A display of two forraigne sects in the East Indies vizt: the sect of the Banians the ancient natiues of India and the sect of the Persees the ancient inhabitants of Persia· together with the religion and maners of each sect collected into two bookes by Henry Lord sometimes resident in East India and preacher to the Hoble Company of Merchants trading thether

CHAP. V.

Shewing what happened to Zertoost, after the Angell left him, the deuill meeteth him and reui∣leth him, he commeth to Gustasphs Court, the ioy of his Parents for his returne, the infamy Gu∣stasphs Churchman seeketh to put vpon him, the Miracles whereby Zertoost doth vindicate his fame, Gustasphs foure demands, and his foure grants.

ZErtoost was no sooner left by his heauenly Guardian, but Lucifer an enemy to all goodnes met him, & called him a seeker after nouelties & delu••••ons, and told him that God did not loue him in such manner as he beleeued, otherwise he would haue kept him in heauen still, & not haue sent him away; or else hee would haue granted him to liue to the end of the world, when he desired it: that that booke which hee had was stuft with falsehoods; that he should come to trouble, danger and shame about the publishing of it; as also that he should bee laught at for his Fire, as being a creature of destruction, and a consumer of the workes of man, and that there was no neede thereof in hot climates, but that if he would depend on him, he could giue him a Booke of better in∣structions, and present to him Obiects of bet∣ter delight, could giue him long life, and ho∣nour, and power to worke great miracles; that if he did not beleeue him, he was a sense∣lesse man, and depriued of his wits by his late Visions.

But Zertoost hauing plac't his confidence better, told Lucifer that hauing lost that glory that his eyes beheld, he could not speake well of his Maker, nor be pleased with that great fauour God had showne him; but enuying at it, sought not onely to disanull his, but euery

mans happinesse, charged Lucifer by the great name of his Creator, that put him into the darke dungeon of hell, vnder the custody of Sertan and Asud, & by the truth of that booke, by which he should in the end of the world be arraigned and condemned; and by that fire in his right hand, by which he should bee burned and tortured, to auoyd his presence as a blacke mouthed defamer of God and good∣nesse; at which Lucifer vanished with great horror and feare from him.

Lucifer thus coniured from Zertoosts pre∣sence, he proceeded on his way to the City, where Gustasph had his residence, and so to the place where his Parents had their aboad, who with no small sorrow had bewayled the absence of their sonne, and with vaine inquest had sought him but could not finde him, in whom their hopes were reposited: who now to their strange ioy and admiration, told them of his Enthousiasmes and raptures, wherein he had receiued that booke, and heauenly fire, that was so long before prognosticated by his mothers Vision, and so truely interpreted by the Augur and Southsayer. His parents blessed him, and became instructed in this new Reli∣gion how to worshippe, as God had reuealed to Zertoost.

These things could not be long hid, for the ioyes of mothers are not silent, but in euery eare did Dodo•• powre forth her Visions in her

sonnes conception, and the Southsayers inter∣pretation of them, how true the particulars had fallen out; the late raptures her sonne Zertoost had in heauen, his Reuelations there, whereof a booke written by Gods owne hand, and the strange fire hee brought from thence were liuely euidences. These rumours being strange to all eares, and not testified by hearesay, but confirmed by one whose eyes had beheld the things auerred, got passage, and were carried to the eares of Gustasph then King of Persia, who therefore sent for Zer∣toost, of whom he inquired the further truth of this matter, who affirmed the same to bee such as it was reported, that God had deliue∣red him a booke concerning his worshippe, and other secret knowledge inducing the worshippe of fire, whereof hee gaue some touches in particular to the King: the King admiring these things, and yet so certainely informed in the Circumstances, grew waue∣ring in his former worshippe, and Religion, and somewhat enclined to Zertoost, so that hee diuers times sent for him, and had much con∣ference with him.

Gustasphs Churchman then perceiuing his Soueraigne to harken to this new Religion, wherein hee had no knowledge, and that by degrees he lost that grace he had wontedly frō him, did seeke to put some infamy on Zer∣toost, by which the King might become alie∣nated

from him, and that new sprung Religi∣on, wherein he had no knowledge; and that by degrees began as he thought to sincke too fast into the brest of the King; for this cause hee suborned the Porter that kept the doore of Zertoosts house, which was a Persian, to conuey vnder the bed of Zertoost the bones of dead men, and the dead carkeyses of dogs, a creature loathsome to the Persians, of which whilst Zertoost was vtterly ignorant, the Kings Churchman put himselfe into the presence of Gustasph, with some other of his Nobles that did not fauour Zertoosts innouation, saying, Oh King, what new Religion is this to which thou standest so much inclined, or what is this new & strange Lawgiuer Zertoost, whom thou so fauourest? who the other day came in poore māner into this land, as a fugitiue from his natiue Countrey, who as I heare also, was hatefull to his Prince and the King of his People, that he should finde such grace in bringing vp a new Religion, false and fictious, and not of that Authority it is pretended to be, being as I am also informed a man of vn∣cleane and beastly liuing, in whose house at this time, and vnder whose bed whereon hee hourely lyeth, thou shalt finde the bones of humane bodies, the carkeyses and limmes of dead doges, and filthy Caryon, an abhomina∣tion to the eyes of any cleane person: con∣tinue thou then Oh King in the Law of thy

Fathers, and listen not to this Nouelist; this speech being seconded with some of the great ones, and the act reported being so odious and abhominable, Gustasph commanded Zertoosts habitation to be searched, and it being (as the Churchman of Gustasph had reported) effected by the wicked confederacy of Gustasphs Churchman and Zertoosts seruants, Zertoost was cast into prison, despised and hated of all people.

It happened in this time of Zertoosts impri∣sonment, that Gustasph had a horse which hee much prized that fell very sicke, and there was not any found that knew his disease, or how to cure him; this being told to the Iaylor, that had Zertoost in custody, and the King pub∣lishing great rewards to him that could re∣store him: Zertoost came to the knowledge of it, who told the Keeper, that if the King plea∣sed, he would cure the horse, or else be liable to the Kings displeasure; the Keeper so fauo∣red Zertoost, that hee made knowne his words to the King; so Gustasph sent for Zertoost, who according to his promise did restore the beast, which seruice was so acceptable to Gu∣stasph, that hee was had into new estimation a∣gaine, and maintaining his innocency tou∣ching that same blot that was laid vpon him, the King gaue him liberty, and great rewards, and by often conferences became neerely in respect with the King, so that a way was again

affoorded to publish this Religion of Zer∣toosts, who working strange miracles amongst them, gained credence to bee a man come from God.

This booke of Zertoosts gaining euery day a better opinion then other, and his great workes really demonstrated, shewing him to be a man of more diuine endowments, then was found in ordinary men: vpon a time the King sent for him, and told him that if hee would grant him foure demands, which hee would propound to him, he would beleeue his Law, and be euer a Professor of that Re∣ligion contained in the booke hee brought with him. Zertoost then bade him propose his demands, and if they were such as were rea∣sonable, they should be granted. The King then proposed them. The first whereof was, that he might ascend to heauen and descend from thence when he list. The second was, that he might know what God would doe at present and in time to come. The third was, that he might neuer dye. The fourth was, that no instrument whatsoeuer, might haue the power to wound him or hurt him.

Zertoost thus replyed, that these were diffi∣cult and high demands, neither did so great power rest in him as to grant them, neither was it meete that any one man should haue them all, for that therein hee should rather seeme to bee a God then man; yet difficult

though they were, that the booke of Laws he had brought, might bee knowne to proceed from God, he would procure that these re∣quests might bee granted to seueral•• persons, but not all to one. So the first which was to ascend to heauen and descend thence at plea∣sure, was obtained for Gustasph, who they say had this power granted him. The second which was to know what would fall out at present or hereafter, was granted to the Kings Churchman, that so hee might direct the King in his designes, what should bee vn∣dertaken, what should be left vndone. The third which was to liue for euer, was granted to Gustasphs eldest sonne, called Pischiton, who yet liueth (as they say) if wee will beleeue them, at a place in Persia, called Demawando Cohoo, in a high mountaine with a Guard consisting of thirty men, to which place all liuing creatures else are forbidden to ap∣proach, least they should liue for euer, as they do that abide there, who neuer suffer morta∣lity. The last, which was neuer to be woun∣ded with Instrument or weapon, was granted to the youngest sonne of Gustasph, called E∣spandiar, who they say by Zertoosts prayers, was made invulnerable, that he might put himselfe into the danger of Battell, without feare or hazard.

So Gustasph and the other three mentioned, prouing the power of these seuerall gifts,

they all determined to liue according to the Precepts in Zertoosts booke: wherein that they might bee informed, Zertoost vnfol∣ded to them the Contents thereof. The mat∣ter or Subiect of which booke, of what na∣ture it was, shall be declared in the Chapter following.