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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70505	The life of the most illustrious monarch Almanzor and of the several revolutions of the mighty empire of the caliphs, and of the African kingdoms. Together with the history of the conquest of Spain by the Moors. Composed in Arabick by Abulcacim Tariff Abentariq, one of the Generals in that Spanish-Expedition; and translated into Spanish by Michael de Luna, interpreter to Philip the Second. Made English by an eminent hand.; Verdadera historia del rey Don Rodrigo. English. Selections	Luna, Miguel de, 16th/17th cent.; Eminent hand.	1693 (1693)	Wing L3484C; ESTC R10867	91,992	265

THE LIFE OF THE Most Illustrious Monarch Almanzor And of the several Revolutions of the Mighty Empire of the CALIPHS And of the African KINGDOMS Together with the History of the Conquest of Spain by the Moors Composed in Arabick by Abulcacim Tariff Abentariq one of the Generals in that Spanish Expedition and Translated into Spanish by Michael de Luna Interpreter to Philip the Second Made English by an Eminent Hand LONDON Printed for Dan. Browne without Temple-Bar and Isaac Cleave next to Serjeants-Inn in Chancery-lane 1693. THE PREFACE OF Abulcacim Tariff Abentariq PRaised and Glorified be for evermore one sole God and Creator of all things whose Reign is without beginning and without middle as well as without end The Being from whence proceeds all Beings The first and only cause that subsists of it self and gives motion to all others which it causes to act through incomprehensible Resorts moving as it pleases the Hearts of all Men and particularly that of Kings to accomplish by them as second causes upon Earth what Providence has resolv'd on from all Eternity in Heaven who punishes him that merits it by his Justice and predestines whomever he pleases by his Mercy seeing written together and of one and the same date the past present and future in the great Book of his infinite knowledge To this great God do I make my humble Addresses to obtain the force I shall need to write exactly and truly The History of the Conquest of Spain and the Wars occasion'd by the Death of Caliph Aboulvalid Almanzor not only in that great Kingdom but in Africa and throughout the whole extent of the Arabians first of all among the Princes his Children and afterwards among the Governours of all his Kingdoms who after having revoltev against their King wag'd War upon one another about the division of that great Empire As I will add nothing of my self to such great events save such considerable matters as occurr'd in those times I neither expect nor merit Honour or Profit I only require of him that shall read what I am going to write that he would pray God to teach me what I ought to do for his service and that he would supply what is not in me by his Grace And indeed I am well assur'd of being blam'd for having undertaken so vast a design and that several will find as it is true that it required both more lofty and more polish'd Genuisses than mine to give the necessary Weight and Authority to so great a Work But after having agreed with them in this they will allow me to tell them the Reasons that made me take Pen in Hand and perhaps they will be satisfy'd when I shall tell them that I was present in that War from the first day that General Tariff entred Spain with Count Julian until that he had finish'd that Conquest and that there was no Battel nor Occasion but whereat I was in Person excepting the Sieges of Carmona and of Merida by reason that at that time I was in the Province of Grenada with that great Captain Thus I may say that I have been an Eye-witness of most of the things whereof I speak and that as for those I have not seen in all times I have had the Curiosity to be informed of them from Persons who could know them better as from the Principal Officers and Generals of Armies who have themselves given me the Letters and Memoires whereof I make mention in this History that I might be accordingly provided for the writing it one time or other Wherefore I may hope that those as shall take the pains to read it instead of Wondering at my Boldness will con me thanks for my Good Will and will have some indulgence for the faults as shall doubtless in great numbers occur therein when they shall consider that there is no Body in the World exempt from them and that we ought to mind our own before we judge of those of others nay some there will be that will find there would have been much more reason to have blam'd me had I not made any Memoires of all I had seen than to have made them such as they are and the greatest Criticks will be oblig'd to own That if all Authors that undertake to write History had like me had some part in the Events they describe their Works would be much better receiv'd by the Publick and not be as they are for the most part full of Falsities and Vncertainties I make no Difficulty to speak in this manner for as at the very moment that I write these great things there are still People of that time that as well as me have seen the greatest part of them and who can give me the lye if I do not relate them according as they pass'd I shall content my self with taking them to witness of the truth and I willingly submit my self to their Censure THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER SInce the Novelty of the matter and the Form of this ensuing History do possibly require something to be said for its better Illustration I shall a little stress upon thy Patience Gracious Reader by so modish a Transgression as that of a Preface A man seldom arrives at a Delicate Entertainment without running the Gauntlet of a bundance of Formality seldom gets to Court without standing the Brunt of continual Ceremony nor to the Enjoyment of a Mistress without brushing through a Confounded deal of VVooing and Riffling And yet without being an Epicure Ambitious or a Lover if the Scene be new whatever trouble it may have cost him he finds his satisfaction Now this is matter to urge for my Excuse in the present instance For undoubtedly hardly has there ever been such very considerable Occurrences and Revolutions in the VVorld as those here described and yet with which we are less acquainted Thus the Learned as well as others will have wherewithal to gratify their Curiosity and augment their Knowledge This is abundantly made out by the Translator in the Dissertation he had annnex'd But he going into France this Summer and leaving his Copy with a Friend that Friend handed it to the Press and it was agreed it would make the Compleater Book were the Dissertation adjoyn'd to the second and last Volume though it proves the Truth of this History by conferring it with the History of Spain and several Arabian Turkish and Persian Manuscripts His absence must at the same time Apologize for some perchance unpolish'd passages which he would have refined had they pass'd his Review which possibly so far from being Blemishes like Moles rather heighten the Beauty But bating such small slips what can be of more importance than an account both of one of the greatest and least known Heroes that was ever in the VVorld as was that Famous Arabian Monarch Almanzor who after having taken Damascus and Conquer'd the greatest part of Persia and the Indies render'd himself Master of all

Africa that was known at that time and whose Generals having reduc'd Spain in subjection to him could hardly curb themselves from passing the Pyrenees and undertaking the Conquest of France before they had received orders from their Master for that purpose Yet do not our Historians so much as agree upon this mighty Princes Name of the time when he Reigned nor of the Year when the Moors pass'd the Streight But the Principal cause of our little acquaintance with this and other the Histories of the Eastern Princes is the Ignorance of the Arabick Persian Turkish and Mauritanick Languages which hinders us from being so Critical as to know the good from bad Books written in those Tongues and the difficulty there is not only in understanding them aright but in reading them also aright insomuch that after many Years Study few People but do at length desist VVherefore we must needs own our selves the more indebted to Michael de Luna for having taken the pains to Translate Abulcacim's VVorks into Spanish since this single History may stand in Competition with all those of the Greeks and Romans And indeed the Circumstances of the Conquest of Spain by the Moors in the Year 712 of our Lord are so curious and the Life of the Caliph Almanzor under whom this great Event happen'd so fine that Abulcacim Abentari who accompany'd Tariff and Muca throughout that whole Expedition may be said to Challenge more Credit than Arrian who only writ after the Memoires of Ptolomy and Aristobulus who attended Alexander in his and that he has all the Qualifications necessary to merit the Character of the most perfect of Historians Now to shew the Authentickness of the Arabick Original and the Spanish Version many of the most Eminent Spanish Authors as Pedrasa Rodrigo Caro Bleda and others Quote and Commend Abulcacim Tariff as an Author the most worthy of Credit they knew And as for Michael de Luna his Translator as he was a Citizen of Grenada whence the Moors had not been long driven he could know by Tradition many things that had relation to this History And in all probability having been chosen by Philip the Second to be Interpreter of the Arabick Tongue and having doubtless had a great part in the Scrutiny made after Arabick Books that compos'd the greatest part of the Escurial Library he must have seen and examin'd all those that speak of the same subject and that he would not have chosen it to have given it to the Publick if he had not judg'd it more worthy of it than all the rest VVe shall not descend to justifie this History particularly referring that to the Dissertation in the second Volume wherein it is compar'd and put to the Test with the most Authentick Oriental Manuscripts Besides we have been but too rude already in detaining thee so long when the Entrance is so alluring History is the Mistress of all Mankind a Mistress that Refines and Diverts the Ingenious new Polishes the gross and uncouth and has Reformed me and so out of Gratitude my Darling But through an over-great Publick Spirit I could no longer deny the English VVorld the Possession of so Ravishing a Mistress and so have ground to hope that this piece of Generosity will meet with such a due Acceptance as may quicken me to hasten out the next and indeed more entertaining Volume And so Farewel A TABLE Of the Chapters contained in the First Part. PART I. Containing the Life of Don Rodrigo King of Spain The Conquest of that Kingdom under the Caliph Valid Almanzor And the Wars which his Death occasion'd in Africa in Europe and Asia between his Children and his Generals Chap. 1. A Nagilda King Acosta's Widdow withdraws with the Prince her Son to Cordoua Rodrigo invites her to bring him back to Court to assist at a Festival She goes thither and departs thence forthwith pag. 1 Chap. 2. Rodrigo causes the Prince Don Sancho to be taken into Custody His Mother frees him out of Prison and goes with him into Africa 7 The Letter of Queen Anagilda the Prince Don Sancho's Mother to the King D. Rodrigo 11 Chap. 3. Rodrigo causes most of the Fortresses of his Kingdom to be dismantled and commits several Violences that make him incur the anger of God 19 Chap. 4. Rodrigo falls in love with Florinda call'd La Caux by the Arabs She signifies to Count Julian her Father then in Africa the violence done her by this Prince 25 Florinda's Letter to Count Julian her Father 27 Chap. 5. Count Julian being throughly inform'd of the outrage done to his Danghter resolv'd to be Reveng'd and to deliver Spain to the Moors 30 Muca's Letter to Valid Almanzor 32 Almanzor's Letter to Muca 35 Chap. 6. Rodrigo enters a Cave that was at the Gates of Toledo and thinking to find Treasures therein finds only Presages of the loss of Spain 38 Chap. 7. Muca sends Tariff and Count Julian into Arabia to give an account to Almanzor of the success of the Voyage they had made into Spain 46 Almanzor's Letters Patents 49 A Prediction made by a Religious 55 Chap. 8. Great Preparations for War made by Rodrigo in all the parts of his Dominions 59 Chap. 9. Muca passes into Spain and joins with Tariff Rodrigo puts himself at the head of his Army gives them Battel and loses it 64 Chap. 10. General Tariff causes search to be made through all the Country for D. Rodrigo and promises great rewards to whom ever shall deliver him dead or alive into his hands 72 Chap. 11. The Amours of Mahomet Gilhair with the Queen who induces him to turn Christian and then Marries him 76 Chap. 12. Tariff makes himself master of the Province of Grenada and of the Snowy Mountains call'd by the Spaniards of the Sun and of the Air. 84 Chap. 13. The Conquests of Muca and his return to Cordoua 91 Chap. 14. The Conjunction of the two Generals and their entrance into Castile 103 Chap. 15. The March of the two Generals towards Valentia and Murtia and their Return to Cordoua 109 Chap. 16. The Order that Tariff left in Spain before his Departure thence 113 A Letter from King Pelage to General Tariff Abenziet 120 A Letter from Tariff Abenziet to Caliph Valid Almanzor Emperour of the Moors 122 Chap. 17. Pelage takes the City of Gixa from the Moors and burns it 125 Chap. 18. The Vnhappy end of Count Julian of the Countess his Wife and of Florinda his Daughter 131 Chap. 19. Muca being vex'd that Almanzor did not send for him as well as Tariff dispatches his Brother to him with the description of all Spain 136 A Letter from Muca Vice-roy of Africa to Caliph Almanzor Emperour of the Arabians 138 A Letter from Valid Almanzor to the King of Thunis 145 The King of Thunis's Answer 147 Chap. 20. Adilbar goes to invest the City of Hispalis with his Army but is constrain'd to raise the Siege and return to Cordoua 149 Chap. 21. Adilbar makes