us, so ennobled by
ancient poets and historians, both Greek and Latin.

When about midway between Ispahan and Lahore, just about the frontiers
between Persia and India, I met Sir Robert Shirley and his lady,
travelling from the court of the Mogul to that of Persia. They were
gallantly furnished for their journey, and shewed me, to my great
satisfaction, both my books, very neatly kept, and promised to shew
them, especially my itinerary, to the king of Persia, and to interpret
some of the principal contents to him in Turkish, that I may have the
more gracious access to him at my return. Besides other rarities which
they carried with them, they had two elephants and eight antelopes,
being the first of either I had ever seen. But afterwards, when I came
to the Mogul's, court, I saw many. They intended to present these
animals to the king of Persia. Both Sir Robert and his lady used me with
much respect; especially his lady, who presented me with forty shillings
in Persian money; and they seemed joyful at meeting me, promising to
bring me into good grace with the king of Persia, as I mean, with God's
help, to return through Persia to Aleppo.

From Lahore, I travelled in twenty days to another goodly city named
Agra, through such a beautiful and level country as I had never seen
before. In this way, from the town's end of Lahore to the skirts of
Agra, we had a row of trees on both sides of the road, the most
incomparable avenue I ever beheld. Some ten days journey from Lahore
towards Agra, but about ten miles off the road on the left hand, there
is a mountain, the inhabitants of which have a singular custom, all the
brothers of one family having but one wife among them, so that one women
sometimes has six or seven husbands. The same is related by Strabo
concerning the inhabitants of Arabia Felix. Agra is a very great city,
but in every respect much inferior to Lahore. Here the Mogul used always
to keep his court, till within these two years.

From Agra I went in ten days to the Mogul's court, at a town called
Asmere, [Ajimeer,] where I found an English. Cape merchant with nine
more of our countrymen, residing there in the way of trade for our East
India Company. In. my journey from Jerusalem to the court of the Great
Mogul, I spent fifteen months and some days, travelling all the way
a-foot, having been so great a _propatetic_, or walker forwards on foot,
as I doubt if you ever heard of the like; for the whole way, from
J