Mr Thomas Coriat to his friends in England sendeth greeting from Agra the capitall city of the dominion of the great Mogoll in the Easterne India, the last of October, 1616. Thy trauels and thy glory to ennamell, with fame we mount thee on the lofty cammell; ... . Coryate, Thomas, ca. 1577-1617. 1618 Approx. 46 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 25 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A19381 STC 5809 ESTC S118544 99853751 99853751 19146

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A19381) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 19146) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 577:06) Mr Thomas Coriat to his friends in England sendeth greeting from Agra the capitall city of the dominion of the great Mogoll in the Easterne India, the last of October, 1616. Thy trauels and thy glory to ennamell, with fame we mount thee on the lofty cammell; ... . Coryate, Thomas, ca. 1577-1617. Taylor, John, 1580-1653. [52] p. Printed by I. B[eale], At London : 1618. With woodcut title vignette. Edited, with miscellaneous verses on Coryate by I.T., i.e. John Taylor. Signatures: [par].⁴ A⁴ a⁴ B-E⁴ (-[par].1 and E4, blank?). Leaf a3v is blank and a4 has a woodcut (as on A3v, C4v) on the recto and superscription on the verso; a variant has superscription on a3v and a4 blank. Imperfect: leaves A2,3 and C4 lacking, supplied by photostat from Penrose copy. Reproduction of the original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.

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Mr Thomas Coriat to his friends in England sendeth greeting : From Agra the Capitall City of the Dominion of the Great MOGOLL in the Easterne India , the last of October , 1616.

Thy Trauels and thy Glory to ennamell , With Fame we mount thee on the lofty Cammell ; But Cammels , Elephants , nor Horse nor Asse Can beare thy Worth , that worthlesse dost surpasse . The World 's the beast that must thy Palfrey be , Thou rid'st the World , and all the World rides thee .

At London printed by I. B. 1618

Certaine Verses in commendations of this mirrour of footmanship , this Catholique or vniuersall Traueller , this European , Asian , African Pilgrime , this well letterd , well litterd discouerer and Cosmographicall describer Master Thomas Coriat of Odcombe . O Thou whose sharp toes cuts the Globe in quarters , Mongst Iewes & Greeks & tyrannizing Tartars : Whose glory through the vastie Welkin rumbles , And whose great Acts more then nine Muses mumbles , Whose ratling Fame Apollo's daughters thunders , Midst Africke monsters , and 'mongst Asian wonders . Accept these footed verses I implore thee , That heere ( Great Footman ) goe on foote before thee : To sing thy praise I would my Muse inforce , But that ( alas ) she is both harsh and hoarse : And therefore pardon this my Loues Epistle , For though she cannot sing , I le make her whistle .
IN PRAISE OF THE Author Maister Thomas Coriat . THou that the world with pleasures full hast pleasur'd , And out of measure many kingdomes measur'd . Whil'st men ( like swine ) doe in their vices wallow , And not one dares for 's eares thy steps to follow : Not one within the Compasse of the Cope , Like thee that dar'st suruay the Horoscope : For who is he that dares call it a lye , That thou hast trotted into Italie ; By th' edge of France , and skirts of Spaine th' hast rambled , Through Belgia and through Germany th' ast ambled . And , Denmarke , Sweden , Norway , Austria , Pruce , Poland , Hungarie , Muscouia , With Thracia , and the land of merry Greekes , All these and more applaud thee , that who seekes Vpon the top of Mount Olimpus front , Perhaps may see thy name insculp'd vpon 't , And he that durst detract thy worthin Europe , I wish he may be hang'd vp in a new rope . It were a world of businesse to repeat Thy walkes through both the Asiaes , lesse and great , Whereas ( no doubt ) but thou hast tane suruay Of China and the kingdome of Catay . Th' East Indies , Persia , Parthia , Media , Armenia , and the great Ass-iria , Caldea , Iurie , ( if we not mistake vs ) Thou hast or'e look'd the Sea call'd Mortuus Lacus . And I durst venter somewhat for a wager Thou hast seene Ionia , Lidia , Misia Maior , Old Iliums Ruins , and the wracks of Priam , But of Inuention I ( alas ) so dry am , I beate my braines , and with outragious thumping , My lines fall from my pen with extreame pumping . Auaunt dull Morpheus , with thy Leaden spirit , Can matter want of him that wants no merit ? As he through Syria and Arabia's coasting , My lines from Asia into Africke poasting , I 'le follow him alongst the Riuer Nilus , In Egypt , where false Crocodiles beguile vs. Through Mauritania to the Towne of Dido , That slew her selfe by power of god Cupido . The Kingdomes vnsuruai'd hee 'le not leaue one From Zona● oride , to the Frozen Zone . With Prester Iohn in Aethiopia And th' ayrie Empire of Eutopia .
A LITTLE REMEMBRANCE OF his variety of Tongues , and Politicke forme of TRAVELL . A Very Babell of confused Tongues Vnto thy little Microcosme belongs , That to what place soeuer thou doost walk , Thou wilt lose nothing through the want of talke . For thou canst kisse thy hand , and make a legge , And wisely canst in any language begge , And sure to begge 't is pollicie ( I note ) It sometimes saues the cutting of thy throat : For the worst thiefe that euer liu'd by stealth , Will neuer kill a beggar for his wealth . But who is 't but thy wisedome doth admire , That doth vnto such high conceits aspire . Thou tak'st the bounty of each bounteous giuer , And drink'st the liquor of the running riuer : Each Kitchin where thou com'st , thou hast a Cooke , Thou neuer run'st on score vnto the Brooke ; For if thou didst , the Brooke and thou would'st gree , Thou runst from it , and it doth run from thee . In thy returne from Agra and Assmere By thy relation following doth appeare , That thou dost purpose learnedly to fling A rare Oration to the Persian King. Then let the idle world prate this , and that , The Persian King will giue thee ( God knowes what ▪ ) And furthermore to me it wondrous strange is , How thou dost meane to see the Riuer Ganges , With Tigris , Euphrates , and Nimrods Babell , And the vnhappy place where Caine slew Abell . That if thou were in Hebrew circumsised , The Rabbyes all were wondrous ill aduised : Nay more , they were all Coxecombes , all starke mad To thinke thou wert of any Tribe but Gad. Sure , in thy youth thou eat'st much running fare , As Trotters , Neates-feete , and the swift-foot Hare , And so by inspiration fed , it bred Two going feet to beare one running head . Thou fil'st the Printers Presse with Griefe and mourning , Still gaping , and expecting thy returning : All Pauls-Church yard is fil'd with melancholy , Not for the want of Bookes , or wit ; but folly .

It is for them , to grieue too much for thee , For thou wilt come when thou thy time shalt see . But yet at one thing much my Muse doth muse , Thou aust so many commendations vse Vnto thy Mother and to diuers friends , Thou hast ●●membred many kinde commends , And till the last thou didst forget thy Father , I know not why , but this conceit I gather , That as men sitting at a feast to eat , Begin with Beefe , Porke , Mutton , and such meate ; And when their stomacks are a little cloyd , This first course then the voyder doth auoid : The anger of their hunger being past , The Pheasant and the Partridge comes at last . This ( I imagine ) in thy mindedid fail , To note thy Father last to close vp all . First to thy Mother here thou dost commend , And lastly to thy Father thou dost send : She may command in thee a Filiall awe , But he is but thy Father by the Law. To heare of thee , mirth euery heart doth cheere , But we should laugh out-right to haue thee heere . For who is it that knowes thee , but would choose , Farther to haue thy presence then thy newes . Thou shewest how well thou setst thy wits to worke , In tickling of a misbeleeuing Turke : He cal'd thee Giaur , but thou so well didst answer ( Being hot and fiery , like to crabbed Caneer ) That if he had a Turke of ten pence bin , Thou told'st him plaine the errors he was in ; His Alkaron , his Moskyes are whim-whams , False bug-beare bables , fables all that dams , Sleights of the Deuill , that brings perpetuall woe , Thou wast not mealy mouth'd to tell him so . And when thy talke with him thou didst giue ore , As wise he parted as he was before : His ignorance had not the power to see Which way or how to edifie by thee : But with the Turke ( thus much I build vpon ) If words could haue done good , it had beene done .

The superscription , Sent from Azmere , the Court of the great and mightiest Monarch of the East , called the Great MOGVLL in the Easterne Jndia : To be conuaid To my deare and louing Mother Mris : Garthered Coriat , at her house in the Towne of Euill in Somersetshire .

I pray you deliuer this letter at Gerards Hall to Christopher Guppie a Carrier , ( if he be yet liuing ) or else to some other honest trusty Messenger , to be conuaid with all conuenient speed to the place aforesaid .

❧ Master Thomas Coriats Commendations to his friends in FromAgra the Capitall City of the Dominion of the Great MOGOLL in the Easterne India , the last of October , 1616. Most deare and welbeloued Mother ,

THough I haue superscribed my letter from Azmere , the Court of the greatest Monarch of the East called the Great Magoll in the Eastern India , which I did to this end , that those that haue the charge of conueiance thereof , perceiuing such a title , may be the more carefull and diligent to conuey it safely to your hands : yet in truth the place from which I wrote this letter is Agra , a City in the said Eastern India , which is the Metropolitan of the whole Dominion of the foresaid King Mogol , & 10 daies iourny frō his Court at the said Azmere . Frō the same Azmere I departed the 12 day of September , An. 1616 , after my abode there 12 moneths & 60 daies ; which though I confesse it were a too long time to remaine in one and the selfesame place , yet for two principall causes it was very requisite for me to remaine there some reasonable time : first to learne the languages of those Countries , through which I am to passe betwixt the bounds of the Teritories of this Prince and Christendome , namely these three , the Persian , Turkish , and Arab : which I haue in some competent measure attained vnto by my labour and industry at the said Kings Court , matters as auaileable vnto me as mony in my purse , as being the cheifest or rather onely meane to get me mony if I should happen to be destitute , a matter very incidentall to a poore Footman Pilgrim , as my selfe in these heathen and Mahometan Countries through which I trauell : Secondly , that by the helpe of one of those languages , I meane the Persian , I might both procure vnto my selfe accesse vnto the King , & be able to expresse my mind vnto him about the matter for the which I should haue occasiō to discours with him . These were the reasōs that moued me so long to tarry at the Mogols court , during which time I abode in the house of the English Merchants my deare Countrimen , not spending one little peece of mony either for diet , washing , lodging ▪ or any other thing . And as for the Persian tongue , which I studied very earnestly , I attained to that reasonable skill , and that in a fewe moneths , that I made an Oration vnto the King before many of his Nobles in that language , and after I had ended the same , discoursed with his Maiesty also in that tongue very readily & familiarly ; the coppy of which speech , though the tong it selfe wil seem to an Englishman very strange & vncuth , as hauing no kind of affinity with any of our Christian languages , I haue for nouelty sake written out in this letter , together with the translation thereof in English , that you may shew it to some of my lerned friends of the Clergy , and also of the temporalty in Euil , and elswere , who belike , wil take some pleasure in reading so rare and vnusuall a tongue as this is . The Persian is this that followeth .

The Copie of an Oration that I made in the Persian tongue , to the great Mogoll , before diuers of his Nobles .

HAzaret Aallum pennah salamet , fooker Daruces ve tehaungeshta hastamkemta emadam az wellagets door , ganne az mulk Inglizan : ke kessanaion pet heē mushacas cardand ke wellagets , mazcoor der akers magrub bood , ke mader hamma rezzaerts dunmast . Sabebbe amadane mari mia boosti char cheez ast auval be dedane mobarreckdeedars . Hazaret ke seete caramat ba hamma Trankestan reeseedast ooba tamam mulk Musulmanan der sheenedan awsaffe . Hazaret daueeda amadam be deedane astawne akdas musharaf geshtam duum bray deedane feelhay Hazaret , kin chunm ianooar der heech mulk ne dedam seu in bray deedane namwer daryaee shumma Gauga , ke Serdare hamma daryaha dumiest . Chaharum een ast , keyec fermawne alishaion amayet fermoyand , ke betwanam der wellay●tts Vzbeck raftan ba shahre Samarcand , bray Zeerat cardan cabbre mobarrec Saheb crawncah awsaffe tang oo mosachere oo der tamam aallum meshoor ast belkder wellagette Vzbec eencader meshoor neest chunan che der malc Inglisan a st digr , bishare eshteeac daram be deedanc mobarrec mesare Saheb crawnca bray een sabeb , che awne sama n che focheer de shabr stambol boodam , ycaiaeb cohua amarat deedam dermean yecush bawg nasdec shaht mascoor coia che padshaw Eezawiawn che namesh Manuel bood che Saheb crawnca cush mehmannec aseem carda bood , baad as gristane Sulten Baiasetra as iange aseem che shuda bood nas dec shahre Bursa , coimache Saheb crawn Sultan Baiasetra de Zenicera tellaio bestand , oo der cafes nahadondeen char chees meera as mulche man ium baneed tamia , as mulc . Room oo Arrac peeada geshta , as door der een mulc reseedam , che char hasar pharsang raw darad , beshare derd oo mohuet casheedam che heech ches der een dunnia een cader mohuet ne casheedast bray deeaune mobarrec dedare Haseretet awn roos che be tacte shaugh ne shaughee m●sharaf fermoodand .

The English of it is this .

LOrd a Protector of the world all haile to you ▪ I am a poore Traueller and world seer , which am come hither from a farre country , namely England , which auncient Historians thought to haue been scituated in the farthest bounds of the West , and which is the Queene of all the Ilands in the world . The cause of my comming hither is for foure respects . First to see the blessed face of your Maiesty , whose wonderfull fame hath resounded ouer all Europe & the Mahometan Countries . Whē I heard of the fame of your Maiesty , I hastened hither with speed and trauelled very cherefully to see your glorious Court. Secondly , to see your Maiesties Elephants , which kind of beasts I haue not seen in any other country . Thirdly , to see your famous Riuer Ganges , which is the Captaine of all the Rieuer of the world . The fourth is this , to intreat your Maiesty that you would vouchsafe to grant mee your gracious Passe that I may trauell into the Country of Tartaria to the Citty of Samarcand , to visit the blessed Sepulcher of the Lord of the Corners ( this is a title that is giuen to Tamberlaine in this Country in that Persian language , and wheras they call him the Lord of the Corners , by that they meane that he was Lord of the corners of the world , that is , the highest and supreme Monarch of the Vniuerse ) : whose fame by reason of his warres and victories , is published ouer the whole world : perhaps he is not altogether so famous in his own Country of Tartaria , as in England . Moreouer , I haue a great desire to see the blessed Toombe of the Lord of the Corners for this cause ; for that when I was at Constantinople , I saw a notable old building in a pleasant garden neer the said City , where the Christian Emperor that was called Emanuell made a sumptuous great Banquet to the Lord of the Corners , after he had taken Sultan Batazet in a great battell that was fought neere the City of Bursia , where the Lord of the Corners bound Sultan Batazet in fetters of Gold , and put him in a cage of Iron . These 4 causes moued me to come out of my natiue Country thus farre , hauing trauelled a foote through Turky and Persia , so farre haue I traced the world into this Country , that my pilgrimage hath accomplished three thousand miles , wherin I haue sustained much labour and toile , the like wherof no mortall man in this World did euer performe to see the blessed face of your Maiesty since the first day that you were inaugurated in your glorious Monarchall throne .

After I had ended my speech , I had some short discourse with him in the Persian tongue who amongst other things told me , that concerning my trauell to the City of Samarcand , he was not able to doe me any good , because there was no great amity betwixt the Tartarian Princes and himselfe , so that his commendatory letters would doe me no good . Also he added , that the Tartars did so deadly hate all Christians , that they would certainely kill them when they came into their Country . So that he earnestly diswaded me frō the iourny , if I loued my life and welfare ; at last he concluded his discourse with me by a sum of mony that he threw downe from a windowe through which he looked out , into a sheete tied vp by the foure corners , and hanging very neer the ground a hundred peeces of siluer , each worth two shillings sterling , which coūteruailed ten pounds of our English mony : this busines I carried so secretly by the help of my Persian , that neither our English Ambassador , nor any other of my Countrimen ( sauing one speciall , priuate , & intrinsical friend ) had the least inkling of it , till I had throughly accomplished my designe : for I well knew that our Ambassador ▪ would haue stopped and Barracadocd all my proceeding therein , if he might haue had any notice thereof , as indeed he signified vnto me after I had effected my proiect , aleaging this forsooth for his reason why he would haue hindered me , because it would redound some what to the dishonour of our Nation , that one of our Countrey should present himselfe in that beggarly and poore fashion to the King out of an insinuating humor to craue mony of him , but I answered our Ambassador in that stout & resolute manner after I had ended my busines , that he was contented to cease nibling at me , neuer had I more need of mony in all my life then at that time : for in truth I had but twenty shillings sterling left in my purse by reason of a mischance I had in one of the Turkes Cities called Emert in the country of Mesopotamia , where a miscreant Turke stripped me of almost all my monies , according as I wrote vnto you in a very large letter the last yeer , which I sent from the Court of this mighty Monarch by one of my Countrimen that went home by Sea in an English shippe laden with the commodities of this India , which letter I hope came to your hands long since . After I had been with the King , I went to a certaine noble & generous Christian of the Armeniā race , 2 daies iourny frō the Mogols court , to the end to obserue certain remarkable matters in the same place , to whom by means of my Persian tongue I was so welcome that hee entertained me with very ciuill and courteous complement , and at my departure gaue mee very bountifully twenty peeces of such kind of mony as the King had done before , coūteruailing 40 shillings sterling . About ten daies after that , I departed frō Azmere the court of the Mogol Prince , to the end to begin my Pilgrimage after my long rest of fourteen moneths back againe into Persia , at what time our Ambassador gaue mee a peece of Gold of this Kings Coine worth foure and twenty shillings , which I will saue ( if it be possible ) till my ariuall in England : so that I haue receiued for beneuolences since I came into this country twenty markes sterling sauing two shillings eight pence , & by the way vppon the confines of Persia alitle before I came into this country three and thirty shillings foure pence in Persian mony of my Lady Sherly : at this present I haue in the City of Agra where hence I wrote this letter , about twelue pounds sterling , which according to my maner of liuing vppon the way at two-pence sterling a day ( for with that proportion I can liue pretty well , such is the cheapnes of all eatable things in Asia , drinkable things costing nothing , for seldome doe I drinke in my pilgrimage any other liquor then pure water ) will mainetaine mee very competently three yeeres in my trauell with meate drinke and clothes . Of these gratuities which haue been giuen me willingly , would I send you some part as a demonstration of the filiall loue and affection which euery child bred in ciuility and humility ought to performe to his louing and good mother : but the distance of space betwixt this place and England , the hazard of mens liues in so long a ioureny , and also the infidelity of many men , who though they liue to come home , are vnwilling to render an account of the things they haue receiued , doe not a little discourage me to send any precious token vnto you ; but if I liue to come one day to Constantinople againe ( for thither doe I resolue to goe once more by the grace of Christ , and therehence to take my passage by land into Christendom ouer renouned Greece ) I wil make choice of some substantial & faithfull Countriman , by whom I will send some prety token as an expression of my dutifull and obedient respect vnto you . I haue not had the oppertunity to see the King of Persia as yet since I came into this country , but I haue resolued to goe to him when I come next into his Territories , and to search him out wheresoeuer I can find him in his Kingdome ; for seeing I can discourse with him in his Persian tongue , I doubt not but that going vnto him in the forme of a Pilgrime , he will not onely entertaine me with good words , but also bestow some worthy reward vpon me beseeming his dignity and person ; for which cause I am prouided before hand with an excellent thing written in the Persian tongue that I meane to present vnto him : and thus I hope to get beneuolences of worthy persons to maintaine me in a competent maner in my whole pilgrimage till I come into England , which I hold to be as laudable & a more secure course then if I did continually carry store of mony about mee . In the letter which I wrote vnto you by an English ship the last yeere , I made relation vnto you both of my iourny from the once holy Hierusalem hither and of the state of this Kings Court , and the Customes of this Country , therfore I hold it superfluous to repeat the same things againe , but what the countryes are , that I meane to see betwixt this and Christendome , and how long time I will spend in each country , I am vnwilling to aduertise you of at this present , desiring rather to signify that vnto you after I haue performed my designe then before ; howbeit in few words , I will tell you of certaine Cities of great renown in former times , but now partly ruined , that I resolue ( by Gods help ) to see in Asia , where I now am , namely ancient Babilon & Nymrods Tower , some few miles from Niniue , & in the same the Sepulcher of the Prophet Ionas , spacious & goodly ; Caire in Egypt , heretofore Memphis , vpō the famous Riuer Nilus , where Moises , Aron , & the children of Israel liued with king Pharaoh , whose ruined Palace is shewed there til this day , & a world of other mouable things as memorable as any City of the whole world yeeldeth , sauing only Ierusalem : but in none of these or any other Cities of note do I determin to linger as I haue done in other places , as in Constantinople , and Azmere , in this Easterne India , onely some few daies will I tarry in a principall city of fame , to obserue euery principal matter there and so be gone . In this City of Agra where I am now , I am to remaine about six weekes longer , to the end to expect an excellent oportunity , which then will offer it selfe vnto me to goe to the famous Riuer Ganges , about fiue daies iourny from this , to see a memorable meeting of the gentle people of this country called Baieans , whereof about foure hundred thousand people go thither of purpose to bathe and shaue themselues in the Riuer , and to sacrifice a world of gold to the same Riuer , partly in stamped mony , & partly in massy great lumpes and wedges , throwing it into the Riuer as a sacrifice , and doing other strange Ceremonies most worthy the obseruation , such a notable spectacle it is , that no part of all Asia , neither this which is called the great Asia , nor the lesser , which is now called Natolia , the like is to be seen ; this shew doe they make once euery yeere , comming thither from places almost a thousand miles off , and honour their Riuer as their God , Creator , and Sauiour ; superstition and impiety most abominable in the highest degree of these brutish Ethnicks , that are aliens from Christ & the common-wealth of Israel . After I haue seen this shew , I wil with all expedition repaire to the city of Lahore , twenty daies iourny from this and so into Persia by the helpe of my blessed Christ .

Thus haue I imported vnto you some good accidents that happened vnto me since I wrote a letter vnto you the last yeere from the Kings Court , & some litle part of my resolution for the disposing of a part of my time of abode in Asia : Therefore now I will draw to a conclusion ; the time I cannot limit when I shall come home , but as my mercifull God and Sauiour shall dispose of it . A long rabble of commēdations like to that which I wrote in my last letter to you I hold not so requisite to make at this present : Therefore with remembrance of some fewe friends names , I will shut vp my present Epistle . I pray you recommend me first in Odcombe to Master Gollop , and euery good body of his family , if he liueth yet , to Master Berib , his wife and all his Family , to all the Knights , William Chunt , Iohn Selly , Hugh Donne , and their wiues , to Master Atkins & his wife at Norton , I pray commend me in Euill to these , to old Mr Seward if he liueth , his wife and children ; the poore Widow Darby , old Master Dyer , and his Sonne Iohn , Master Ewins old and young with their wiues , Master Phelpes and his wife , Master Starre and his wife , with the rest of my good friends there , ( I had almost forgotten your husband ) to him also , to Ned Barber and his wife , to William Ienings : commend me also I pray you , & that with respectfull and dutifull termes to the godly and reuerent fraternitie of Preachers that euery second Friday meet at a religious exercise at Euill , at the least if that exercise doth continue , pray read this letter to them , for I thinke they wil be well pleased with it by reason of the nouelties of things . And so finally I commit you and all them to the blessed protection of Almighty God.

From Agra the Capitall of the Dominion of the great Mogoll in the Easterne India the last of October 1616. Your dutifull louing and obedient Sonne , now a desolate Pilgrim in the World. THOMAS CORIAT .
❧ The Copy of a speech that J made to a Mahometan in the Italian tongue .

THe Coppy of a speech that I made extempore in the Italian tongue to a Mahometan at a Citie called Moltan in the Easterne India , two daies iourny beyond the famous Riuer Indus , which I haue passed , against Mahomet and his accursed Religion , vpon the occasiō of a discurtesie offered vnto mee by the said Mahometan in calling me Gtaur , that is infidell , by reason that I was a Christian : the reason why I spake to him in Italian , was because he vnderstood it , hauing been taken slaue for many yeeres since by certaine Florentines in a Gally wherein hee passed from Constantinople towards Alexandra , but being by them interrupted by the way , he was carried to a Citie called Ligorne in the Duke of Florences Dominions , where after two yeeres he had learned good Italian , but he was an Indian borne and brought vp in the Mahometan Religion . I pronounced the speech before an hundred people , whereof none vnderstood it but himselfe , but hee afterward told the meaning of some part of it as far as he could remember it to some of the others also . If I had spoken thus much in Turky , or Persia against Mahomet they would haue rosted me vpon a spitt ; but in the Mogols Dominions a Christian may speake much more freely then hee can in any other Mahometan Country in the world . The speech was this as I afterward translated it into English .

But I pray thee tell me thou Mahometan , dost thou in sadnes call me Giaur ? that I doe quoth he , then ( quoth I ) in very sobersadnes I retort that shamefull word in thy throate , and tell thee plainly that I am a Musulman and thou art a Giaur : For by that Arab word Musulman thou dost vnderstand that which cannot be properly applied to a Mahometan but onely to a Christian , so that I doe consequently inferre that there are two kindes of Muselmen , the one an Orthomusulmā , that is a true Musulman which is a Christian & the other a Pseudo-musulman that is a false Musulman which is a Mahometan . What , thy Mahomet was from whom thou dost deriue thy Religion , assure thy selfe I know better then any one of the Mahometans amongst many millions : yea all the particular circumstances of his life and death , his Nation , his Parentage , his driuing Camels through Egipt , iria , and Palestina , the marriage of his Mistris , by whose death he raised himselfe from a very base and contemtible estate to great honor and riches , his manner of cozening the sottish people of Arabia , partly by a tame Pigeon that did fly to his eare for meat , and partly by a tame Bull that hee fed by hand euery pay , with the rest of his actions both in peace and warre : I know aswell as if I had liued in his time , or had beene one of his neighbours in Mecca , the truth whereof if thou didst know aswell , I am perswaded thou wouldest spit in the face of thy Alcaron , and trample it vnder thy feete , and bury it vnder a Iaxe , a booke of that strange and weake matter , that I my selfe ( as meanely as thou dost see me attired now ) haue already written two better bookes ( God be thanked ) and will hereafter this , ( by Gods gratious permission ) write another better and truer , yea I wold haue thee know ( thou Mahometan ) that in that renouned Kingdome of England where I was borne , learning doth so flourish , that there are many thousand boies of sixteene yeeres of age ▪ that are able to make a more learned booke then thy Alcaron , neither was it ( as thou and the rest of you Mahometans doe generally beleue ) composed wholy by Mahomet , for hee was of so dull a wit , as he was not able to make it without the helpe of another , namely a certaine Renegado Monke of Constantinople , called Sergis . So that his Alcoran was like an arrow drawne out of the quiuer of another man. I perceiue thou dost wonder to see me so much inflamed with anger , but I would haue thee consider it is not without great cause I am so moued , for what greter indignity can there be offered to a Christian which is an Arthomusulman , thē to be called Giaur by a Giaur : for Christ ( whose Religion I professe ) is of that incomparable dignity , that as thy Mahomet is not worthy to bee named that yeere wherein my blessed Christ is , so neither is his Alcoron worthy to be named that yeere wherein the * Iuieel of my Christ is . I haue obserued among the Mahometans such a foolish forme of praier euer since my departure from Spahan , ( which I confesse was no nouelty vnto me , for that I had obserued the like before both in Constantinople and diuers other Turkish cities ) that what with your vain repetions & diuers other prophane fooleries contained therein ▪ I am certaine your praiers doe euen stinke before God , and are of no more force then the cry of thy Camell when thou doest lade or vnlade him : But the praiers of Christians haue so preuailed with God , that in time of drought they haue obtained conuenient aboundance of raine , and in time of pestilence a suddaine cessation from the plague , such an effect of holy and feruent praier as neuer did the * Scofferalahs , or the Allamissel alow of any Mahometan produce : yet must wee , whose praiers like a sweete smelling sacrifice are acceptable to God , be esteemed Giaurs by those whose praiers are odious vnto his Diuine Maiestie : O times ! O maners ! Now as I haue told thee the difference betwixt the effect of our Christian & your Mahometan praiers , so I pray thee obserue another difference betwixt you & vs , that I will presently intimate vnto thee : thou by the obseruation of the Law of thy rediculous Alcaron dost hope for Paradice , wherein thy Master Mahomet hath promised Riuers of Rice , and to Virgins the imbracing of Angels vnder the shaddowe of spacious Trees , though in truth that Paradice be nothing else then a filthy quagmire so full of stincking dung-hils that a man cannot walke two spaces there but he shall stumble at a dung-hill and defile himselfe , but where this Paradice is , not one amongst a thousand of you knoweth , therefore I will tell thee , it standeth in a Country scituate betwixt Heauen and Earth called Vtopia , whereof there is mention in the third book of thy Alcaron and in the seuen and thirty Asaria , but expressed with those misticall and obscure termes that is very difficult to vnderstand it , for this Vtopian Paradice I say as the reward of al your superstitious mumbling in your praiers , and the often ducking downe of your heads when you kisse the ground , with such a deuoute humilitie forsooth , doe you Mahometans hope in another world : But wee Christians hope to liue with God and his blessed Angels for euer and euer in Heauen , as being a proper and pecullar inheritance purchased vnto vs by the precious blood of our Christ , yet must wee be reputed Giaurs by those that are Giaurs ? One thing more will tell thee ( O thou Mahometan ) and so I will conclude this tedious speech , whereunto thy discurtious calling of me Giaur hath inforced mee , and I prethee obserue this my conclusion .

Learning ( which is the most precious Iewell that man hath in this life , by which he attaineth to the knowledge of diuine and humane things ) commeth to man either by reuelatiō which we otherwise cal inspiration , or by industry : Learning by reuelation I cal that which God doth infuse from aboue by his special grace , vnto those whō he will vse as the instruments of his glory , who without labour or trauell doe aspire to a most eminent degree of knowledge . Learning by industry I call it that which a man doth purchase to himselfe by continuall writing and reading , by practise and meditation : now by neither of these meanes haue the Mahometans acquired any meane , much lesse any singular learning , for as Mahomet himselfe was a man of a very superficiall and meane learning , so neuer was there any one of his Disciples in any part of the world that was indued with any profound knowledge ▪ but wee Christians by the one and the other meane , haue attained to the most exquisite science that can be incident to man : * some of our men that neuer were brought vp in Studies hauing been so expert in a generall learning ( onely by Gods speciall illumination ) as those haue spent forty yeeres in the practise thereof , and others by continuall practise of writing and reading , haue beene so excellent , that they became the very Lampes and Stars of the Countries wherein they liued . These things being so , it cannot possible come to passe that the omnipotent God should deale so partially with mankind as to reueale his will to a people altogether misled in ignorance and blindnes as you Mahometans are , and conceale it from vs Christians that bestowe all our life time in the practise of diuine and humane disciplines , and in the ardent inuocation of Gods holy name with all sincerity and purity of heart ? Goe to then thou Pseu-domusulman , that is , thou false-beleeuer , since by thy iniurious imputation laid vpon mee , in that thou calledst mee Giaur , thou hast prouoked mee to speake thus . I pray thee let this mine answere be a warning for thee not to scandalize mee in the like manner any more , for the Christian Religion which I professe , is so deare and tender vnto mee that neither thou nor any other Mahometan shal scotfree call me Giaur , but that I will quit you with an answer muchto the wonder of those Mahometans ▪

I pray you Mother expect no more letters from me after this till my arriuall in Christendom , because I haue resolued to write no more while I am in the Mahometans Countries , thinking that it will be a farre greater comfort both to you and to all my friends whatsoeuer , to heare newes that I haue accomplished my trauelles in Mahometisme , then that I am comming vp and down , to and fro in the same , without any certainty of an issue therof ; therfore I pray haue patiēce for a time : about two yeers and a halfe hence I hope to finish these Mahometan trauelles , and then either from the Citie of Raguzi in Sclauonia which is a Christian Citie and the first we enter into Christendome , from those parts of Turky by Land nere vnto the same or , from famous Venice , I will very dutifully remember you againe with lines full of filiall piety and officious respect . I haue written two letters to my Vncle Williams since I came forth of England and no more , whereof one from the Mogols Court the last yeere , iust at the same time that I wrote vnto you ; and another now , which I sent ●ointly by the same Messenger that carried yours out of India by Sea. Once more I recommend you and all our hearty wel-willers & friends to the gratious tuition of the Lord of Hosts ; I pray you remember my duty to Master Hancoke that reuerend and Apostolicall good old man , and his wife , if they are yet liuing ; to their Sonnes Thomas and Iohn , and their Wiues .

FINIS .
Master Thomas Coriat . SOme may perhaps suppose this Prose is mine , But all that know thee will be sworne 't is thine : For ( as 't was said b'a learned Cambridge Scholler ) ( Who knowes the style , may smell it by the Coller ) : The Prose ( I sweare ) is Coriats , he did make it , And who dares claime it from him , let him take it .
THE AVTHOR OF the Verse , takes leaue of the Author of the Prose , desiring rather to see him , then to heare from him . THose Rimes before thy meaning doth vnclose , Which men perhaps haue blundred ore in Prose : And 't is a doubt to me , whose paines is more , Thou that didst write , or they that read them o're : My Scullers muse without or Art or skill , In humble seruice ( with a Gooses quill ) Hath tane this needles , fruitles paines for thee , Not knowing when thou l't doe as much for me . But this is not the first , nor shall not be The last ( I hope ) that I shall write for thee . For when newes thou wast drown'd did hither come , I wrote a mournefull Epicedium . And after when I heard it was a lye , I wrote of thy suruiuing presently . Laugh and be fat , the Scullers booke , and this Shewes how my minde to thee addicted is ; My Loue to thee hath euer more been such , That in thy praise I nere can write too much : And much I long to see thee heere againe , That I may welcome thee in such a straine That shall euen cracke my pulsiue pi●mater , In warbling thy renowne by land and water : Then shall the Fame which thou hast won on foot ( Mongst Hethens , Iews , Turks , Negroes ( black as soot ) Ride on my best Inuention like an Asse , To the amazement of each Owliglasse .
In praise of the Author , Till when fare well ( if thou canst get good fare ) Content's a feast , although the feast be bare . Let Eolus and Neptune be combinde , With Sea auspicious , and officious winde ; In thy returne with speed to blow thee backe , That we may laugh , lie downe , and mourne in Sacke . J. T.
Notes, typically marginal, from the original text
Notes for div A19381-e2370 a This is the ordinary title that is giuen him by all strangers
Notes for div A19381-e3700 * This doe all Mahometans call our Gospell or the History of our Saniour , written by the foure Evangelists . * Words that the Mahometans doe often repeat in their praiers . * I mean the blessed Apostles of our Sauiour .