o 3 4- T />g Persian Travels Book V . 



only to get money. But they are forbid to deal fo by the Frank? ; and I have 

 pafs'd by them,when they have faid nothing to me. 



Their Government in relation to Belly-timber is the beft in the world. For there 

 is a Mobtefeb, who is the chief of the Government, whofe bufinefs it is to let a 

 rate upon all forts of Provifion, being aiïifted by three or four more AfîèfTors. 

 Every firft day of the week there is a public Proclamation of taxe upon the 

 weight of every thing. Which Aflefiors in the evening advize together againft 

 the next day whether to raife or abate the price before ftt. This order was efta- 

 blifti'd by the great Sba Abbas, and was in his raign more punctually obferv'd 

 then it has been fince. By the by obferve, that all provifions of belly-timber are 

 fold by weight and not by meafure : fo that you may fend a Child to Market } 

 for if the Commodity be not weight/tis well if the buyer be fatisfy'd with having 

 his money again. For if the feller be difcover'd to fell by falfe weights, they are 

 led about the ftreets with a Taktekolasjox a Bcnnet like a Bee- hive upon their head?, 

 and a Bell about their necks to expofe 'em firft to the laughter of the people : after 

 that they are fin'd , and receive fo many drubs upon the foles of their 

 feet. 



If this good order were not obferv'd in Perfia, the poor would fuffer very much. 

 For the handicraft tradefmen that work all day in fhops remote from their houfes, 

 where their wives are continually fhut up, eat nothing at noon but a little fruit in 

 feafon : and then in the evening when they leave work, they go to the Market 

 and buy for their Families boyld or roaft meat, of which there is great plenty. 

 Therefore are they fo exad, leaft fo many poor labouring men mould be de- 



ceiv'd. . . 



One day a Baker of the City came to the Kan, complaining that the Judge of 

 the Government had fet too low a price upon bread fo that he fl.ould be a greot 

 lofer. To whom the Kan made anfwer, that 'twas not^ his bufinefs to alter the 

 price : bidding him go to the Magiftrate that was concern'! Bat the Baker belie-, 

 ving the Kan could do any thing, fent him a prefent of fifty Tomans. The Kan 

 feeing the ill defign of the Baker to opprefs the poor people, and the ill opinion he 

 had of him as a feller of Juftice, commanded him to be carri'd to the Piax.^a, and 

 *' there to be drub'd upon the foles of his feet till he pay'd the other fifty Tomans, 

 which the Kan forthwith diftributed to the poor , and caus'd the price of bread 

 to be abated inftead of raifing it. 



1 ■ ~ ; — 



CHAP. XIV. 

 Of the Manners and Cufomes of the Perfians. 



THe Manners and Cuftomes of the people are ufually correfpondent to their 

 Religion. The Perfians never prefèrve the name of their PredecefTors, but 

 like the fèves, for diftinction fake, fay, fuch a one, the Son of fuch a one. When 

 they Circumcife a Child and give him a Name, they write three or four Names 

 like Lots in Paper, which are drawn by a Child, and which the Child draws, that 

 is the Name of the Child. The women that are barren, fwallow that which is 

 cut from the Child,believing it will make them conceive. 



The Perfians are generally very inquifitive after the time to come, confultmg 

 their Aftrologers like Oracles : The King has always two or three by him, to ten 

 him the good or bad hour. There is an Almanac which is fold every year in Per- 

 fia, which they call Tacmm ; but is indeed an Ephimerides, containing the Longi- 

 tudes and Latitudes of the Planets, the Conjunctions and Oppofitions ; and other 

 fuch things. This Tacmm is full of predictions about Wars, Sickneffes and Famin. 

 It fets the proper feafons to put on new cloathes, to let blood, to Purge, or tra- 

 vel, with many other inftrudions of the fame nature. They give great credit to 

 this Tacmm, and they^that can get one, govern themfeJves in all things according 

 to the Rules there fet down. Others to know the fucceft of their affairs, go to 



a 



