Alcaydes of his men of Warre yet when he intended to winne and conquer any kingdome or Prouince by land he delighted exceedingly to bee present in person with his Armie For hee said that the vigour of his spirit alone and the onely imagining of his Alcaydes Captaynes and Souldiers that hee was personally present and that he aduentured his life as well as they was sufficient to ouercome many Enemies and made them with redoubled courage to doe their endeauour In this manner hee wonne thirteene set Battailes in the field and tooke fiue Kings of the Gentiles without being defeated in any of them or his Armie routed and euen with a few Souldiers in regard of those that came against him he performed great Exploits The most notable was that when hee had ouercome one of the Kings of the Gentiles in the Country of Deuque called Abni Raquib and an Armie of seuentie thousand foote and foure thousand horse which King escaped by flight and met with a Sonne in Law of his named Abenyusael Salami who came to succour him whereupon receiuing new courage hee turned againe to see whether hee could recouer what hee had lost and bee reuenged of his enemy And albeit hee came against him with fresh Souldiers that were not wearied which were no fewer then forty thousand foot and two thousand horse and the Armie of the King Almansor was now wearied and enfeebled many hauing beene hurt and slaine in the former battaile and he being much perplexed yet seeing he could not now retire but with great losse and disaduantage nor without some imputation of cowardise he resolued to abide his enemies encounter anew and to re-enforce his Armie he went euery where himselfe putting them in order and encouraging of them saying alowde after this manner Good Souldiers and valiant Warriours let vs dye with Honour like Conquerors and victorious as wee are at this present and let vs not flye dishonourably for J will bee the first that shall set vpon the enemie and bee yee not afraid since Abilgualit Almansor is with you whom the Souereigne God hath neuer yet suffered to be euercome no more shall be at that time With these words hee began the Battaile without farther speech and he fought valiantly himselfe in his Royall person killed many and tooke the King Abni Raquib and his Sonne in Law dyed fighting in that Battaile brauely And when they had taken the spoyle of his Campe all his Souldiers said that the highest God had made Abilgualit victorious and that with great reason he might be called Almansor And from that day forward they named him Almansor Abenforoh whereas before he was called Abilgualit Iacob Abninacer albeit in all these Chapters which I haue written of his life I haue alwayes named him Almansor that I might not alter his name which was best knowne and he might well be so called because he was neuer ouercome in any battaile nor any of his Generals in any warres or battailes which they fought or made by his direction eyther by Sea or by Land which are all registred in the Booke which is written of his life and warres of his time and of his great Exploits and those of his Alcaydes and Gouernours of his Armies with which I intend not to cloy the Readers But will only rehearse the number of them which were seuentie and three Battailes or foughten Fields by Land and thirteene fights by Sea Touching the diuiding of the Spoyles which his Souldiers had when the Battailes were ended he commanded all to be gathered and laid together in such sort that none durst take any thing without his leaue And the distributiō of them was made according to his Statutes and Ordinances for the wars which was that euery Souldier which was slaine in the Warre should haue his part and portion as farre forth as they that were liuing and such parts and portions were accordingly deliuered to the companions and friends of the dead who vndertooke the deliuering of them to the Children Wiues and Heires of them to whom they belonged For he said it was not iust nor reasonable that hee who dyed fighting should lose his part seeing they that were his had losse enough in losing of him without losing the goods which were gotten with the price of his life When hee had made this distribution he vsed to giue audience to any that was grieued therewith giuing order briefly and summarily in what manner hee should be righted in such sort that they were all satisfied and well contented And this was the chiefe cause that when hee intended any warre he was so sought to and serued by his followers who were readie to hazard their liues for him without feare This King Iacob Alnansor as hee was very louing to the Learned and friendly to the valiant and vertuous so was hee as aduerse an enemy to Lyers Pratlers and Gamesters and abhorred and loathed the Loytering Vnthrifts and Idlers for he said that all sueh persons were vnprofitable to the Common-weales like the Droues in the Bee-hiues that are no wayes helpfull to the Bees neyther in gathering nor preseruing the Honie or the Waxe but only to fill vp the roomes in their houses and to eate and consume what they had prouided for their sustenance and these hee vsed to chasten according to their desert He would neuer be idle so much as a moment but was euer busied in good and vertuous Exercises He caused also a Law to be made that what person soeuer hee were that had no Office Trade or course of life wherein to employ his time should be held infamous and of no reputation of what estate or degree soeuer hee were which was the cause that in imitation of him all his Subiects shunned idlenesse and bestowed their time in vertuous Exercises by meanes whereof they escaped many vices and diseases and liued without want except it were here and there one as it is in all Kingdomes CHAP. X. How the resigned his Royall Scepter to his eldest Sonne and of his retirednesse which he chose and of a Letter written to his Sonne of Admonitions for his good Gouernment whereunto hee was bound THe King Abilgualit Iacob Almansor seeing him selfe waxen old and wearie of his Gouernment and considering that his Sonne Abilgualis Abninace was of sufficient age wit and abilitie to rule and gouerne resigned vnto him his Royall Scepter his Crowne and Kingdomes with the consent of his wisest Counsellours and the Alcaydes that were Gouernours retyring himselfe to a solitarie life in that Country house in the Mountaynes of Albasatim and Alhillan which hath beene before mentioned where on the top of a high Rocke neere adioyning hee had caused to be built a sumptuous Mezquita or Temple with a Colledge or Monasterie wherein might liue an Heremite or Abbot with fortie Disciples or Monkes appointing to bee chiefe Gouernour therein a man of much Learning named Mahomet el Gazeli In this man hee had such confidence that hee consulted with him concerning
â—â—â—â—â—SOR THE LEARNED AND VICTORIOVS King that conquered Spaine His Life and Death published By ROBERT ASHLEY Out of the Librarie of the Vniuersitie of OXFORD Seneca Otium tuum non emineat sed appareat LONDON Printed for Iohn Parker 1627. TO OVR GRACIOVS SOVEREIGNE King CHARLES THis briefe Historie of the life and death of Iacob Almansor the Victorious was intended to the now deceassed yet euer renowmed for Learning and worthily stiled Iacobus Pacificus your Royall Father The death of some who had vndertaken the Printing and the generall Visitation of this your Realme with sicknesse hath delayed the publishing and altered the designe of the Dedication The Wandering Ghost of this Learned Vertuous and Victorious Almansor who neuer suffered repulse being now come into England and clad with an English garment presseth into your Kingly presence and expecteth condigne entertainment Though the Storie bee ancient and your Time and Religion also from his much different yet he hopeth that Vertue and Valour are neuer out of season Nor the Wisdome and Industrie of any bee hee Heathen Mahometan or Christian to be disesteemed As Alexander was enflamed with the example of Achilles who liued long before him Caesar by that of Alexander of a different time and Nation the one being a Grecian King of Macedon the other but a priuate Gentleman of Rome and Scipio a young Roman that triumphed ouer Africke was animated by the Historie of Cyrus the great King of Persia described by Xenophon So if at this day among Christians they that haue any heart are enkindled in their courage when they reade of the Clemencie of Caesar the Magnanimitie of Alexander the Integritie of Aristides the Constancie of Cato or the Iustiâ—e and Goodnesse of Traian being but Heathens of former Ages that knew not Christ nor Christian Pietie with more reason Almansor of much later Age though a misbeleeuing Mahometan may well expect euen in these times among the professors of perfect Pietie his Vertues should not be vnregarded nor his well ordered life and death be buried in obliuion I leaue them that list to dispute the truth of his Historie or whether it bee not a patterne of Perfection deuised as many haue supposed the like of Cyrus described by Xenophon Howsoeuer the Truth bee I hold the one and the other of better vse being thus published then to be buried in silence I doubt not but your Royall Fathers Instruction and your owne worthy disposition hath figured in your noble brest many worthier Christian patternes for Imitation Yet by comparing our selues with Heathens with Infidels with Mahometans and other Misbeleeuers we attaine the better and cleerer knowledge of our aduantages and defects Hereof your aduenturous Trauailes in your younger yeares haue giuen you good experience Hee that knoweth no Countrey but his own knoweth not the worth or wants of his owne Commendandus ante omnes qui sapientiam toto orbe requirit saith Marsilius which oportunitie of personall Trauaile being not alwayes permitted it must bee supplyed by Bookes and Histories The aduertisement following will informe the particulars how this briefe Historie came to the Presenters hands who remaineth In all humilitie your Maiesties deuoted Subiect Robert Ashley An Aduertisement HAuing during my younger yeares had some trayning in the Arts and Learned Languages in the famous Vniuersitie of Oxford and by aduice of experienced friends hauing after seriously sought to attaine the knowledge of the Lawes vnder which wee liue in the place where they are professed and hauing beene long since ingaged and denominated among the Professors thereof yet finding the practise to haue ebbes and tydes as haue for the most part all other humane employments I haue stolne and snatched at vacant times some oportunities what by Trauaile Bookes and Conference to get some knowledge of forreigne Countries and vulgar Languages especially those of our Neighbours I meane the French and Dutch the Spanish and Italian that by the perusing of their Writings I might also bee made partaker of the Wisdome of those Nations hauing beene long of this opinion That as no one soyle or territorie yeeldeth all fruits alike so no one Climate or Region affordeth all kind of knowledge in full measure With this resolution being not letted by other occasions J spent the best houres of some few Weekes not many yeeres sithence in a superficiall suruey of the famous Librarie of that flourishing Vniuersitie where I had beene trayned which I found richly replenished with Bookes of all Sciences and Faculties not only in the Learned Languages Latine Greeke and Hebrew besides the vulgar Tongues of our Neighbour Nations but euen with some furniture as well of Manuscripts as of printed Copies in the Arabian Aethiopian and Armenian Languages with the Egyptian Wisdome and Characters not speaking of the Chaldaick and Syriak because they are accounted by many but as Hebrew-dialects There are also some Turkish Persian Manuscripts Indian Malayan and Mexican Characters and Writings Yea China it selfe being thought by many to bee inaccessible to Strangers though by sundry Seas and Lands it bee farre separated from vs hath vouchsafed to inrich this great Magazin or Storehouse of Learning with diuers and sundry parcels of her Wisdome imprinted in her strange Characters Amongst the rest I happened on an Arabian Historie concerning the losse of Spaine by Roderigo King of the Gothes which by commandment of King Philip the Second was translated into Spanish out of the Arabian Copie remayning in the Escurial where I my selfe haue seene a glorious golden Librarie of Arabian Bookes In the midst of that Historie I found a Summarie Collection or obsernation of the life and death of a Learned Arabian King Iacob Almansor the Conquerour of Spaine Of the excellencie of this great King some hauing heard and read that among other his vertues hee was an infinite louer of Learning hauing assembled together in his Librarie fiftie fiue thousand Bookes in an ignorant Age when long before the Inuention of Printing all Monuments of Learning were only preserued by the laborious industrie of the Writers hand and Pen. Weighing also his wise distribution of his time with his exact Iustice Wisdome of Gouernment his Temperance of Dyet Fortitude and Prudence in his Militarie affaires with the Prosperitie of his Conquests and successe of all his enterprizes they became desirous to bee acquainted with the particulars of his life and longed to haue it communicated vnto them in a Tongue which they better vnderstood To their honest desire hauing oportunitie in my hand I thought it conuenient to giue satisfaction by translating it out of the Spanish Copie which was printed at Saragoza 1603. remayning in that vnparalleld rare Librarie of the Vniuersitie of Oxford and therehence out of the larger Historie of the Conquest of Spaine by the Moores being then the Subiects of this Almansor by me excerpted and published I present it to publicke view that Christians finding their vertuous Industrie to be equalled or ouermatched by
his Masters who had the charge and gouernment of him For he was at this age so skilfull in the seuen Liberall Sciences that they who were the most learned in them spake of them in his presence With much feare and bashfulnesse for at euery other word he corrected the Imperfections which proceeded out of their Ignorance And at the eighteenth yeare of his age he wrote the three bookes of Mathematickes and Astrologie which are so renowmed at this day amongst the Arabians Hee wrote also the abridgement of Histories the great Art of Algebra and the booke of the exercise of the militarie Art and that which hee entitled The Mirrour of Princes At the one and twentieth yeare of his age he wrote the three Bookes of Philosophie vpon the Texts of Aristotle in forme of a Comment Notwithstanding that which was most to be admired was that at the fiue and twentieth yeare of his age he spake eleuen Languages reading and writing them as perfectly as the very Naturals themselues The King Abilgualit his father being himselfe a wise man yet vndertooke no enterprise without his counsell and aduice because hee found that in so doing his affaires euer succeeded according to his hearts desire This valorous Prince hauing liued after this manner a certaine season and hauing ordayned a Iurgo di canas and other disports called vnto them the great Alcaydes who were Gouernors of his Kingdomes one of which at his comming presented to the King Abilgualit his father an Alfange which is a Sword or Cimiter of inestimable value for the handle was of the finest Emerald the pommell of a stone called a Balais Tabeli the scabberd and chape hilt of fine gold wrought with the hammer with sundry sorts of precious stones enchaced Hâ—ia and the blade most excellently damasked Some of the Alcaydes hauing seene and handled it from hand to hand they all concluded in saying that were it but halfe a hands bredth longer it would then be the best weapon in the world whereat the King Abilgualit was much distasted because hee had taken a great liking thereof and therfore caused the Prince Jacob Almansor to be called that hee might see it and giue his iudgement thereon admonishing the Alcaydes that none should aduertise him of the fault they found who being come to his presence he commanded that the Alfange should be showne him who was so wel pleased with the sight of it that he presently spake these words This Weapon is worth a Citie The King his father replyed that hee should looke well theron and consider what fault there was to be found therein but hee said hee found none the thing being as well framed and wrought as he could desire Then his father the King Abilgualit acquainted him how the Alcaydes did say that the Blade was too short Whereat the Prince taking the Alfange in his hand said with a smiling countenance these words To the hardie and couragious caualiers no weapon no weapon is too short and then stepping with his right foot one step forwards with the Alfange in his hand prosecuting his reason hee said because with one pace forward it will bee made as long as one would desire This his speech was so pleasing to his father Abilgualit that he presently cast his armes about his neck and embraced him saying Certainly my Sonne thou mayest well seeke out other Kingdoms to conquer for those which I shall leaue thee are too few for that wisdome and valour which the Soueraigne God hath giuen thee and girding the Alfange about him hee said that it could not belong to any but to him since hee found no fault with it This being thus ended the Prince went downe with all the Alcaydes that were present to play at the Canes and at other deuices in such sort that all admired his dexterity in deuising guiding such delightfull disports The next day with many gracious fauours he dispatched those Alcaydes Which done hee said it were not reasonable to shew himselfe gracious only to the Alcaydes of his Kingdomes and to leaue his poore Subiects comfortlesse and vnrewarded With which resolution he commanded all the poore about his Court to bee called that they might also bee partakers of his bounty and when they were come hee placed himselfe at the Gate of his Treasurie and as they passed by him hee gaue to euery one of them a handfull of gold coyne vntold which hauing done he vnderstood after by his tellers that hee had that day distributed two and twentie Arrobas Arrobas and thirteene pounds of gold This being reported to his father Abilgualit hee was reprehended by him as being too free and aduised him to stay his hand lest otherwise he might becom poore saying that a King without his Treasure is like a dead man among the liuing But the Prince answered that he might rather be said to be dead that is close fisted towards his followers because hee could not expect any comfort of them in his necessitie and in the day of his distresse and that hee was not borne but to doe good in imitation of his Creator who vsed so much clemencie towards his creatures whose second cause or Instrument hee esteemed himselfe here on earth and that none might iustly reprehend him in that behalfe seeing hee considered that nothing was more certaine then death and that he could carrie nothing out of this life but 〈◊〉 poore shrowd or Winding sheet Mortaia and those good or euill deeds which he had done in this life to giue accompt of them to that high most omnipotent God as to a iust Iudge at the day of that fearefull finall Iudgement These reasons were so agrecable to his father Abilgualit that considering well the great worth of the Prince he or dayned eft-soones in his life and Kingdomes such order and course as the next Chapter declares CHAP. II. How the King Abilgualit resigned his Kingdom to his Sonne Iacob Almansor and retired to a solitarie life THe King Abilgualit perceiuing the great valour of his Sonne the Prince Iacob Almansor and that he himselfe was old being aboue seuentie yeares of Age he resolued to resigne his Kingdome into his hands and to retire to his rest and resigned the same accordingly with the agreement and consent of the great Alcaydes of his Kingdome in such sort that the Prince Iacob Almansor was crowned and sworne for King the tenth day of the Moone of Moharram three and thirtie yeeres of the Higera being then fully complete Aune Chr. 654. Ian. which Coronation was confirmed the third day of the Moone of Rabeh being the second of that yeare Hauing began his Raigne and Gouernment he tooke also a new habit in his conditions kind and manner of Liuing which because they are worth the remembring I will not forbeare to rehearse at large in this briefe Treatise For contrary to that gallantry and brauerie which he vsed whiles he was Prince hee clothed himselfe in the plainest sort
much delighted hee rewarded with ten pieces of Gold This Exercise hee followed vntill noone and then dined in the midst of a great house of pleasure which hee had there where all that followed him did eate and many poore folkes were refreshed for hee vsed that day and place especially for matters of Almes and reliefe of the poore and would not by expresse order bee encombred therewith eslewhere When hee had dined a Mayordomo put into a purse a thousand pieces of Gold called Miâ—eâ—ales and then he sitting downe in a square Court there came the poore before him as well those of his Court as of other Townes and Cities which brought euery one his Certificate from his Alcayde or Gouernour of the estate of his necessities And if it were for Mariage of poore Orphanes or other such occasions he gaue direction for their reliefe And it they were some smaller wants hee supplyed them presently out of that purse which his Mayordomo had filled But if the matters were of more importance he subscribed his answere to those Relations or Certificates of his Gouernours giuing direction how euery one should be relieued and out of what receipt or reuenue in such good sort that all went away contented and satisfied Hee said to his followers that hee esteemed that the best day of his life in which hee relieued all those poore folkes for the loue of the souereigne God It was remarkable in him that it could neuer be noted that euer any sought for almes or succour at his hands whether he were Moore Christian or Iew that went away vnrelieued He held opinion that there was neuer any King poore and that if hee were so hee should bee very miserable and vnfortunate and that Kings should be as large in giuing as they are in demanding and receiuing of their Subiects without which they haue neyther power Empire nor command in the World more then a priuate person He was so readie to relieue the needy and to succour the succourlesse that going one day on hunting hee lost himselfe being seuered from his Seruants and holding on his course through the Wood hee found a poore trauayling man who being taken with some sodaine sicknesse was fallen on the ground vnable to goe any farther he therefore alighting laid him on his owne horse and hauing tyed him fast in his Saddle hee took the reines of the bridle in his hands and so walked on foote himselfe more then two leagues before hee met with his traine who albeit they offered to ease him of the care of the sicke and to mount him on another horse yet he would by no meanes yeeld vnto it but conducted him with his owne hands vntill hee had brought him to his house in the Wood and there caused him to be cured till hee was throughly recouered and when being become sound hee kissed his hand at parting with many thankes as was fitting for so great a auour he answered that there belonged no thankes vnto him but that all was due to the Soueraigne God who had sent him that day to succoun him for he assured him by his Royall Crowne that hee had lost his company wandering hee knew not where nor which way he went vntill he lighted happily on him in that place where hee found him sicke and that it could not possibly be but that he was guided by God seeing he wandered in that country in which hee was borne and bred and yet neuer had the like befallen him And when he that was healed would haue taken his leaue to depart he commanded a good summe of money to be giuen him out of his Treasurie that hee might liue in good sort and so did dismisse him These and other like things did the King Almansor that those about him might learne and take good and laudable examples out of his manners and customes The day following being Wensday hee gaue no Audience neyther treated with any but shut himselfe into his Chamber reposing himselfe after his Hunting and violent exerercising which hee had vsed the Tuesday before And there being alone hee wrought Astrolabes of Asrologie and other Instruments of great worth and high estimation amongst the wise of his time Otherwhiles hee made of inlayd warke such delicate things and of such great account that the skilfullest Masters and professors of that Art tooke example and patterne of those pieces which hee had wrought for in all these things hee had a singular dexteritie subtiltie and excell encie of hand Hee made Crosse-bowes also and other kind of Weapons and Armes especially Coates of Maile of such excellencie that I can witnesse that I saw one of them which hee had giuen to an Ale ayde being his Fauourite sold for the weight thereof in Siluer In these Exercises hee vsed to spend these dayes and not in any other sort CHAP. VII Of the Exercises which hee vsed on the Thursday and how hee exercised the Sciences among the Learned THis King Iacob Almansor was so learned in all Sciences and such a louer of learned men of what facultie soeuer they were that there neuer came any to his knowledge and acquaintance but hee honoured and loued him exceedingly and on the contrary hee no lesse hated and eschewed the foolish and ignorant For hee said that there was no greater miserie in the World then Ignorance neyther any Monster how fierce foule or abhominable soeuer that was comparable thereto Hee proclaymed ouer all his Kingdomes that whosoeuer should bring him any Booke that were not in his Librarie alreadie of what facultie soeuer it was should receiue double the value according to the iust estimation thereof and performed it accordingly And if they were exquisite Bookes and good hee paid much more to them that brought them giuing great rewards By this meanes hee gathered such a multitude of Books that when he numbred them in his Library hee found there fiftie fiue thousand seuen hundred twentie and two bodies of all kind of Sciences in their seuerall Languages and weighing them in a weight they weighed twelue hundred and nineteene Quintalls of Paper And for verifying of this Truth A Quintall is taken for a hundred weight the greatest part of them is yet at this present remayning in the Librarie of the Royall Palace which your Highnesse at this day possesseth and if any of the Bookes be wanting whereof I make no doubt the number and names of the Authors will bee found in the Catalogue which this learned King caused to bee made When Thursday was come hee went into a Royall Hall or large roome adioyning to his Librarie which was adorned with rich hangings and the floore couered with Carpets of great price and the roome replenished with costly Seates where by he honored those learned men with whom he had treated conferred about matters of Learning for hee would neuer permit any of them to stand nor heare him a word at those times appointed for conference vntill they were all set downe on their