*4 — ■ 1 



172 Tbe Persian travels Book IV. 



they dip the Crofs in the Water three times , and every time they drop the Holy Oyl 

 upon it. After that they ufe the ordinary form of Baptifm, which being done, 

 the Arch-bifhop or the Minifter plunges the Infant in the River or Pond three times , 

 faying the ufual words , / Baptife , &c. and the fame anointings as before : though 

 it feemsa wonder to me that the extremity of the weather does not kill the Child. 

 The King of Terfia is many times prefent at this ceremony when it is perform'd at 

 Ijpahan , riding on Horfe-back to the fide of the River with all his Nobility. The 

 Ceremony being over he goes to Zulfha to the Kelonter^ Houfe, where there is an 

 entertainment prepar'd for him. Neither is there any place in the World where a 

 King may be entertain'd with lets charge than in Perjia. For if any private perfon 

 invite the King , and that His Majefty pleafes to do him that Honour , 'tis but for the 

 inviter to go to the chief of the Officers , and to carry him twenty Tomans, or three 

 hundred Crowns, and to tell him withall , that the King has promis'd to accept of a 

 imall Collation with his Slave. For then the Governour is oblig'd to fend to the 

 Houfe of him that treats the King all things neceffary for the entertainment. Elfe 

 it were impoffible to be done , in regard the King eats in nothing but in Gold Plate. 

 At the end of the Feaft the King is always preiented with fome European Rarity , 

 not lets worth than four or five thoufand Crowns. Or if the perfon have no Rarity 

 to prefent j it fuifices to offer in a Balbn the value in Venetian Ducats of Gold , with 

 all the fubmiflïon imaginable. Bcficjes all this, fomePrefents mud be giv'n to fome 

 of the Lords and principal Eunurhs of his train*, and others fent to the Queen Mo- 

 ther , if living , and to the Sultane^ , his Wives and Sifters. Thus though the enter- 

 tainment may be made with little trouble , yet otherwife it proves fomewhat cxpen- 

 five ; though the Armenians of Zulpha are well enough able to bear the charge^. I 

 was twice at this Ceremony upon Chriftmas day in Ijpahan. The firft time I faw Sha- 

 Sef , and the fécond time Sha-Abas the fécond , who drank both fo hard , that in 

 their Drink they committed thofe crimes that very much ftain'd their memories: 

 Epr Sha-Sefi returning home ftab'd his Wife, the Mother of Sha-Abas. Sha-Abas ano- 

 ther time returning home in drink , would needs drink on , and force three wo- 

 men to drink with him -, who finding he would not give over , ftole out of his Com* 

 pany. The King perceiving them gone without taking leave, in a mad humour fent 

 his Eunuchs for them, and caus'd them to be thrown into the Fire, where the 

 poor women were burnt -, for there is no refilling nor examining the Kings com- 

 mand. 



CHAP. XII. 



Of the Marriages of the Armenians. 



f H H E Armenians Marry their Children before either party have feen each 

 other , nay before the Fathers or Brothers know any thing of it- And 

 they whom they intend to Marry muft agree to what their Fathers or 

 -JE. Parents command them. When the Mothers have agreed among them- 

 felves, they tell their Husbands, who approve what they have done. Upon this 

 Approbation , the Mother of the Boy , with two old Women and a Prieft conae m 

 the Houfe where the Mother of the Daughter lives , and prefent her a Ring fx<m 

 him whom they intend to betroth. The Boy appears afterwards , and the Prieft 

 reads fomething out of the Gofpel as a blefiïng upon both parties -, after which they 

 give him a fum of Money according to the quality of the Father of the Girl. That 

 done, they prefent the company with drink , and this is call'd a betrothing or affi- 

 ancing. Sometimes they agree a Marriage when the Children are not above t*vo or 

 three years old -, fometimes two women that are friends being both with Child at one 

 time together , Will make a match between the two Children before they are born , if 

 the one be a Boy and the other a Girl. So foon as they are born the Contrat is made ; 

 and when once the Boy has giv'n the Ring , though it be twenty years after before 

 they are Marry'd , he is bound every year upon Eajïer.âay to lend his Miftris a 

 new Habit with all the trimrainf belonging to it according to her quality. Three 

 • • days 



