. They are suffered to make a syrup of sweet wine, to which they add an acid, and it serves them for their common drink. They have a great number of mulberry trees for silk worms, silk being the principal manufacture in this country. The people are of a middle stature, well set and thick, and of a tawny complexion; are neat and sharp, have good judgment, are civil to strangers, and very free of their compliments. Thus a Persian that desires his friend to come to his house usually says, "I entreat you to honour my house with your presence: I so devote myself to your desires, that the apple of my eye shall be a path to your feet," &c. They are just in their dealings; and their commodities are rich silks, carpets, tissues, gold, silver, seal skins, goat skins, alabaster, metals, myrrh, fruits, &c. Their religion is Mahometanism, and their language has a great tincture of the Arabic. Ispahan is the capital city. The kingdom is hereditary, and government so despotic, that the Sophy, or King, makes his will his law, and disposes as he pleases both of the lives and estates of his subjects, who are very obedient, and never speak of their sovereign but with extraordinary respect.
An Account of DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS, and
YEARS.
THE day is either natural or artificial; the natural day is the space of twenty-four hours, (including both the dark and light part) in which time the sun is carried by the first mover from the east into the west, and so round the world into the east again. The artificial day consists of twelve hours,
i.e.
from the sun's rising to its setting; and the artificial night is from the sun's setting to its rising. The day is accounted with us for payment of money between the sun's rising and setting; but for indictment for murder the day is accounted from midnight to midnight, and so likewise are fasting days.
The Hebrews and Chaldeans begin their days at sun rising, and end at the next rising.
The Jews and Italians from sun-set to sun-set. The Romans at midnight. The Egyptians from noon to noon, which account astronomers follow.