i66 



The Persian Travels Book IV. 



Of the manner of their Baptifm. 



THe Çakrs never ufe Circumcifion , but at the Birth of their Children pra&ife 

 fomething like our Baptifm. For fome days after the Child is born, they wafh it 

 with Water wherein certain Flowers are firft boy I'd -, and during that dipping , the 

 Prieft, who is prefent, makes certain Prayers. If the Child dye without that Wafhing, 

 they do not believe but that it goes to Paradife -, but they hold that the Parents (hall 

 give an account for their neglect of the Infant, becaufe that Wafhing increafes his 

 favour and his merit in the fight of God. 



Of their LMdrriages. 



THe Religion of the (jaurs permits them to have five Wives, if they can maintain 

 them ; nor is it laudable to repudiate any one but in cafe of an evident Adultery, 

 or that (he turn Mahometan ; befides, it behoves her Husband to ftay a whole year, 

 to fee whether (he will repent or no. If (he come and acknowledge her fault to the 

 Prieft , he enjoyns her Penance for three years v after which he remarries them , and 

 they become man and wife again. 



As to the Ceremony of Marriage, the Prieft, when the Couple come to him, asks the 

 Man and the Woman in the pfefence of WitnefTes whether they both confent then 

 taking a little Water he lays a few Prayers over it, and then wafhing both their Fore- 

 heads he pronounces certain words, and there's all. But they are not to marry within 

 the third degree ; nor do they know what it means to defire a Difpenfation. 



But you muft obferve by the way, that though they are allow'd five Wives, there is 

 but one which can be truly faid to be marry'd , with whom they are oblig'd to lye at 

 leaft two nights in a week, Fryday and Saturday, and (he always goes before the reft. 

 But if (he have no Children in feven years, the man is allow'd to marry another, but not 

 to repudiate the other , whom he is bound ftill to maintain according to his quality. 



So loon as Women or Maids perceive the cuftom of Nature upon them , they pre- 

 fently leave their Houfes, and ftay alone in the Fields in little Hutts made of Hurdles 

 or Watlings, with a Cloth at the entring in, which ferves for a Door. While they are 

 in that condition, they have Meat and Drink brought them everyday, and when they 

 are free , they fend according to their quality, a Rid , or a Hen, or a Pigeon for an 

 Offering -, after which they go to the Bath, and then invite fome few of their Kindred 

 to fome Imall Collation. 



Cf their Fajls , Feajls , and principal Ceremonies. 



THe Gaurs drink Wine both men and women, and eat Swines-flelh , provided it be 

 of their own breeding and feeding. They are very careful left their Hogs eat 

 any ordure , for ftiould they perceive that they had devour'd any thing of naftinefy 

 they are ftrittly forbid'n to eat them. They never pare their Nails ; fo that if by way 

 of difgrace, or by any misfortune they are conftrain'd to cut their Nails or their Hair, 

 they carry that which they cut off to fome place appointed without the City for that 

 purpolè. Five days in a year they abftain from Meat, Fifh, Butter, and Eggs -, and three 

 other days they faft altogether 'till Evening. They have alfo thirty Holy-days in 

 honour of thirty of their Saints, which they keep very ftri&Iy, no man daring to work. 

 But the day of the Birth of their Prophet is celebrated with an extraordinary Pomp; 

 befides , that then they beftow large Alms. 



There is one day in the year when all the Women of every City and Village meet 

 together to kill all the Frogs they can find in the fields j and this is done by the Com- 

 mand of their Prophet , who was one day very much annoy'd by them. 



Their Priefts have feveral Books full of fmall Pittures in Water-Colours, ill done, 

 reprefenting how the feveral Sins of Men {hall be punilh'd in Hell, efpecially Sodomy, 

 which they abominate. 



Of their Funerals. 



^^Hen the gaurs are fick they fend for their Priefts, to whom they make a kind of 

 Confeflion -, whereupon the Priefts enjoyn them to give Alms, and other good 

 Works , to gain pardon of their Sins, They 



