same Calamities; by which Example, Christian Princes may take warning, never to think their Frontier Towns and Castles to be strong enough, nor sufficiently provided against so potent an Enemy as the _Turk_. For the Truth is, the _Ottomans_ are herein not unlike to great Rivers, whose Swelling Waves, if they break down any part of the Bank or Jitty, that keeps them in, spread far and near, and do abundance of Mischief; so the _Turks_, but far more perniciously, having once broke through the Obstacles that stopt them, make a vast spoil where-ever they come. But to return to _Belgrade_, that I may prosecute the rest of my Journey to _Constantinople_. After I had provided myself in that City of all Things necessary for a Land Journey, I left _Semandria_, heretofore a Town or Castle, of the despots of _Servia_, on the left side of the _Danow_; from whence we Journied towards _Nissa_. In our way thither, the _Turks_ shewed us, from the higher Grounds, the Mountains of _Transilvania_, with Snowey Tops, but at a great Distance from us, and moreover, they pointed with their Fingers, were the Ruins of _Trajans_ Bridge were: After we had past the River called _Morava_, we came to a Town of the _Servians_, named _Jagodna_; there I observed the Funeral Rites of that Country, which differ very much from ours, as you may find by this Relation following. The dead Body was placed in a Temple, with the Face uncovered; near it were laid Victuals, as Bread, Flesh, and a Flagon of Wine: The Wife and Daughter of the Deceased stood by, in their best Apparel; the Daughter’s Hat was made of Peacocks Feathers. The last Boon that the Wife bestowed on her dead Husband, was a Purple Bonnet, such as noble Virgins us’d to wear in that Country. Then we heard their Funeral Plaints, Mourning and Lamentations, wherein, they asked the dead Corps, How they came to deserve so ill at his Hands? Wherein had they been wanting in their Duty and Observance, that he had left them in such a lonesome and disconsolate Condition? And such like Stuff. The Priests that ministred in this Service, were of the _Greek_ Church. In the Church-Yard, there were erected on Poles, or long Staves, several Pictures of Stags, Hinds, and such Kind of Creatures, cut in Wood; when I asked them the Reason of this strange Custom, they told us, That their Husbands, or Fathers, did thereby signify the Celerity and Diligence of their Wives or Daughters, in managing their Houshold Affairs. Moreover, by some Sepulchres, there hung Bushes of Hair, which Women, or Maidens, had placed in Testimony of their Grief for the Loss of their Relations. We were also informed, that it was the Custom of that Country, after Friends on both Sides had accorded about the Marriage of a young Couple, for the Bridegroom to snatch away his Bride, as it were by Force; for they do not think it handsome, that a Maid should consent to her own Devirgination, or first Nights Lodging with her Husband.