i, in the beginning of the
16th century, another Tuscan, also calls it _Cormus_. (See _Archiv. Stor.
Ital._ Append. III. 81.)

NOTE 3.--The character of the nomad and semi-nomad tribes of Persia in
those days--Kurds, Lurs, Shuls, Karaunahs, etc.--probably deserved all
that Polo says, and it is not changed now. Take as an example Rawlinson's
account of the Bakhtyaris of Luristan: "I believe them to be individually
brave, but of a cruel and savage character; they pursue their blood feuds
with the most inveterate and exterminating spirit.... It is proverbial in
Persia that the Bakhtiyaris have been compelled to forego altogether the
reading of the _Fatihah_ or prayer for the dead, for otherwise they would
have no other occupation. They are also most dextrous and notorious
thieves." (_J. R. G. S._ IX. 105.)

NOTE 4.--The Persians have always been lax in regard to the abstinence
from wine.

According to Athenaeus, Aristotle, in his _Treatise on Drinking_ (a work
lost, I imagine, to posterity), says, "If the wine be moderately boiled it
is less apt to intoxicate." In the preparation of some of the sweet wines
of the Levant, such as that of Cyprus, the must is boiled, but I believe
this is not the case _generally_ in the East. Baber notices it as a
peculiarity among the Kafirs of the Hindu Kush. Tavernier, however, says
that at Shiraz, besides the wine for which that city was so celebrated, a
good deal of _boiled wine_ was manufactured, and used among the poor and
by travellers. No doubt what is meant is the sweet liquor or syrup called
_Dushab_, which Della Valle says is just the Italian _Mostocotto_, but
better, clearer, and not so mawkish (I. 689). (_Yonge's Athen._ X. 34;
_Baber_, p. 145; _Tavernier_, Bk. V. ch. xxi.)

[1] The _Encyc. Britann._, article "Money," gives the livre tournois of
this period as 18.17 francs. A French paper in _Notes and Queries_
(4th S. IV. 485) gives it under St. Lewis and Philip III. as
equivalent to 18.24 fr., and under Philip IV. to 17.95. And lastly,
experiment at the British Museum, made by the kind intervention of my
friend, Mr. E. Thomas, F.R.S., gave the weights of the _sols_ of St.
Lewis (1226-1270) and Philip IV. (1285-1314) respectively as 63 grains
and 61-1/2 grains of remarkably pure silver. These trials would give
the _livres_ (20 sols) as equivalent to 18.14 fr. and 17.70 fr.
respectively.

CHAPTER XVI.

CONCERNING THE GREAT CITY