A voyage into tartary containing a curious description of that country, with part of Greece and Turky, the manners, opinions, and religion of the inhabitants therein, with some other incidents / by M. Heliogenes de L'Epy, doctor in philosophy.

THE PREFACE.

I Had written in my time se∣veral Volumes upon seve∣ral Subjects, which after∣wards I threw into the Fire; as well for that they dislik'd me (for I am a very severe Censu∣rer of my own works,) as for that I did not think them proper for the Genius of the Age, more inclin'd to trifles than to serious things. Nevertheless I was mer∣ciful to the Memory of my Ad∣ventures, not so much for any

Esteem which I had of them, but that I might leave my Chil∣dren settl'd in a Foreign Coun∣try the Consolation of knowing whence they came, and by what Accident they happen'd to be born. Afterwards understanding by the Conversation which I had had with the Booksellers, that Books of Travels were agreeable to the Palates of most Readers, the Inclination which I have had all my life to be serviceable to Mankind, made me resolve to publish this small Part of mine, at least to give some few hours Divertisement to the Publick by reading them; with this Pro∣mise, that if this small Essay

find acceptance, they shall have the whole Journal entire. The Im∣pression was begun in French the last year; at what time finding my self oblig'd to return into the Levant, upon the occasion which I have hinted in the preceding Epistle, I desir'd the Printer to stop his Press till my return, be∣cause I desir'd to oversee it. In the mean time he had caus'd my Copy to be Translated into Eng∣lish, which I view'd and found faithfully done. After which ha∣ving restor'd him his Translation to do what he pleas'd with it, he desir'd me to answer some Ob∣jections which had been made in my absence.

In the first Place they will hardly believe the Shipwrack which I suffered in my Third year, nor the manner how I e∣scaped. Nevertheless there is no∣thing more certain than what I have said of it: besides other Circumstances, which I have o∣mitted which would seem yet more incredible. All the City of Lyons, which is the Place of my Nativity, was at that time fully possess'd of it; I was there lookt upon as another Mo∣ses. Neither am I so old, but that there are still Persons alive that can testifie the same.

2. They will have Heliopo∣lis to have been in Aegypt; I

confess it; but that is not the Heliopolis I speak of. But as there are at this time several Cities of the same name; as Frankfort upon the Maine, Frankfort upon the Oder; Ly∣ons upon the Saone, and Ly∣on le Saulnier; or Lyons where the Saltpits are, besides Leiden which the Latins call Lugdunum also: Chalon up∣on the Saone, and Chalons upon the Marne; Valence in the Dauphinate, and Valence in Spain: Why must it be deny'd, but that besides Helio∣polis in Aegypt, there may be that other of which I have given the Relation in Tartary. They

who never saw more than their own Village, never imagin that Steeples are of any other fashion than their own. Lactantius and St. Austin laught at those who by the dictates of sound sence af∣firm'd there were Antipodes. And a German Bishop was ac∣cus'd for a Heretick before Pope Zachary upon the same score. And if Columbus had not discover'd the way where o∣thers follow'd him, we should have had enow pitiful Schollars that would have maintain'd there was never any such thing. Be∣ing once in a Coach with an Im∣pertinent Lady, understanding that I was a French Man, she

would not believe that they spoke in France any other Language than hers, which she thought to be the Language of the whole World. Good God! how ma∣ny People are there, who be∣lieving themselves to be very witty, are altogether like this Woman? If not in this very par∣ticular, yet in several other things. We have taken for Fa∣bles what the Poets or the An∣cients have told us of the first Inhabitants of the World. That they liv'd after the manner of Beasts, without Commonwealths, without Laws, naked, and feed∣ing upon Acorns, and what the Earth produc'd, without any o∣ther

preparation than that of Nature. Yet they who return from America, tell us that they meet with such People there at this day, and that that part of the World is still in its In∣fancy. Nay though our own Hemisphear be so Polite, yet there are some Cantons disco∣ver'd, where the Men have only the outward shape of Men: Wit∣ness the Savage, which, as Monsieur Sloskoski a Canon of Cracovia, told me at Padua, he saw in his own Country, and which had been brought from the Mountains that separate Po∣land from Hungary. He was all over Hair, spoke not at all,

but made a sign for his Victu∣als, by barking like a Dog; he hid himself up in a Corner, a∣sham'd to be seen of Men; he refus'd all manner of Cloaths which they brought him, and the Bread and Meat which they offered him bak'd and boil'd; on∣ly fed upon raw Flesh and Pro∣vender like a Beast: For the ruggedness of those uninhabited Mountains hindring People of our Conditions to have any Con∣verse or Commerce in those Parts, preserves those Savages in their purely natural Estate; in like manner as the vast extent of the Ocean had kept the Indi∣ans in their Primitive simplicity.

Now because there was not any Author, who had inform'd the Polonians that there were Sa∣vages so near them, had they any reason to give the Lye to those, who having travell'd thi∣ther, either out of Curiosity, or by accident, should have assur'd them that it was so, unless they had brought one of those Savages along with them? which howe∣ver it was more easie for them to do than to bring a Heliopo∣litan into Europe. For of things which we do not see, we know nothing but by the Report of others. Now Men have not re∣ported to us all things for want of having been upon the Places;

and the Reason why they do not travel thither, is either want of Courage or Curiosity. Now that other People, besides those of whom History speaks, have transported themselves from one Country to another, there is no Question to be made: Witness those, who in the Times of the first Israelites escaped out of that part of Syria, where they inhabited, into Africa, where they Erected a Pillar, which was found several Ages after with this Inscription,* 1.1 Nos Maurusii qui fugimus à facie Jo∣sue Latronis, filii Nave. 'Tis very well known, that we

have but a very small part of the Ancient Authors, and that those which have been preserv'd to us are very much maim'd. Had we all of them entire, we should not be such admirers of what appears to us so strange or new by reason of our Ignorance only. Perhaps we might there have found out the Transmigra∣tion of this Solary Colony, whe∣ther the Incredulous might easily go, since we do not here pretend to undertake the fantastick Tra∣vels of Begerac de Cyrano. As to what remains, since I relate nothing which is impossible or miraculous, or that may render my Relation incredulous, it

signifies little to call in question the Matter of Fact, while the possibility of the thing is acknow∣ledg'd; and that leaving to every one the liberty to believe as they please, they do not deprive me of that freedom which Plato had to propose the Idea of a Republick after his manner.

3. As for the Passage where I say that I heard People speak∣ing Greek litteral behind a Wall, they exclaim'd it is impossible; but if they read with attention all the Relation, which in two different Passages says well enough for satisfying our Admirer, and I do not like Re∣petitions.

4. They say that I have not given an exact Relation of my return. To which I answer, that being weari'd with long Travelling, I thought it sufficient to set down the most Remarkable things till I recover'd Turky. And as for what concerns Italy or France, I have not said any more concerning them going thither than coming back; tho' I have made very exact Descrip∣tions of them too, as well as of Ger∣many, Switzerland, Holland, Greece and other Countries, de∣scrib'd so many times by other Pens, and as well known to the English as England it self. However Courteous Reader, if

it be my good hap to understand that this Essay finds a favoura∣ble acceptance, I may observe the Promise which I have made you at the end of my Relation, by giving you the whole of my Adventures, together with the knowledge of all the Corners of the World, where I have been, as exactly as it is possible to be done.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Procop. ci∣ted by Ma∣chiavel.