The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part. Richard Head
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part
had read over our Bible, and supposing that but fictions, were resolved to make a Law of their own, to be somewhat like that of ours; which how they have done you have already heard: I shall now likewise give you a brief account of the Religion used by the Persees, and so put an end to this Chapter.
These Persees are a People descended from the antient Persians, who lived in much splendor, but warrs coming among them, they were dissipated, and the Mahometans who invaded them, compelled several to leave their antient Religion for that of the Mahometan: which they refusing, exposed themselves to a voluntary banishment, and therefore carried what of their substance they could with them: they sought for a new place of habitation, and at length found it in this Country, where they now inhabit, being admitted to use their own Religion, but yielding themselves in subjection to the government of the Nation, and paying homage and tribute, their Religion being different from the rest of the Inhabitants, I shall thus describe to you.
They affirm that before any thing was, there was a God, who made the Heavens, and the Earth, and all things therein conteined: at six times or labours, and between each labour, he rested five dayes, first, He made the Heavens with their Orbs, adorned with great lights and lesser, as the Sun, Moon and Stars; also the Angels whom he placed in their several orders, according to their dignities, which place he ordained to be for the habitations of such as should live holy in this life; and this being done, he rested five dayes. Then he made Hell in the lower parts of the world, from which he banished all light and comfort, wherein were several Mansions that exceeded each other in dolour, proportioned for the degrees of Offenders; about which time Lucifer the chief of Angels, with other of his Order, conspiring against God, to gain the Soveraignty and command over all; God threw him first from the Orb of his happiness, together with his confederates and accomplices, damn’d him to Hell, the place that was made for offenders, and turn’d them from their glorious shapes, into shapes black, ugly and deformed, till the end of the world, when all offenders shall receive punishment; this was the second labour. After this God created the earth and waters, making this world like a ball, in that admirable manner that now it is; this was the third labour. The fourth, was to make the Trees and Herbs; the fifth, was to make Beasts, Fowls and Fishes; and the sixth and last, Man and Woman, whose names were Adamah and Evah, and by these the world was propagated in this manner; God as they affirm, did cause Evah to bring forth two twins every day for a thousand years together, and none dyed. Lucifer being malicious, and endeavouring to do mischief God set certain Supervisors over his creatures: Hamull had charge of the Heavens, Acob of the Angels, Foder of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, Soreh of the Earth, Josah of the Waters, Sumbolah of the Beasts of the Field, Daloo of the Fish of the Sea, Rocan of the Tree, Cooz, of Man and Woman, and Settan and Asud were Guardians of Lucifer and other evil spirits, who for all that did some mischief, the sins of men occasioned the destruction of world by a flood which spared only a few to repeople the earth, which was done accordingly; and this is their opinion of the Creation and first Age. As to their Religion, it was given them by a Law-giver, whose name was Zertoost, whose birth was strange, and breeding and visions miraculous; the names of his Father and Mother were Espintaman and Dodoo, he was born in China, and great fame going of him when young, the King of that Country endeavoured his destruction, but could not bring it to pass, for those who were sent to destroy him, had their sinews shrunk; he being twelve or thirteen years of age, was taken with a great sickness, the King hearing thereof, sent Physicians to destroy him; but Zertoost sensible of their practise, refused their Physick, and fled with his Father and Mother into Persia; in his way meeting with Rivers, he congeal’d them them to ice, and so went over: he arrived at Persia in the time of the Raign of Gustasph; it was in that Country that at his request to God, he being purified, was carried up into heaven, where he heard the Almighty speaking, as in flames of fire, who revealed to him the works of the Creation, and what was to come, and gave him Laws for the better government and establishment of Religion: Zertoost desired to live alwayes, that he might instruct the world in Religion; but God answered, That if he should live never so long, yet Lucifer would do more harm then he should do good: but if he desired to live so long as the world endured he might. God also presented to Zertoost the seven ages or times of the Persian Monarchy; the first was the Golden Age, the days of Guiomaras, second, the Silver, the dayes of Fraydhun: third, the Brazen, the dayes of Kaykodoy, the fourth, the Tin, the dayes of Lorasph; fifth, Leaden, the dayes of Bahaman, sixth, the Steel, the dayes of Darab Segner; the seventh, the Iron Age, in the Raign of Yesdegerd: He finding by this that the times would be worse and worse, desired to live no longer than till he had discharged his Message, and then that he might be translated to the same place of glory; so he was reduced to his proper sense, and remained in heaven many dayes; and then having received the Book of the Law, and the heavenly fire, he was conveyed by an Angel to earth again. But the Angel had no sooner left him, but Lucifer met him; but notwithstanding his perswasions, he went on in his designs of revealing the Law, which he did first to his Father and Mother, and by their means it came to the ears of Gustasph, then King of Persia, who sending for him, he told the King every circumstance, so that the King began to incline to his religion, often sending for and conversing with him. The Churchmen of that time endeavoured to put infamy upon Zertoost, by perswading the King that he was an Impostor and of unclean living, for that he had the bones of humane bodies under his bed, the King hearing this sent to search, and found it so to be, for these Church-men had caused them to be conveyed thither; wherefore Zertoost, by order of the King, was put in prison: but there happened an occasion, that he was not only soon released, but also brought into the Kings favour; for the King having a Horse, that he prized, that fell sick, and no person able to cure him, Zertoost undertook the cure, and performed it; and working some other miracles, was now of good credit, and esteemed as a man come from God; so that now his Book gained an esteem, and the King himself told him, That if he would grant him four demands, he would believe his Law, and be a Professor thereof. The demands were these; First, That he might ascend to Heaven, and descend when he list. Secondly, That he might know what God would do at present, and in time to come. Thirdly, That he might never dye. Fourthly, That no instrument whatsoever might have power to wound or hurt him. Zertoost did consent that all this might be done, but not by one person; and therefore to the first, Gustasph had power to ascend to, and descend from Heaven, granted to him. The second, which was to know what would fall out, present and hereafter, was granted to the Kings Church-man. The third, which was to live for ever, was granted to Gustasph’s eldest Son, named Dischiton, who yet lives as they say, at a place in Persia, called Demawando Lohoo, in a high Mountain, with a guard of thirty men; to which place all living creatures are forbidden to approach, lest they should live for ever, as they do who abide there. The last, which was never to be wounded with instrument or weapon, was granted to the youngest Son of Gustasph, called Esplandiar. So Gustasph, and the other three mentioned, proving the power of these several gifts, all determined to live according to the precepts in Zertoost Book, he unfolding the contents thereof, which were these: This Book contained three several Tracts, the first whereof was of Judicial Astrology; the second was of Physick; the third, was called Zertoost, and this was of matters of Religion: And these three Tracts were delivered to the Magi’s, Physicians and Church-men, called Darooes; these Tracts were devided into Chapters, seven were in the Wisemen or Jesopps Book, seven in the Physicians, and seven in the Darooes Book; the two first is unlawful or unnecessary, I shall omit it, and proceed to the third. The Dicision of men being Laity and Clergy; and those of the Clergy being ordinary or extraordinary, It pleased God, say the Persees, to divide and apportion his Law among these men. First, therefore, to the Lay-man God gave five Commandments:
1. To have shame over them, as a remedy against sin, for that will keep them from oppressing his inferiours, from stealing, from being drunk, and from bearing false witness.
2. To have fear alwayes present, that they might not commit sin.
3. When they go about any thing, to think whether it be good or bad, so to do it or let it alone.
4.