THat the First Volum of the said ATLAS , which contains the North Pole , the principal Countries of which are , Muscovy or Russia , Poland , Sweden , and Denmark ; will be finished , and ready to be delivered to the Subscribers about Christmass next : And therefore it is desired , that those tha● have Subscribed and not Paid their Money , as also others that desre to Subscribe , do immediately pay their Subscription Money , viz. Forty Shillings , to Dr. Thomas Yate , Principal of Brazen Nose College Oxon , or to Moses Pitt at the Angel in S. Paul's Churchyard London ; where they shall have a Receipt .

And all those that have a mind to have their Coat of Arms engraven on any of the Plates , shall have it done for Twenty Shillings if they please to send their Coat to either of the two Persons above mentioned in time .

If any desire to satisfie themselves as to the well-doing of the ●aid Book , let them inquire at the Theatre in Oxon , or at the Shop of the said Moses Pitt in London , where they may be fully satisfied by seeing of the Sheets of the said Book as they are wrought off at the Press .

It 's desired , that if any Gentleman has any Curiosities of any Cou●trey whatsoever , if he please to communicate them to the said Moses Pitt , and they are approved of and judg'd fit to be Printed by those Learned men , whose Judgments are consulted , they shall have Satisfaction for them to their own content .

A COLLECTION OF SEVERAL Relations & Treatises Singular and Curious , OF JOHN BAPTISTA TAVERNIER , Baron of Aubonne . Not Printed among his first Six Voyages .

Divided into Five Parts , viz.

Published by EDMUND EVERARD , Esquire .

LONDON , Printed by A. Godbid and J. Playford , for Moses Pitt at the Angel in S. Paul's Churchyard . 1680.

THE World being an ample Volum , in whose Extent and Varieties the Framer's Wisdom and Attributes are manifestly read and set out , it seems that great Travellers are the best Scholars and Proficients in this Book ; since on 's Native Countrey is but as a single Leaf , where all the Singularities are not to be seen which are found in the other .

And the truth of it is , those Ancient Philosophers , who have first laid the Foundations of Arts , Sciences , and Commonwealths in the World , were Travellers into these very Eastern Parts , ( partly described by us here ) whence they brought home all their Knowledge ; it being here that Man and Knowledge it self had their first beginning . So that wise Travellers are not unlike those rich laden Vessels which through many dangers bring wholesom and profitable Cargo's , Drugs , and other Conveniences , to be dispers'd among the several Societies of their own Countrey : They are like those diligent Master-Bees , who run divers miles to extract out of many bitter Herbs that sweet Liquor , which they afterwards kindly refund to be enjoyed at home in common , in the hardest Seasons of the Year , by their Fellows . What costs them dear , others have it cheap : And there 's scarce any Private Persons in the Common-wealth , to whom we owe greater Honour and Thanks ▪ than to Worthy Travellers and Discoverers of For●●●… Countries .

Yet it may be truly said , That Ancient Travellers and Geographers have but as course Limners and Coast-Drivers , drawn a very rough Draught in their Relations of those Countries they describ'd unto us , in comparison of some later Writers , who also sometimes do but copy their Predecessors Stories ; and Merchants , with most other Travellers , are weather-driven by their private Occasions or Misfortunes , to take but a Cursory Survey of Places , and so give but an answerable account of the same to the World .

But among all the Ancient and Modern Travellers , none had such fair Opportunities and Advantages as the Illustrious Monsieur Tavernier had , to make a true , profitable , and exact Relation of the Singularities of those Remote Parts of Asia , where he past so many Years in great Splendour , as shall appear by the ensuing Considerations and Qualifications of a good Traveller .

1. He from his Youth had a strong Inclination to Travel , which secret Instinct is certainly a Preordination of God for an Undertaking ; and this unseen Impulsion carries such extraordinary Instruments chearfully and prosperously through all the Difficulties , others of a contrary disposition would never wade thorough , for whom it would be in vain to strive against the current of Nature .

2. This Travelling Genius made him begin early to fit himself for his design , and soon to go about it . He was therefore sufficiently imbued in his Intellectuals with all due knowledge of Sciences , Language , and Geography , and precedent Travellers Maps and Books , without all which common Travellers cannot conceive so soon and so orderly , nor reap so much benefit for themselves or others .

3. But Speculations without Experience are but unprofitable Notions ; and the Experiments of this kind are not to be had without great Means and Expence , for want of which many a good Undertaking is Still-born . Haud facilè emergunt , quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi — is an old and true Saying . But our noble Tavernier had an ample Estate , drove a great Trade , had Money in abundance , and a Prince's or Embassador-like Retinue , without which and great Presents none is scarce look'd upon in Luxurious Asia , fit for admittance into great and worthy Companies , where Knowledge may be attained ; so that he thereby soon got into the Presence , Familiarity , and Closets of the Emperours , the Ministers of State , and the Philosophers of Persia , Mogol , &c. and got into the Acquaintance and Conversations of the leading and common Merchants , Traffiquers , and People ; and knew their Languages very well : for it is in vain to have Eyes , if one have not also a Tongue in such cases .

4. And whereas Learning and Riches do sometimes render narrow Souls of a more proud and unsociable temper , Monsieur Tavernier is by Nature and Education , an obliging , cheerful , and insinuating Traveller , and of a graceful Countenance . Comely Personages are beloved almost as soon as they are seen ; and those that have but fair Souls , are not so till after they are known . Now Monsieur Tavernier having both these Advantages , had a free entrance into the Friendship and Notions the Indians ( great or small ) had concerning the Natural , Mechanical , Political , Religious , and Trading State of their own Countrey ; which he made more his business to know , than to grow more rich . And at some times he would reckon Thousands of Pounds as nothing to attain his ends in this point of Knowledge and further Experience ; as the perusal of this his own Work , and Persons now in London , that knew him in and after his Travels , can fully testifie .

5. Moreover , Mutual Help of Persons equally understanding and curious , is a great advantage in such Researches and Observations as these . Now John Baptista Tavernier , besides many other Heads and Hands , had herein the Assistance of a Brother , as complete a Traveller as himself in those furthest Parts of Asia , and had no less the foregoing Qualifications in Person and Estate than this his Brother John Baptista had , as the Reader may well perceive by this Volum of Travels .

6. And as for the Time ; Six Voyages , and about Forty Years Abode in those Countries they do describe , did render these Brethrens Knowledge vast , their Experiments tried over and over , and this their Account more sure and exact ( as I said ) than that of any other Traveller heretofore .

7. And finally , to confirm the undoubted Credit that 's to be given to this Nobleman and his Relation , ( who is above all design of Flattering or Deceiving the Reader ) you may meet with several Worthy Persons in this City and the Court of England ; and I my self , who was at Paris some few years ago at Monsieur Tavernier's Arrival , and who can witness the grand Esteem , the solemn Honours and Thanks , that were then given him by Persons of all Ranks and Degrees , the French East India Company 's Admiration and Recommendation of him , that he had done his King and Countrey more Credit in those proud Eastern Courts than ever any did before him ; the French King 's imploying of him there ; the Rarities he brought home to the Learned ; the vast Riches and Memoirs he gained for himself , and the incomparable Jewels and Singularities he brought to the French King ; the Titles of Lord and Baron conferred upon him extraordinarily , though he were a Merchant and a strict Protestant . These ( I say ) Public and Private Testimonials do shew what Credit other Nations and his own ( which is Singular ) had given to him . But in a word his own Observations herein gathered will prove it better .

But if any desire to have some Account of the Work it self , the Newness , Profit , and Satisfaction the very Subject must needs yield to all Persons and Professions cannot but be acceptable .

The Naturalist shall have Plants , Minerals , Animals , and Phoenomena's never seen in our Climate . And about Physic , the Law , Music , and Poetry , more Time and Tryals are required in those Countries than here ; and you shall accordingly read of Cures done that draw near to natural Miracles .

The Divine will see things worth his Observation in their Religion and Morals , wherein they may confound the very Christians ; whereof I 'le onely touch but thus much : That by the Light of Nature those Heathens own a Supreme Deity , and a Future State of Happiness and Torments ; and do in view of the same most strictly keep the Civil and the Ten Moral Commandments , much answerable to ours , which their Prophets have left to them . So that they punish Murther and Adultery even in * * Tunquin ch. 7. p. 18. Princes and Princesses ; terrible Examples whereof you may here read at large . And the Church and State Government are subservient in a Subordination , the one being a Prop to the other .

Even Statesmen may find Subject of weighty consideration , in the Antiquity , Model , and Exactness of their Government . As for instance : Though they have a special regard to Monarchy , so as to keep the Succession within the same Line ; yet the * * Tunquin c. 11. p. 35. Great Constable , and the King's Council have Power left them to propose and chuse the fittest Person among the Royal Children , or Collateral Successors , who is nominated in the King's Life-time , to prevent after Disturbances . They have also on the other side very singular and unimitable ways to prevent the Insurrections , Divisions , and Rebellions of the Militia and the People .

But above all , the Traveller and Traffiquer into those Parts will be like to run into a thousand Inconveniences , and Losses of Health , Life , and Estate , without being guided by such Directions as he carefully gives herein , which others cannot possibly so soon and so well know .

It is in fine herein declared , by what means the French , Holland , and Portugal East India Companies were Settled , Improved , and Worsted in those Countries ; also the Coinage , and the Reduction thereof to ours ; the particular places where all sorts of East India Commodities are best and cheapest had ; the Rates and Exchange Returns are here to be found ; the manner how to know their Falsifications in Gold , Silver , Jewels , Drugs , Silks , Linen , and all the other Merchandizes which are brought from those Nations are here set down : It being otherwise hard or impossible to escape the Cheats of the Persians , Chineses , and Japoners , without such Instructions .

I 'le say no more , but that in this Work was imployed the Help of another Worthy Gentleman , who labour'd in the first Volum of Tavernier's Translation ; but it was brought to an end and perfection by me , who had the occasion to be more particularly acquainted with Monsieur Tavernier himself , his Native Tongue , and other Particularities abroad .