The travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle, a noble Roman, into East-India and Arabia Deserta in which, the several countries, together with the customs, manners, traffique, and rites both religious and civil, of those Oriental princes and nations, are faithfully described : in familiar letters to his friend Signior Mario Schipano : whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe's Voyage into the East-Indies.

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ROGER Earl of ORRERY, &c.

My Lord,

IT is not more commonly then truly ob∣serv'd, That the Preeminence of Excellent Things is universally attended with a proportionable Result of Benefit to those of Inferior Degree: And the same may with equal verity be affirm'd of the Glory of Great Per∣sonages. Your Names serve, not onely to distinguish you, or, by the Addition of Titles, to give you higher rank in the State; but, like the Sun communicating Light and Life toge∣ther, they animate and beautifie what-ever is irradiated by them. Which general Conside∣ration, though it could not give me any parti∣cular Right, yet it may in some sort warrant the sutableness of dedicating this Transcript to your Lordship's Name; A Name, which besides

having been able to revive and support a long-depr••ssed Interest in a Considerable Kingdom, is so highly celebrated upon the account of other Performances, as scarce to find a Parallel among those of your own, or any other Orb. Nor is it a little ground of Confidence to me, that what I present is neither wholly my own in any sort, nor any of it otherwise then as an In∣terpreter; nor (lastly) one of those refined Pieces of Invention, which while your Prote∣ction is implored, do with-all solicite your Judg∣ment; But of that kind of Writings, which containing Descriptions of Countries and their Customs, can onely please by the Variety of the Relations, and the Veracity of the Relator. He, whom I have interpreted, was a Noble Roman, (Persons of which Quality, as they have greater Curiosity, so they have far more Advantages in reference to making of Obser∣vations in Forreign Countries, than they whose chief business is Traffick) and was carried one∣ly by his own curious Genius into those Ori∣ental parts of the World, whereof he here gives an Account; which is so full of delightful Va∣riety, and considerable Remarks, that as after his Return his Person was dignifi••d with an Honourable Office in the Court of his own Prince; so, since his Death, his Travels have no less happily travell'd, and been naturaliz'd in some other Languages.

The other Piece hath been judg'd fit to be adjoyned, as one of the Exactest Relations of

the Eastern parts of the World that hitherto hath been publish'd by any Writer, either Do∣mestick or Forreign; having been penn'd by one that attended Sir Thomas Roe in his Em∣bassy to the Great Mogol: Than whom,* 1.1 'tis acknowledg'd by one of that Country that trades most into those parts, none ever gave a more faithful Account thereof. It remaines onely, that, as by this action I have (though with all the Modesty that becomes me) as∣sum'd an Interest in a Great Name, so I also testifie the Honour and Veneration I bear to Great Worth and Rare Accomplishments; which I shall do summarily (and yet in the ut∣most importance of the words) by professing my self,

My Lord,

Your Lordships in all Humble Respect and Observance, G. Havers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Inter eos qui relationes su∣as de hoc Regno (sc. M. Mogolis) prodiderunt, facilè fide & dignatione princeps est Thomas Roeus, Mag: Britanniae Regis ad su∣periorem In∣diae Regem Legatus. Saith John de Laet.