Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/187
well, which appears by the number of Arrows brought back, he is admitted a Master by the approbation or the King's Foot-men, who are superior to all the rest. The Kans or Governours of Provinces run their own Chaters with the same Ceremonies, and in the same manner.
The Fortress of Ispahan is nothing at all considerable. It joyns to the Wall upon the South side of the City, and is twice as long as broad, but without any defence in the world, unless it be of some pitiful Towers made of Earth. Here it is that the King keeps all the Rarities which he has purchas'd, or that has been presented to him. For as to his main Treasure, I believe it consists chiefly in Gold-Plate. Within the Fortress there is a large Field, sow'd every year with Rice and Corn; hard by which stands the House of the Capuchin-Friars.
Ispahan in general, unless it be the Meydan and some few arch'd Streets where the Merchants live, is more like a great Village than a City; the Houses standing at a distance one from the other, with every one a Garden, but ill look'd after, not having any thing in it perchance but only one pitiful Tree: true it is that they begin to build better of late days, but it is without the City. As for the Women, 'tis not a pin matter whether they live out of the City or within, in regard they never stir out of doors, and as seldom go a-foot.
The Meydan or great Piazza of Ispahan was the contrivance of the great Sha-Abas, who had never done it, if a great Prince of the ancient Race of the Kings of Persia had not refus'd him the old Meydan, with several Priviledges, and the House that stood by it. Thereupon he design'd this new Piazza, to draw off the Merchants, and to spoil the old Market-place, by their departure from that quarter of the City which is less inhabited at this day. It is not far from this old Meydan, that the Austin-Friars on the one side, and the Carmelites on the other have their Habitations. There are also two sides of that Meydan entire, under the Portico's, where sit only such people as sell Herbs, Fruit, and Victuals; the other two sides are almost faln to decay, but when it was all standing, it was as handsom as the new one: and it is to be wonder'd, that the Prince, who built it, did not choose the place where Sha-Abas has built his, as being near the Water, and consequently far more convenient.
The great Meydan then is a place about seven hundred Paces long, and between two and three hundred broad. It has Buildings upon all the four sides; it lyes in length directly North and South; the Fronts are every one Portico'd, and Terrass'd at the top; and on the City-side are little Chambers nine or ten Foot high, which fall very much to decay, being only built of Brick bak'd in the Sun. They are inhabited, the greatest part of them, by the most infamous Curtisans of the City. At some Paces distance from the Portico's, is a Channel which is pav'd with stone, and runs round about the Piazza; Sha-Abas caus'd several Trees to be planted by the side of it, but both the Channel and the Trees being altogether neglected, are faln to decay; besides, that the smell of the Water in the Summer time is very noysom.
In the midst of the Piazza stands a kind of a May-Pole, or Mast of a Ship, where the people exercise shooting at Birds. When the King comes to shoot, they set a Cup of Gold upon the top of the Mast, which he is to strike down with an Arrow. To which purpose he must ride full speed, nor is he permitted to shoot 'till after he has past the May-Pole, turning himself upon the crupper of his Horse: a remain of the ancient custom of the Parthians, that kill'd their Enemies flying.
The Cup belongs to him that strikes it down; and I have seen Sha-Sefi, Grandfather of the present King, in five Courses strike down three Cups.
From this Mast or May-Pole down to the great Mosquee, they sell nothing but Wood and Charcoal: from the same Pole to the Sun-Dial upon the North-side, are none but such as sell old Iron-Tools, old Harness for Horses, old Coverlets, and other old Brokery-ware, as in our Long-Lane.
From the Pole to another Mosquee, to the South, just against the Sun-Dial, is the place for all the Poulterers. The rest of the Piazza toward the Palace, is always kept clean, without any Shops, because the King comes often abroad in the Evening to see Lions, Bears, Bulls, Rams, Cocks, and all other sort of Creatures fight which are brought thither.
The people of Ispahan, as in many other Cities, are divided into two parts, theone