An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies.

They are so little given to sleep, that they do rise many times in the night to eat Beatel and to take Tobacco.  Which done they lay them down, and sing songs until they fall a sleep again.

[Children taught to sing at going to Bed.] At their first going to bed, it is very seldom that they do pray to God, neither do they ever teach their Children so to do.  But sometimes will say Auh Dio, which is God help or keep me.  But they do instead of that, teach and bid their Children to sing songs when they go to bed.

[Young People lie at one anotheir houses.] Where their houses consist but of one room, the Children that are of any years always go and sleep in other houses among their neighbours.  Which please them better than their own.  For so they come to meet with bedfellows, nor doth it displease the Parents, if young men of as good quality as themselves become acquainted with their daughters, but rather like well of it; knowing that their daughters by this means can command the young men to help and assist them in any work or business that they may have occasion to use them in.  And they look upon it so far distant from a disgrace, that they will among their consorts brag of it, that they have the young men thus at their command.

[Nothing so common as Whoredom.] So that youth are bred up to Whoredom.  Indeed here are no Publick Whores allowed by Authority.  In the City some that have followed that Trade, have oftentimes by the King’s order been severely punished by Whipping, and having their Ears and Hair cut off.  But in private few or none can exempt themselves.  And for the matter of being with Child, which many of them do not desire, they very exquisitely can prevent the same.

[They are guilty of the thing, but love not the name.] Indeed the Publick Trade would be bad, and hardly maintain them that exercised it, the private one being so great.  And tho I think they be all Whores, yet they abhor the Name of Vesou, which is Whore.  Neither do they in their anger reproach one another with it, unless they should lay with a Man of an inferior quality to themselves, And the Woman reckons her self as much obliged to the Man for his Company, as he does to her for hers.  In these affairs the Women are very expert (it being their continual practice) to keep their design from the Husbands knowledge:  tho by his own Experience he cannot be ignorant of Womens devices.  And unless he catch them in the act he doth not much trouble himself to prove himself a Cuckold; Cuckolds being so common, that it is not here regarded.

[The Man may kill whom he finds in Bed with his Wife.] It is a Law here, that if a Man catch another in Bed with his Wife, he may, be it whosoever, kill him and her, if he please.  It hath so happened that the Man hath come to the Door, when another hath been within with his Wife, there being no way to escape, the Woman has took a pan of hot ashes, and as she opened the Door, her Husband being entring, cast them in his Eyes, and so she and her Bedfellow made an escape.

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An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.