Part IL Travels into Levant [ 107 ] 
Nerves of their Ankles, and then hanging them up by the feet, to give 
them a certain number of blows with a Cudgel, and fometimes alfo to 
cut the Nerves ftiort otf. When they condemn any to death, the moft 
ufual puniftiment is to rip open the Belly. One day the great Schah 
Abbas ^ caufing the Belly of a Malefador to be ript open in his pre- 
fence, obfèrved that the Torturai Ambafladours, that ftood by him, tur- 
ned away their Eyes from beholding that Spectacle, as if it raifed hor- 
rour in them ; which made him fay, that certainly thefè torments would 
be too cruel and horrid, if they were praftifed amongft Chriliians who 
are rational People, but that they were abfolutely necelTary among the 
Terftans who are Beafts, Moreover it is very difficult for thofe who have 
committed any Crime to make their efcape, or avoid Juftice by flying, 
becaufe of the good order that is obferved: For befides that there are 
but few paiTages to get out of the Countrey ; the Roads are fo exa^lly 
kept by the Rahdars^ whom I have mentioned before, and whom I found 
upon my entry into Terfia, that is almoft impoffible not to fall into their 
hands, and they fufFer none to go out, nor come into the Kingdom, till 
firft they examine who he is, and the occafion of his Journey, 
When I came to Ifpahan, there were tv<^o Mufco'uite Ambafladours 
who had waited there for Audience fèveral Months, and could not ob- 
tain it ; and the King ufed them in this manner becaufe an Ambaflàdour 
of his had not been well received in Mofcovy. The defign of their Em- 
bafly was not known, onely it was fufpefted that they did it for no 
other end but to gain credit and reputation amongft their Neighbours, 
when they (hould know that the King of Ferfui was their friend. 
Neverthelefs, they had no good fuccefs, which was partly occafioned by 
their own fault. They had made a very falfe ftep at firft, ading at 
their firft coming what drew upon them the contempt which they met 
with at that Court all the while they ftayed there ; for they made a 
prefent to the Eatmad Doulet^ that they might obtain a permiflion to fell 
the Commodities that they brought with them. They had pretty fair The prefents 
prefents to make to the King, having brought with them a great many of the Mufco' 
fine Furs and other Curiofities of their Countrey, amongft which there 
was a Coach and a Falcon, which onely remained alive of many more 
that died by the way. 
In the mean time they were not received; on the contrary during An affront gu 
their abode at Ifpahan^ they fufFered many affronts, and whilft I was ven to the 
there had a very fignal one : So Toon as they were come, the King be- Ambaffadours 
ing informed that they brought him a lovely Falcon, fènt for it: Never- 
thelefs, as it is the cuftom to carry the prefents, when they go to the firft 
Audience, when they were about to have it, they demanded their Falcon 
that they might fblemnly prefent it to his Majefty with the Glove, ac- 
cording to the inftrudions they had from their Duke ; but in fcorn it was 
refufed them : And the more to infult over them, when they came into 
the Meidan, and were ordered to alight off of their Horfes, they made 
them take a turn all round the Meidan, as in proceffion, with their pre- 
fents, in the view of the King, who was in a Divun to pleafe himfelf there- 
with. At their Audience the King complained to them of fèveral things, 
and amongft others of the Piracies^ that the Mufcovites, and the Tartars 
who are their Subjects commit on the Cafpian Sea, and of their inrodes^ 
into the Dominions of Per/ia, where they land, and carry away in their 
VelTels all they find, Men, Women, Children and Cartel, and having done 
fo put off to Sea, and fend fome back in a fmall boat who coming near 
the fhoar, te'l the Inhabitants of the Coaft, that they have taken fb ma- 
ny Perfons, and that if they have a mind to recover them, they muft 
fend them fo much money. • 
The AmbalTadours made anfwer that they could not fupprefs Pirats 
and Robbers, to which the King replyed that thefe Robbers were not 
in fo great Bodies, and that if the Duke of Mufcovj/ put not a ftop to 
it. 
