the Creation of the world the creation of the first Man and Woman and the Progeny from them descending as it is by the Banians deliuered THE great God say the Banians being alone bethought himselfe how hee might make his excellency and power manifest to others for his great vertue had beene obscured and hid if it had not beene communicated to his creatures What meanes might then bee better to giue euidence of both these then the creation of a world and creatures therein For this cause the Almighty consulted with himselfe about the making of this great worke which men call the World or Vniuerse and as the Ancients say they haue deliuered the Lord made foure Elements as the ground-worke of this mighty frame to wit Earth Aire Fire and Water which foure Elements were at first all mingled together in a confusion but the Almighty separated them in manner following First it is deliuered that by some great Cane or like instrument hee blew vpon the Waters which arose into a bubble of a round forme like an egge which spreading it selfe further and further made the Firmament so cleare and transparent which now compasseth the world about After this there remaining the Earth as the sediment of the Waters and some liquid substance with the same the Lord made of both these together a thing round like a ball which hee called the lower world the more solid part whereof became the Earth the more liquid the Seas both which making one Globe he by a great noyse or humming sound placed them in the middest of the Firmament which became aequi-distant from it on euery side Then he created a Sunne and Moone in the Firmament to distinguish the times and seasons and thus these foure Elements that were at first mixt together became separate and assigned to their seuerall places the Aire to his place the Earth to his the Water to his place and the Fire to his place These Elements thus disposed each of them discharged his seuerall parts the Aire filled vp whatsoeuer was emptie the Fire began to nourish with his heate the Earth brought forth his liuing creatures and the Sea his And the Lord conueyed to these a seminall vertue that they might bee fruitfull in their seuerall operations and thus the great world was created This World as it had his beginning from foure Elements so it was measured by foure maine points of the Compasse East West North and South and was to be continued for foure Ages and to be peopled by foure Casts or sorts of men which were maried to foure Women appointed for them of which wee shall speake as order may giue occasion God hauing thus made the world and the creatures thereto belonging then God created Man as a creature more worthy then the rest one that might be most capable of the workes of God The earth then did at Gods voyce and command render this creature from his bowels his head first appearing and after that his body with all the parts and members of the same into whom God conueyed life which as soone as he had receiued witnessed it selfe for colour began to shew it selfe red in his lippes his eye liddes began to disclose the two lights of Nature the parts of his body bewrayed their motion and his vnderstanding being informed hee acknowledged his Maker and gaue him worship That this creature might not bee alone who was made by nature sociable God seconded him with a Companion which was Woman to whom not so much the outward shape as the likenesse of the minde and disposition seemed agreeing and the first mans name was Pourous and the womans name was Parcoutee and they liued conioyned together as Man and Wife feeding on the fruites of the earth without the destruction of any liuing creature These two liuing in this coniunction had foure sonnes the first was called Brammon the second Cuttery the third Shuddery the fourth Wyse These foure brethren were of Natures distinct each from the other the foure Elements claiming in each of them a different predominance For Brammon was of an earthly constitution and therefore Melancholly and Cuttery was of a fiery constitution and therefore of a Martiall spirit Shuddery was of a flegmaticke constitution and therefore of a peaceable or conuersable disposition Wyse was of an ayery temper and therefore full of contriuements and inuentions And because Brammon was of a melancholly constitution and ingenious God indued him with knowledge and appointed him to impart his Precepts and Lawes vnto the people his graue and serious looke best fitting him for such a purpose for which cause hee gaue him a Booke containing the forme of diuine Worshippe and Religion And because Cuttery was of a Martiall temper God gaue him power to sway kingdomes with the Scepter and to bring men into order that the Weale-publicke might thriue by vnited indeauours for the common good as an Embleme of which the Almighty put a sword into his hand the instrument of victory and domination And because Shuddery was of a nature mild and conuerseable it was thought meete that he should bee a Merchant to inrich the Common-wealth by Trafficke that so euery place might abound with all things by the vse of shipping and Nauigation as a monitour to put him in minde of which course of life he had a paire of Ballances put into his hand and a bagge of waights hung at his girdle instruments most accommadate to his profession Lastly because Wyse was of an Ayery temper whose conceipts vse to bee more subtle and apprehensiue he was indued with admirable inuentions and was able by his first thoughts to forme any thing that belonged to the Mechanicke or handy-crafts man For which purpose hee had a bagge of tooles or instruments consisting of such variety as were necessary to effectuate the workes of his fancy or conceipt Thus you haue the first Man and Woman and the Progeny from them descending according to Banians tradition and a world to be raised of so few the persons as they thinke could not be better fitted to the same the whole world being well considered consisting of and subsisting by such foure kindes of men The World being in this Mayden puritie that the generations of men might not be deriued from a polluted beginning of mankinde the Almighty gaue not Pourous and Parcoutee any daughters least some of these foure 〈◊〉 preferring the needes of propagation before piety and Religion should haue defloured their Sisters and haue blemished the world with impurity but prouiding better for the holinesse and sanctity of our Ancestors that the worke of generation might be agreeable to the worke of Creation God made foure Women for these foure Men and placed them at the foure Windes one at the East another at the West a third at the North and a fourth at the South that thus being diuided there might be a better meanes for the spreading of their generations ouer the face of the earth with which foure Women how
of his Order conspiring against God to gaine the Soueraignety and command ouer all God threw him from the Orbe of his happinesse together with his confederates and accomplices dambd him to hel the place that was made for offenders and turned them from their glorious shapes into shapes blacke vgly and deformed till the times of the world should be consummate when al offenders in generall should receiue their sentence of punishment and condemnation So God hauing accomplished this second labour desisted from the worke of the creation fiue dayes more After this the Almighty begunne the third labour of the creation which was to make the Earth which together with the Waters called Seas make this lower world like a Globe or Ball so agreeing together that the Seas humidity maketh the Earth fruitfull and the Earths soliditie boundeth the waters in their due confine which worke thus finished God suspended the worke of the Creation for fiue dayes more and rested The fourth labour was to make the Trees Plants and Hearbes that so the earth might bring forth fruites pleasant to the eye and taste and for the comfort of the Creatures liuing in the earth this also done God rested and gaue the former respite to his labours The fift worke was to make Creatures fit to abide in the places forementioned as Beasts of all sorts to forrage in the greene pastures Fowles to cleane the Ayre with their nimble Pencions Fishes to swimme in the vnknowne depths of the watery Ocean The world thus replenished with creatures God resumed his wonted rest and intermission from this labour And lastly vndertooke his sixt labour which was the forming of Man and Woman to whom the rest of the Creatures were made ministratory and seruile whose name their Records deliuer to be Adamah and Euah who being the first two by whom the multitudes of mankinde should be propagated God as they affirme did cause Euah to bring forth two twinnes every day for a thousand yeeres together death did diminish none of the numbers of mankinde by mortality But Lucifer thus deposed with the rest of his Order grew malignant both to God and man and as God did good so he laboured to doe euill and to perturbe his actions and tempt men to sinne and wickednesse labouring to make man odious to his Maker as also making himselfe an enemy to all goodnesse which God yet did not fully reuenge as knowing nothing but euill to bee in him and his confederates But the better to preuent his mischiefe set certaine superuisors ouer his creatures to preserue them in that state wherein they were at first created Thus to one Hamull was committed the charge of the heauens to Acrob the ouersight of the Angels that they relapsed not as Lucifer had done to Ioder the ouersight of the Sunne Moone and Starres to Soreh the care of the Earth to Iosah the command of the Waters Sumbolah had the charge of the beasts of the field Daloo of the Fish of the Sea Rocan of the trees Cooz of Man and Woman and Sertan and Asud to whom God had giuen strength and power were made the guardians of Lucifer and the euill spirits to master and conjure them from mischiefe to Gods creatures who yet notwithstanding the watch of Sertan and Asud did much mischiefe in the world by suggestion and temptation to wickednâ—sse which made God offended with mankinde for their wickednesse The sinnes of men growing great they say it appeareth in their Records that there came a Flood or Inundation which ouerflowed the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof some few onely God preserued to propagate the generations of the times following that so there might not bee an vtter ruine of mankinde These generations were dispersed to people the earth againe from which all Nations haue had their descent And as their Historiographer Mircond reporteth in times not long distant from the Flood these Persees had a Race of Kings that were their proper Gouernours continued for aboue a thousand yeeres by the succession of fiue and forty Kings The first whereof was Guiomaras who as Mircond reports was the son of Aram the sonne of Sem the sonne of Noah by the Persees called Adam Asseny that is the second Adam the last in whom the Monarchie of this people concluded as is before shewed was Yesdegerd The Abridgement of which Chronicle I would haue gathered from them but that I found it to agree punctually both iâ— matter and order with that translation of Mr. Grimstones called Estates and Empires c in the Chronicle of the Kings of Persia to whom I referre those that desire information therein What Religion this people had in the Reignes of Guiomaras Syameck Ouchang Thamull Iimshed Zoack Traydhun and Manoucher vnto Lorasph which was their fifteenth King is not the scope of this present worke though then they had a peculiar kinde of worshippe But the Religion that is the Subiect of this booke is a Religion that was receiued in the Reigne of Gustasph the sonne of Lorasph their sixteenth King in succession concerning the worshippe of Fire in the defence of which Religion Gustasph was so zealous that hee made warre against Ariaseph King of Turron for that he reprehended him in a letter about this worshippe Hauing then limited this Booke to his proper Subiect three things in generall are to be treated of in this worke First to declare who was their Law-giuer how their Law was deliuered and came to bee receiued of Gustasph King of Persia. Next to shew the substance of their Law Lastly to proceede to other Ceremonies obserued by them not improper to this present Tract CHAP. III. Concerning Zertoost the Law-giuer of the Persees his Parents the Omens that did forerunne his Natiuity their interpretation his perils in his Birthplace his escape into Persia and the Accidents happening in his Trauailes thither COncerning the Law-giuer of this people it is left recorded in their old writings that there liued in Chyna two poore people of honest fame and reputation married together as man and wife the man was called Espintaman the woman Dodoo these two hauing long liued in the state of marriage without issue the woman earnestly prayed that God would giue her a sonne her request was heard and much time passed not ere shee conceiued and grew pregnant About the time of this womans Conception shee saw a vision presented to her in a dreame that filled her with great feare and terrour for she conceiued that the heauens were of a light fire ouer her head and that a flaming rednesse had ouerspread the firmament which droue her into a great Agony when on a sodaine there rushed into her sight foure Griffins of grimme and horrid appearance who seazing on her body did from her wombe seeme cruelly to teare out the child she had conceiued to her great feare and despaire of life when on a sodaine stept in a man of person goodly and of warlike Aspect with a truncheon on in his hand in
full of Maiesty In her right hand shee bare a Chuckerey which is an instrument of a round forme and sharpe edged in the superficies thereof so accommodate for offence that by a hole in the middest thereof being whirled about the finger and slung off in the quicknesse of his motion it is able to deliuer or conuey death to a farre remote enemy Courage displayed his Banner in her countenance maiesticke fury sparkled in her eyes bearing witnesse how much she thirsted after conquest and the womans name was Toddicastree In the first encounter she made her Chuckerey beare the message of her displeasure giuing entertainement with the instrument of Battell which was such as Cuttery expected and no kinder behauiour did hee entend to proffer as preferring the harsh effects of violence before the mollifying power of beauty with this hard greeting did they passe the first day giuing wounds on each side shee with her Chuckerey he with his Sword both being much spent in the conflict and often breathing when extreamity of exercise had languished their powers they renewed their battell by fresh Aggression and Onset till darknesse did prohibit the vse of Armes leauing the first day as an indifferent Arbiter of the battell neither of them able to boast of Aduantage The light of the next day inuiting them to a new experiment of Valour they accoast one another renewing the remembrance of their iniuries with second attempts of violence the day well neere spent in fight Cuttery gaining some aduantage with his Sword hewed her Chuckerey in two peeces but fauorable darkenesse looking with a partiall eye on the battell and patronizing the disaduantaged shaded the woman with her broken instrument from the pursuer by the benefit of which intermission she conuerted her broken Chuckerey into a Bowe hauing prouided Arrowes to requite the force of the Aduersary by this new stratageme who was now bigge with the hopes of her Ouerthrow The light being the best Herauld they had to call them to battell a third time they met hopefull to conclude this strange duello or single Combat which vrged on her side by her new inuented instrument and on his by the thought of former aduantage gained made the Assault more vehement making therefore her enemy the Butte into whom she meant to transfixe her pointed shafts she freshly encountered him But he perceiuing her aduantage whose power was to wound farre off and his iniuries were most forceable in little distance exposing himselfe to greater perill that he might be owner of a better aduantage drew neerer and in a cloze exchanging the losse of weapons for hand violence they thus proued their forces together wearinesse hauing abated their vigours so equally that neither of them was so strong to ouercome nor so weake to yeeld the ballance of victory so iustly poysed betweene them as inclined with partiality to neither it was fit the tongue should conclude that warre that the power of the hand was no longer able to prosecute Hereupon in this doubtfull strife Cuttery hauing seazed her by the Tresses of her haire to bring her to bondage and exercise hauing put a fresh and liuely coulour in her cheekes such as in Cutteryes eyes made her rather seeme louely then one to be iniured he said Oh thou wonder of liuing Creatures for strength and beauty why should fury mannage so strange a contention betweene vs two If I should in this combate haue slaine thee I should haue curst this right hand for bearing an instrument to ruine so goodly a proportion and if thou hadst slaine me thou shouldst but haue laboured with anguish of soule for thine owne discontent and discomfort who knowest not what pleasure thou mayst reape by my society Why should one excellent creature seeke the ruine of another will there not be one the lesse and thy being will bee nothing augmented by my disanulment Did God to this end conferre boldnesse on vs to make it the cause of one anothers perdition who are both worthy of preseruation Surely courage in thee shall bee nothing impaired by my friendshippe and ayde but vnited vertues make most powerfull assaults and are best Muniments against iniurie Besides the world now an Infant and of short standing ought rather by all meanes to haue her issue multiplyed then impayred or diminished Especially selfe loue bindes vs to study our owne preseruations to which since vnity did best conferre he would not follow the humour of his high spirit to seeke glory so wickedly and vnworthily if hee might purchase that peace hee sought by any reasonable concession The woman attentiue to the motion prosecuted with so faire a carriage after some pause of silence and deiection of countenance that gaue consent to bashfulnesse replyed that though the markes of his violence were before her eyes whose anguish were sufficient to maintaine the fuell of further passion yet in that he which had felt tryall of like rage had first broke off violence shee gaue so good an eare to the motion as the short time of desisting might permit affirming that she was so farre content to suspend such passages as he continuing that peaceable treaty should make his company acceptable otherwise to renew the same violence as shee found iust occasion of prouocation Thus with plighted hands the forme of their new made Amity they became of intestine enemies reconciled and amourous friends till prompt and intelligible nature apprehensiue of her owne ends through some longer conuersation together made them proue the difference of their sexe from whom plentifull generations were descended indued with the fortitude of such as are truely warlike And thus the West came to be peopled from these two from whose enmities loue wrought so perfect and vnexpected agreement CHAP. IIII. Of Shuddery the third Sonne of Pourous his Trauaile he findeth a Mine of Diamonds meeteth the Woman appointed for him they become conioyned together and by their Issue the North is peopled THE third Sonne Shuddery which was the Merchant man according to his time and age was sent to the North who taking his Ballance and waights with him the instruments by whose Iustice he was to buy and sell tended thither whither the Almighty had directed him Hauing passed on some part of his way as busie Nature loues to be in imployment hee desired hee might meete with some affaire or businesse suiting with his traffiking disposition And being come to a goodly Mountaine called Stachalla there fell immoderate and excessiue raines hee sheltring himselfe in some hollow place of the Mountaine till the foule weather was past vpon which there followed a clearenesse of the skies but such a deluge succeeded vpon the fall of those waters that his iourney was prohibited for the riuers not able to containe the streames that had in rowling currents from the tops of the steepe Mountaines deuolued into their channels belowe began to make breaches in their bankes and returning their burthen into the lower grounds had turned the valley of
world and was made a part of their worshippe to keepe in memory the destruction that was brought vpon the world for their defilement and sinne The Ceremony obserued in their washings is this First to besmeare their bodies in the mudde of the Riuer the Embleme of mans filthinesse and corruption by nature then walking into the Riuer and turning their faces towards the Sunne the Bramane vtters this prayer Oh Lord this man is foule and polluted as the Clay or Mudde of this Riuer but the water thereof can purge off the defilement doe thou in like manner cleanse away his sinne so diuing and plunging himselfe three times in the Riuer whilst the Bramane iterateth the name of the Riuer wherein hee washeth called Tâ—ppee with the names of other Riuers in India celebrated for these customary washings as Gonga and Nâ—rboda with other like Riuers the party shaking in his hand certaine graines of Rice as his offering on the water receiuing absolution for sinnes past is there dismissed Secondly they vse a certaine Vnction in the forehead of red painting that hauing certaine graines stucke in the glutinous matter is as their testimony that God hath marked them for his people this is no other then to keepe in minde the memory of their Baptisme which accordingly as the Marke vanisheth is daily by them renewed according to their Washings with the vtterance of certaine words accompanying the action to put them in minde to bee such as becommeth Gods marke Thirdly they are enioyned to tender certaine Offerings and Prayers vnder greene Trees the originall of which custome they deriue from Wyse to whom they say God appeared by vision vnder a Tree as is formerly mentioned with iniunction of worshippe in those places so that the Bramanes vnder such greene Trees erect Temples to Pagods in which they giue attendance to performe Religious Rites and Ceremonies to such as repaire thither The Tree peculiarized for this worshippe is called by some as by Pliny and others Ficus Indica the Indian Figtree and by Goropius Becanus affirmed to bee the tree of life that grew in the Garden of Eden how farre sorth to be beleeued I referre to St. Walter Raleighs 1. Booke of the History of the World Part 1. Chap. 4. Parag. 1.2.3 where the more probable opinion is giuen Certaine it is that to this Tree much is attributed by them and they suppose some notable mischance shall happen to that party that violateth or iniureth the leaâ— bowe or branch of the same It is a Tree of fertill growth whose branches be spreading ample and spacious from whose boughes so dispred doe descend certaine stemmes that rooting themselues anew in the earth propagate an ofspring and so dilate it that it seemeth beyond the custome of other Trees to be capacious To this Tree when they repaire they thither bring Offerings there they receiue Vnctions and there are sprinklings of seuerall coloured powders there they pay their Adorations which they number by the clapper of a little Bell there they pray for health for riches for fruitfulnesse of issue for successe in affaires there they often celebrate their Festiuals with great concourse In which May-game of superstition to make further inquiry would be but vaine and fruitlesse Fourthly they are enioyned to certaine prayers in their Temples which may hold some resemblance with common Seruice were it purged of superstitious Ceremonie the summe of which deuotion is the repetition of certaine names of God dilated and explained where also they vse processions with singing and loud tinckling of Bels which chaunting is of their Commandements with offerings to Images and such like impertinent seruices Fiftly they are enioyned to Pilgrimages to Riuers farre remote as to the Riuer Ganges there to wash their bodies and to pay their offerings that the concourse of people repairing thither is great and the golden offrings of Treasure and Iewels throwne into his siluer waues vnualuable hee is likewise esteemed blessed and purified from sinne that can dye with a pallate moystned with that water Sixtly another portion of their worshippe they bestow in Inuocation of Saints to whom they attribute the powers of giuing successe to seuerall affaires they therefore that would bee happy in Marriage inuoke Hurmount they that are to begin the workes of Architecture Gunnez they that want health Vegenaut the Souldier in his assault in feates of Armes cryes Bimohem the miserable inuoke Syer and they that are in prosperity giue their Orisons to Mycasser Seuenthly their Law bindes them to giue worshippe to God vpon sight of any of his creatures first presented to the eye after the rising Sunne Especially they pay their deuotion to the Sunne Moone which they call the two eyes of God as also to some beasts which they hold more cleane then others they giue extraordinary kinde vsage as to Kine and Bussalaes to whom they attribute so much innocence and goodnesse by the soules of men entring into them that they besmeare the floores of their houses with their dung and thinke the ground sanctified by such pollution In the eighth place touching their Baptizings or naming of their Children the Ceremony thereof is different in the Cast of the Bramanes and other Casts For those that are of the other Casts are onely washt in water then some of the kindred of the party deliuered menaceth the point of a writing penne against the forehead of the Child with this short prayer That God would write good things in the front of that Child All those then that are present saying Amen to that prayer they giue to the Child the name by which hee shall bee called and so putting an Vnction of red oyntment in the middest of his forehead as a signe that the Infant is receiued into their Church and marked for one of Gods children the Ceremony is absolued But then the Children that are of the Cast of the Bramanes are not onely washed with water but annointed with oyle with certaine words of consecration in this maÌ„ner Oh Lord we present vnto thee this Child borne of a holy Tribe annoynted with oyle and cleansed with water vnto which adding the former Ceremonies they all pray that he may liue a righteous obseruer of the Law of the Bramanes so enquiring out the exact time of the Childs birth they calculate his Natiuity gathering by the position of the twelue signes of heauen the chances or mischances that may happen vnto him all which they conceale and at the day of the Childs Marriage which they accoumpt one of the happiest dayes in his life publisheth the dangers past and the coniecturall euils to come in the sequeale of his life In the ninth place concerning their Marriages It is considerable that the time is different from the custome of other Nations for they Marry about the seuenth yeere of their age because they accoumpt Marriage one of the most blessed actions of mans life to dye without which they accoumpt it a great vnhappinesse which often
on the thirtyeth day in remembrance that God made the Beasts fish and foule Creatures ordained for the sustenance of Man The sixt is called Medusan falling in the eleauenth of their Month Ardebest which is December for ioy that then the Lord made Man and Woman from whence all mankind had their Originall In the third place touching their fasts After euery one of their feasts they obserue a fiue dayes Abstinence eating but one meale a day in memory that the Lord after euery one of these labours rested fiue dayes and whensoeuer they eate of any foule or flesh they cary some part of it to the Eggaree or Temple as an offering to appease God that for the Sustenance of man they are forced to take away the life of his Creatures and these are the rites most notable touching their meates and drinkes Now in the second place for their worshippe of fier because this is an Idolatry most notably distinguishing their worshipp from the worshipp of other Sects First for the ground of this their worship of fier it is fetched from their Lawgiuer Zertoost who as they affirme being rapt vp to heauen had fier deliuered vnto him from God brought it thence together with the Booke of their Law as the worship by them to bee embraced and by their law enioyned moreouer they affirme that Zertoost being in the forementioned rapture in the place of Glory did not see God but heard him speaking to him out of the fire and when the fire was deliuered receiued it as the vertue of God and his first borne of excellencie and for these causes to bee worshiped and reuerenced Next for the nature or qualitie of this fire The first fire thus worshipped and idolized was that Zertoost brought from heauen with him which was a liuing fire that nothing could extinguish but whether this haue certainly bin preserued in the succession of time to be communicable to all is vnknowne vpon defect hereof they are licenced to compose a fire of diuers mixtures to bee kept liuing from time to time to which they are to performe their inioyned worship such is that which iâ— idolized in India where this Sect remaineth in a place called Nuncery that hath not beene extinguished for the space of two hundred yeares as they affirme First then this fire consisteth of that fire that is made by the sparkes flying from the flint by the smiting of a steele Secondly of that fire that is made by the rubbing of two peeces of wood together a custome much vsed amongst the heathens of ruder manners by which they kindle their fiers in all places where they neede Thirdly of such fire as is occasioned by lightning falling on some tree or thing accendible Fourthly of such fire as is called wildfire which flying from place to place and lighting on matter combustible consumeth it Fiftly of artificiall fier made by Coles or wood most ordinarie in vse Sixtly of the fire wherewith the Banians vse to burne the bodies of their dead Seauenthly of the fire that is made by burning Glasses and the Beames of the Sunne of all these Ingrediences they compose their idolatrous fire which they call their Antisbeheraun or Religious fire Lastly for their Ceremonie or rite bestowed about this fire so variously composed and by their Distoore or high priest so tended that it may not extinguish whensoeuer the Persees assemble themselues together to this worshipp the Distoore or in his absence the Herbood together with the Assembly encompasse the fire about and standing about eleauen or twelue foote distant therefrom for they hold it so holy that they feare to approach too neare the Distoore or Herbood vttereth this speech That forasmuch as fire was deliuered to Zertoost their Lawgiuer from God Almighty who pronounced it to bee his vertue and his excellencie and that there was a lawe deliuered for the worshippe of this fire confirmed by so many Miracles that therefore they should hold it holy reuerence and worshippe it as a Part of God who is of the same substance and that they should loue all things that resemble it or were like vnto it as the Sunne and Moone which proceeded from it and are Gods two witnesses against them if they should neglect that Religion and worshippe so enioyned as also to pray to God that hee would forgiue them if in the ordinary vses of this Element so seruiceable to mans neede they should either spill water which might in some manner quench it or spitt in it vnawares or put such fewell to it to keepe it burning as was impure and vnworthy of that holynes that was in that Element or whatsoeuer abuses els they should do as they vsed it in the necessary seruices of their life And this is the summe of their worship touching the Fier In the third place for their Baptisme or naming of Children when they enter them into the Church this is their forme As soone as euer the Child is borne the Daroo or Churchman is sent for to the parties house who obseruing the punctuall time of his Birth calculateth his Natiuitie after that consulting about the name of the Child at last the Parents and friends approuing the same name that the Churchman giueth the Mother in the presence of them all giueth the name to the Child there being no Ceremonie but the naming of the Infant as then vsed After this the kindred of the Child together with the Infant accompany the Church man to the Eggaree or Temple where he taketh faire water and putting it into the Barke or rynd of a tree called Holme which groweth at Yesd in Persia and is admired in this one particular as they affirme for that the Sunn of heauen giueth it no shadowe hee thence powreth the water into the Infant vttering this Prayer that God would cleanse it from the vncleanes of his Father and the menstruous pollutions of his Mother which done it departeth About the seauenth yeare of the Childs Age when the same is more capable of his entrance into their Church hee is led thither by his Parents to haue a further confirmation where hee is taught by the Church man to say some Prayers and to be instructed in Religion wherein when hee is prompt hee vttereth his prayers ouer the fire hauing a Cloath fastned about his head ouer his mouth nostrills according to their generall custome in that worshippe least the breath yssuing out of their sinfull Bodies should taint that holy fire Then after Prayers bee concluded the Darâ—â— giueth him water to drink and a Pomegranate leafe to chewe in his mouth to cleanse him from inward vncleanesse so washing his body in a Tanck with cleane water and putting on him a linnen Cassock which hee weareth next his skinne called Shuddero which descendeth to his waste as also a girdle of Cammells haire called Cushee which hee euer weareth about him and is wouen like Inckle by the preachers owne hand he vttereth these Prayers ouer him That