may not be feen -, after they have fram'd the op'n place that 

 gives light, like a Flower-Pot with feveral Flowers in it, which the Glafs of feveral 

 colours imitates to the life whereby it is impoffible that the Windows fhould be 

 peer'd through -, befides, that it is pleafant to the Eye. The Doors of their Houfes 

 are of Tchinar^N ood, which is very noble, and their Wainfcoting is as neat. The 

 Perfians that love orientation, always difplay their rich Carpets, Mattrefles, Culhions, 

 Coverlets , and all the moft coftly Furniture they have , in the fore part of their 

 dwellings : For the Haram, or the Women's Quarter is but meanly adorn'd, in regard 

 they are never vifited by any men but their Husbands. In fome of their Rooms they 

 have very narrow Chimnies-, for the Perfians let all their Wood upright which they 

 burn, becaufe of theSmoak*, befides, they make but fmall Fires, in regard they have 

 fo great a fcarcity of Wood. When they would go to fleep, they lye down upon a 

 Plank cover'd with a Carpet, and wrap themfelves in a quilted Blanket. In the Sum- 

 mer they fleep in the open Air , upon their TerrafTes -, and in regard the Women lye 

 there too , there is an order obtain'd , that the Moullahs that fing upon the Mofquees 

 fhall not prefume to go up in the morning , becaufe it might be their hap to fee the 

 Women as they lay -, it being one of the higher! pieces of infamy imaginable for a 

 Woman to be difcover'd with her Face op'n. 



There are fome Houfes that belong to great Lords, that have a fquare place before 

 their Doors, where they that come to vifit them may put their Horfes, to the end the 

 Street fhould not be pefter'd. If you look upon the Front of their Houfes, there is- 

 little ornament to be feen, unlefs it be upon fome which have been lately built. 



CHAP. V. 



A Dtfcription of Ifpahan , the chief City of the Kingdom and Do- 

 minions of the t\jng of Perfia. 



ISpahan,Sphaban,o\: Sphaon, as the Perfians pronounce it,which fome Travellers have 

 too unwarily affirm'd to be a fine City , lyes in the Province of Hierac , which 

 compofes fome part of the ancient Kingdom of the Parthians.lt is the Capital City 

 of all Perfia , and a very large place , where the King ufually keeps his Court. 

 The Records of the Terfiam declare that formerly it was two contiguous Towns, one 



part 



