The Persia n Travels Book V. 



they lay their hands upon their itomachs, and bow, which is their manner of fa- 

 inting the Company that tarries for them. After lome few Compliments, they 

 get a Horfeback, attended by all their Vifitants, who accompany them to the 

 King's Houfe, in expectation of Tome kindnels, by vertue of their favour. The 

 favours which the King dually does to fuch people, is to lend them to the Gover- 

 nours of Provinces with a Hawk or a Calaat, with order that the laid Governours 

 remember the Serjeant Porter. 



The Kan being advertiz'd that the Calaat is coming, he rides forth of the City 

 to meet it, attended by all his principal Officers, the chief of the City, and the 

 greateft part of the Inhabitants. The Juglers alio mult give their attendance, to- 

 gether with the Drums and Trumpets, and all the Mulick-makers. They rendez- 

 vouz ufually in a Garden one or two leagues from the City, where the King's Mef- 

 fenger ftays with the Calaat. So foon as the Governour perceives him, he makes 

 a low oheyfance, and a Prayer for the King ; giving God thanks for that the King 

 is pleas'd to prcferve him in his memory : then he puts on the C ala.tr } which is 

 according to the quality of the Governour: fometimes the Robe alone 3 fbme- 

 times Robe and Cloak : fometimes Robe, Cloak, Girdle, and Bonnet j to which, 

 if he be a Grandee, are added the Scimitar and Dagger : which method is alio 

 obferv'd toward Embaffadors. When the Kan has put on the Calaat, he returns 

 to the City with all his Retinue, goes to the King's Houle -, (Tor the King has a 

 Houle in every CityJ kiffes the Columns of the Gate, and makes certain other 

 Prayers for the profperity of the King : At length he rides home, where he makes 

 a great Fealt, (hewing the Calaat to all perlons that come to him, who by way of 

 complement cry Moubarek^-bajhet, that is, may it be blefi, and prove a good omen. 



The Perfians are not much addicted to play : for befides, that the Law forbids 

 it ; the Mejhaldar-Bajhi has a power to line and punifh Gameiters,as I have faid 

 already. For which reafon he has fpies, to which the meaner fort of people dare 

 not refufe entrance into their Houfes : but the richer fort laugh at 'em j and will 

 give 'em nothing. Among the Perfian Games, there is one game at Cards which 

 the Perfians call Gengefé. We have but four diltincT; marks upon ours, but they 

 have eight. They alio play at a kind of Chefs, and at Tnftrac ; which two Games 

 are molt in ufe. The Shopkeepers play in the Streets with little Marble- bowls, 

 not much unlike our Childrens Bowling-ftones. But as for Bowling-greens, or 

 Tennis-Courts, they know not what they mean. 



Neither the Perfians nor any of the Ealrern People accuftom themlelves to 

 v r alk as we do. And therefore when they fee us walking to and fro together in a 

 Garden-Ally for two or three hours together, they are amaz'd. They only Ipread 

 a Carpet k> the faireft place of the Garden, and let themlelves down to contem- 

 plate the verdure of the place : and if they rife, 'tis only to pull the fruit from 

 the tree?. For they love to eat what they gather themfelves, never caring for 

 what others have handPd. 



The Men never dance, only the Women of Pleafure, which are always lent for 

 to their Feafts ; where they dance open-fae'd, and Ihew a thoufànd poftures to 

 divertife theCompany .Their juglers are every jot as good as oursjbut whereas ours 

 make ufe of Balls, they Ihew their tricks with large Hen-eggs. Their Dancers 

 upon the Ropes far exceed ours. I have feen fome of them that have ty'd a Rope 

 to the top of a high Tower, and faften'd the other to the ground, and then walk- 

 ing up to the top with their counterpoifes in their hands, have laid themlelves up- 

 on the Rope upon their backs, and have Aid to the bottom with a fwiftnefs like 

 lightning. 



The Perfians are altogether as fuperftitious as the Turks. Before they fay their 

 Prayers they are oblig'd to warn : every one having a Refervatory for water in 

 his own Houfe, which is always full of water. They plunge their heads in the 

 water, wafh their mouths, rub their forheads j and if a man fhews them any nafti- 

 nefs in the Velfel, there's water enough, they cry, for purification ; though, if it 

 be Pond-water, it muft be four or five foot deep. But if it be Running-water, 

 the leaft quantity in the World ferves to purify 'em, and render 'em fit to pray : 

 while they ground their beliefupon this maxim of the Law of Mahomet, that if it 

 mould run through Pijbkill, or Camels-dung,it would be fufficient for purification. 

 There is one fort of wafhjng appointed by their Law, which is, to go to their 



Baths 



