Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	bishop_n	church_n	rome_n	9,289	5	7.3911	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05331	A geographical historie of Africa, written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie. Wherein he hath at large described, not onely the qualities, situations, and true distances of the regions, cities, townes, mountaines, riuers, and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa; but also the descents and families of their kings ... gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations, and partly out of the ancient records and chronicles of the Arabians and Mores. Before which, out of the best ancient and moderne writers, is prefixed a generall description of Africa, and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. ... Translated and collected by Iohn Pory, lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge; Della descrittione dell'Africa. English	Leo, Africanus, ca. 1492-ca. 1550.; Pory, John, 1572-1636.	1600 (1600)	STC 15481; ESTC S108481	490,359	493

the aire and vnusuall heat which consumed them were also euilly entreated by the Moci-Congi For although they shewed themselues docible and tractable enough while they were instructed onely about ceremonies and diuine mysteries because they thought that the higher those matters were aboue humaine capacity the more they sorted and were agreable to the maiestie of God neuerthelesse when they began to entreate seriously of Temperance continence restitution of other mens goods forgiuing of iniuries and other heades of Christian pietie they found not onely great hinderance and difficultie but euen plaine resistance and opposition The king himselfe who had from the beginning shewed notable zeale was now somewhat cooled who because he was loth to abandon his soothsaiers and fortune tellers but aboue all the multitude of his concubines this being a generall difficultie among the Barbarians would by no meanes giue eare vnto the Preachers Also the women who were now reiected one after another not enduring so suddenly to be banished from their husbandes brought the court and roiall citie of Saint Saluador into a great vproare Paulo Aquitino second sonne to the king put tow to this fire who would by no meanes be baptized for which cause there grew great enmity betwixt him and Alonso his elder brother who with all his power furthered the proceedings and maintained the grouth of the Christian religion During these troubles the old king died and the two brothers fought a battell which had this successe that Alonso the true heire with sixe and thirtie soldiers calling vpon the name of Iesus discomfited the huge armie of his heathenish brother who was himselfe also taken aliue and died prisoner in this his rebellion God fauoured Alonso in this warre with manifest miracles For first they affirme that being readie to enter into battaile he saw a light so cleere and resplendent that he and his companie which beheld it remained for a good while with their eies declined and their mindes so full and replenished with ioy and a kind of tender affection that cannot easily be expressed And then lifting vp their eies vnto heauen they sawe fiue shining swords which the king tooke afterwards for his armes and his successors vse the same at this day Hauing obteined this victorie he assembled all his nobles and streightly enioined them to bring all the idols of his countrey to an appointed place and so vpon an high hill he caused them all to be burned This Alonso raigned prosperously for fiftie yeeres togither in which space he exceedingly furthered by authoritie and example as also by preaching and doctrine the new-planted Christianitie Neither did Don Emanuell the King of Portugall giue ouer this enterprise for he sent from thence to Congo twelue of those Fryers which the Portugals call Azzurri of whom Fryer Iohn Mariano was head with architects and smiths for the building and seruice of Churches and with rich furniture for the same After king Alonso succeeded Don Pedro his sonne in whose time there was a Bishop appointed ouer the isle of Saint Thomas who had also committed vnto him the administration of Congo Where at the citie of Saint Saluador was instituted a colledge of eight and twentie Canons in the Church of Santa Cruz. The second bishop was of the bloud roiall of Congo who trauailed to Rome and died in his returne homeward Don Francisco succeeded Don Pedro who continued but a small space Don Diego his neere kinsman was after his decease aduanced to the crowne In whose time Iohn the third king of Portugall vnderstanding that neither the king himselfe cared greatly for religion and that the merchants and priests of Europe furthered not but rather with their bad life scandalized the people new conuerted he sent thither fower Iesuits to renew and reestablish matters of religion These men arriuing first at the isle of Saint Thomas and then at Congo were courteously receiued by the king and presently going about the busines they came for one of them tooke vpon him to teach sixe hundred yoong children the principles of christian religion and the other dispersed themselues ouer the whole countrie to preach But all of them one after another falling into tedious and long diseases they were enforced to returne into Europe At this time there was appointed ouer Congo a third bishop of the Portugall nation who through the contumacie of the Canons and clergie found trouble enough In the meane while Don Diego dying there arose great tumults touching the succession by meanes whereof all the Portugals in a manner that were in Saint Saluador except priests were slaine In the end Henrie brother to Don Diego obteined the crowne and after him for he quicklie died in the warres of the Anzichi Don Aluaro his son in law This man reconciled vnto himselfe the Portugall nation caused all the religious and lay sort dispersed heere and there throughout the kingdome to be gathered togither and wrote for his discharge to the king and to the Bishop of Saint Thomas The bishop hauing perused the letters passed himselfe into Congo and giuing some order for the discipline of the clergie he returned to Saint Thomas where hee ended his daies It so fell out that what for the absence and what for the want of Bishoppes the progression of religion was much hindred For one Don Francisco a man for bloud and wealth of no small authoritie began freely to say that it was a vaine thing to cleaue to one wife onely and afterwardes in the end he fell altogither from the faith and was an occasion that the king grew woonderfully cold They affirme that this Francisco dying and being buried in the church of Santa Cruz the diuels vncouered a part of that churches roofe and with terrible noise drew his dead carcase out of the tombe and carried it quite away a matter that made the king exceedingly amazed but yet another accident that ensued withall strooke him neerer to the hart For the Giacchi leauing their owne habitations entred like Locusts into the kingdome of Congo and comming to battaile against Don Aluaro the king put him to flight who not being secure in the head citie abandoned his kingdome and togither with the Portugall priests and his owne princes retired himselfe vnto an island of the riuer Zaire called The isle of horses Thus seeing himselfe brought to such extremitie for besides the losse of his kingdome his people died of famine and miserie and for maintenance of life sold themselues one to another and to the Portugals also at a base price for reparation of his state and religion he had recourse to Don Sebastian king of Portugall and obteined of him sixe hundred soldiers by whose valour he draue his enimies out of the kingdome and within a yeere and an halfe reestablished himselfe in his throne In his time Antonio di Glioun à Spaniard was made bishop of Saint Thomas who after much molestation procured him by the captaine of that island went at

that of part Barbarie which containeth the kingdome of Tripolis and Tunis was in times past gouerned by Apulian Sicilian Captaines and the countries of Caesaria and of Mauritania are supposed to haue beene 〈◊〉 vnto the Gothes At what time also many Christians fleeing from the furie and madnes of the Gothes left their sweet natiue soyle of Italy and at length arriued in Africa neere vnto Tunis where hauing setled their aboad for some certaine space they began at length to haue the dominion ouer all that region Howbeit the Christians which inhabited Barbaria not respecting the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Rome followed the Arrians 〈◊〉 and forme of liuing and one of the African Christians was that most godly and learned father Saint Augustine When the Arabians therefore came to conquer that part of Africa they found Christians to be Lords ouer the regions adiacent of whom after sundry hot conflicts the saide Arabians got the victorie Whereupon the Arrians being depriued of all their dominions and goods went part of them into Italy and part into Spaine And so about two hundred yeeres after the death of Mahumet almost all Barbarie was infected with his law Howbeit afterward ciuile dissensions arising among them neglecting the law of Mahumet they slue all the priests and gouernours of that region Which tumult when it came to the eares of the Mahumetan Caliphas they sent an huge armie against the saide rebels of Barbarie to wit those which were reuolted from the Calipha of Bagdet and seuerely punished their misdemeanor And euen at the same time was layd the most 〈◊〉 foundation of the Mahumetan law notwithstanding there haue remained many heresies among them euen vntill this verie day As touching the patrons of the Mahumetan lawe and likewise concerning the difference in religion betweene the Mahumetans of Africa and them of Asia we will by Gods grace write more in another seuerall volume and in the meane season let these particulars which we haue noted suffice the Reader Of the letters and characters of the Africans THose writers which record the histories of the Arabians doings are all iointly of opinion that the Africans were woont to vse onely the Latine letters And they doe most constantly affirme that the Arabians when they first 〈◊〉 Africa and especially Barbarie which was the principall seate of the Africans founde no letters nor characters there beside the Latine Neither indeede doe they denie that the Africans haue a peculiar kinde of language but this they firmly auouch that they haue the very same letters which the 〈◊〉 or Florentinesa people of Italie haue The Arabians haue no historie of African matters which was not first written in Latine They haue certaine ancient authors who writ partly in the times of the Arrians and partly before their times the names of all which are cleane forgotten Howbeit it is very likely that those Latine authors haue written many volumes for when their interpreters laboured to perswade something vnto vs I remember they would say it is contained in the seuentieth booke Neither did they in translating of the said volumes altogether follow the authors order but taking the historie of some one prince they would conioine his time and actions with the historie of the Persian Assyrian and Chaldaean kings or of the Israelites which concerned the same times But when as those which rebelled against the Calipha of Bagdet as is aforesaid got the vpper hand in Africa they burnt all the Africans bookes For they were of opinion that the Africans so long as they had any knowledge of naturall philosophie or of other good artes and sciences would euery day more and more arrogantly contemne the lawe of Mahumet Contrariwise some historiographers there are which affirme that the Africans had a kinde of letters peculiar vnto themselues which notwithstanding from the time wherein the Italians began first to inhabite Barbarie and wherein the Christians 〈◊〉 out of Italie from the Gothes began to subdue those prouinces of Africa were vtterly abolished and taken away For it is likely that a people vanquished shoulde follow the customes and the letters also of their conquerors And did not the same thing happen to the Persians while the Arabians empire stood For certaine it is that the Persians at the same time lost those letters which were peculiar vnto their nation and that all their bookes by the commandement of the Mahumetan prelates were burnt least their knowledge in naturall philosophie or their idolatrous religion might mooue them to contemne the precepts of Mahumet The like also as we shewed before befell the Barbarians when as the Italians and the Gothes vsurped their dominions in Barbarie which may here I hope suffice the gentle reader Howbeit this is out of doubt that all the 〈◊〉 cities and inland-cities of Barbarie doe vse Latine letters onely whensoeuer they will commit any epitaphes or any other verses or prose vnto posteritie The consideration of all which former particulars hath made me to be of opinion that the Africans in times past had their owne proper and peculiar letters wherein they described their doings and exploites For it is likely that the Romans when they first subdued those prouinces as conquerours vsually doe vtterly spoiled and tooke away all their letters and memorie and established their owne letters in the stead thereof to the end that the fame and honour of the Roman people might there onely be continued And who knoweth not that the very same attempt was practised by the Goths vpon the stately buildings of the Romans and by the Arabians against the monuments of the Persians The very same thing likewise we daily see put in practise by the Turks who when they haue gotten any citie or towne from the Christians doe presently cast foorth of the temples all the images and memorials of their saints And to omit all the aforesaid may we not in our time see the like daily practised in Rome where sumptuous and stately buildings left vnperfect by reason of the vntimely death of one Pope are for some noueltie vtterly ruined and destroied by his next successour Or else doth not the new Pope cause his predecessours armes to be razed and his owne in stead thereof to be set vp Or at the least if he will not seeme so arrogant letting his predecessours monuments stand still doth he not erect others for himselfe farre more sumptuous and stately No maruell therefore though so long successe of times and so many alterations haue quite bereaued the Africans of their letters Concerning those nine hundred yeeres wherein the Africans vsed the letters of the Arabians Ibnu Rachich a most diligent writer of Africa doth in his Chronicle most largely dispute whether the Africans euer had any peculiar kinde of writing or no. And at last he concludeth the affirmatiue part that they had for saith he whosoeuer denieth this may as well denie that they had a language peculiar vnto themselues

likewise he erected a most beautifull temple wherein he caused a goodly hall or chappell to be set vp which was curiously carued and had many faire windowes about it and in this hall when he perceiued death to seaze vpon him he commanded his subiects to 〈◊〉 his corpes Which being done they laid one marble-stone ouer his head and another ouer his feete whereon sundry 〈◊〉 were engrauen After him likewise all the honourable personages of his familie and blood chose to be interred in the same hall And so did the kings of the Marin-familie so long as their commonwealth prospered My selfe on a time entring the same hall beheld there thirtie monuments of noble and great personages and diligently wrote out all their epitaphes this I did in the yeere of the Hegeira 915. Of the towne called Mader Avuam THis towne was built in my time by a certaine treasurer of the Mahumetan prelate Abdulmumen vpon the banke of Buragrag Some say it was built onely for yron-mines From mount Atlas it is ten miles distant and betweene it and Atlas are certaine shadie woods full of terrible lions and leopards So long as the founders posteritie gouerned this towne it was well stored with people with faire buildings temples innes and hospitals but the Marin-familie preuailing daily more and more it was at length by them vtterly destroyed Part of the inhabitants were slaine and part taken prisoners and the residue by flight escaped to Sella The king of Maroco sent forces to succour the towne but the citizens being vanquished before their comming were constrained to forsake the same and to yeeld it vnto the Marin-soldiers Howbeit the king of Maroco his captaine comming vpon the Marin-captaine with round forces draue him and his foorth of the towne and tooke possession thereof himselfe At length the king of the said Marin-familie marching with an armie against Maroco tooke his iourney by this towne whereat the gouernour being dismaied left the said towne and before the kings approch betooke himselfe to flight But the king putting all the inhabitants to the sword left the towne it selfe so defaced and desolate that by report it hath lien dispeopled euer since The towne-walles and certaine steeples are as yet to be seene My selfe sawe this towne when the king of Fez hauing concluded a league with his cozen tooke his iourney to Thagia for to visite the sepulchre of one accounted in his life time an holy man called Seudi Buhasa which was in the yeere of the Hegeira 920. Anno Dom. 1511. Of Thagia a towne in Temesne THis little towne was in ancient time built by the Africans among certaine hils of mount Atlas The aire is extreme cold and the soile drie and barren It is enuironed with huge woods which are full of lions and other cruell beasts Their scarcitie of corne is sufficiently counteruailed with abundance of hony and goates Ciuilitie they haue none at all and their houses are most rudely built for they haue no vse of lime In this towne is visited the sepulchre of one accounted for a most holy man who is reported in the time of Habdulmumen to haue wrought many miracles against the furie of lions whereupon he was reputed by many as a great prophet I remember that I read in a certaine writer of that nation commonly called Etdedle a whole catalogue of the said holy mans miracles which whether he wrought by arte-magique or by some woonderfull secret of nature it is altogether vncertaine Howbeit his great fame and honorable reputation is the cause why this towne is so well fraught with inhabitants The people of Fez hauing solemnized their passeouer doe yeerely frequent this towne to visite the said sepulchre and that in such huge numbers that you woulde esteeme them to be an whole armie for euery principall man carries his tent and other necessaries with him and so you shall see sometime an hundred tents and sometimes more in that company Fifteene daies they are in performing of that pilgrimage for Thagia standeth from Fez almost an hundred and twenty miles My selfe being a childe went thither on pilgrimage oftentimes with my father as likewise being growne vp to mans estate I repaired thither as often making supplication to be deliuered from the danger of lions Of the towne of Zarfa THis towne the Africans built vpon a certaine large and beautifull plaine watred with pleasant riuers and christall-fountaines About the ancient bounds of this citie you may behold many shrubs together with fig-trees and cherrie-trees which beare such cherries as at Rome are called Marene Here are likewise certaine thornie trees the fruit whereof is by the Arabians called Rabich Somewhat lesser it is then a cherie resembling in taste the fruit called Ziziphum or Iujuba Here also may you finde great store of wilde palme-trees from which they gather a kinde of fruit like vnto Spanish oliues sauing that the stone or 〈◊〉 is greater and not so pleasant in taste before they be ripe they taste somewhat like vnto Seruice-apples This towne was destroied when king Ioseph aforesaid spoiled Temesne Now the Arabians of Temesne sow their 〈◊〉 where the towne stood with great increase and gaine Of the territorie of Fez. WEstward it beginneth at the riuer of Buragrag and stretcheth eastward to the riuer called Inauen which two riuers are almost a hundred miles distant asunder Northward it bordereth vpon the riuer Subu and southward vpon the foote of Atlas The soile both for abundance of corne fruits and cattell seemeth to be inferiour to none other Within this prouince you shall see many exceeding great villages which may for their bignes not vnfitly be called townes The plaines of this region haue beene so wasted with former warres that very few inhabitants dwell vpon them except certaine poore silly Arabians some of whom haue ground of their owne and some possesse ground in common either with the citizens of Fez or with the king or else with some 〈◊〉 But the fields of Sala and Mecnase are tilled by other Arabians of better account and are for the most part subiect to the king of Fez. And now those things which are woorthy of memorie in this region let vs here make report of Of the citie or towne of Sella THis most ancient citie was built by the Romans and sacked by the Gothes And afterward when the Mahumetans armie were entred into the same region the Gothes gaue it to Tarick one of their captaines But euer since the time that Fez was built Sela hath beene subiect vnto the gouernours thereof It is most pleasantly situate vpon the Ocean sea-shore within halfe a mile of Rebat both which townes the riuer Buragrag separateth insunder The buildings of this towne carrie a shew of antiquitie on them being artificially carued and stately supported with marble pillers Their temples are most beautifull and their shops are built vnder large porches And at the end of euery row of shops is an arch which as

of this towne vse to paint a blacke crosse vpon their cheeke and two other blacke crosses vpon the palmes of their hands and the like custome is obserued by all the inhabitants of the mountaines of Alger and Bugia the occasion whereof is thought to be this namely that the Gothes when they first began to inuade these regions released all those from paying of tribute as our African historiographers affirme that would imbrace the Christian religion But so often as any tribute was demanded euery man to eschew the payment thereof would not sticke to professe himselfe a Christian wherefore it was then determined that such as were Christians indeed should be distinguished from others by the foresaid crosses At length the Gothes being expelled they all reuolted vnto the Mahumetan religion howbeit this custome of painting crosses remained still amongthem neither doe they know the reason thereof Likewise the meaner sort of people in Mauritania vse to make such crosses vpon their faces as we see vsed by some people of Europe This towne aboundeth greatly with figs and the fields thereof are exceeding fruitfull for flaxe and barley The townesmen haue continued in firme league and friendship with the people of the mountaines adioyning by whose fauour they liued an hundred yeeres togither without paying of any tribute at all but Barbarossa the Turke hauing woon the kingdome of Telensin put them to great distresse From hence they vse to transport by sea great store of figs and flaxe vnto Alger Tunis and Bugia wherby they gaine great store of money Here also you may as yet behold diuers monuments of the Romans ancient buildings Of the towne of Sersell THis great and ancient towne built by the Romanes vpon the Mediterran sea was afterward taken by the Gothes and lastly by the Mahumetans The wall of this towne is exceeding high strong and stately built and containeth about eight miles in circuit In that part of the towne next vnto the Mediterran sea standeth a most beautifull and magnificent temple built by the Romans the inward part whereof consisteth of marble They had also in times past an impregnable for t standing vpon a rock by the Mediterran sea Their fields are most fruitfull and albe it this towne was much oppressed by the Gothes yet the Mahumetans enioyed a great part thereof for the space almost of fiue hundred yeeres And then after the warre of Telensin it remained voide of inhabitants almost three hundred yeeres At length when Granada was woon by the Christians diuers Moores of Granada fled hither which repaired the houses and a good part of the castle afterward they began to build ships wherewith they transported their merchantable commodities into other regions and they increased so by little and little that now they are growne to twelue hundred families They were subiect not long since vnto Barbarossa the Turke vnto whom they paide but three hundred ducates for yeerely tribute Of the citie of Meliana THis great and ancient citie commonly called now by the corrupt name of Magnana and built by the Romanes vpon the top of a certaine hill is distant from the Mediterran sea almost fortie miles Vpon this mountaine are many springs and woods abounding with walnuts The citie it selfe is enuironed with most ancient and high wals One side thereof is fortified with impregnable rockes and the other side dependeth so vpon the mountaine as Narma doth which is a citie neere Rome it containeth verie stately houses euerie one of which houses hath a fountaine The inhabitants are almost all weauers and there are diuers turners also which make fine cups dishes and such like vessels Many of them likewise are husbandmen They continued many yeeres free from all tribute and exaction till they were at length made tributarie by Barbarossa Of the towne of Tenez THis ancient towne built by the Africans vpon the side of an hill not far from the Mediterran sea is enuironed with faire walles and inhabited with many people The inhabitants are exceeding rusticall and vnciuill and haue alwaies beene subiect to the king of Telensin King Mahumet that was grandfather vnto the king which now raigneth left three sonnes behinde him the eldest being called Abuabdilla the second Abuzeuen and the third Iahia Abuabdilla succeeded his father whom his brethren being ayded by the citizens went about to murther But afterward the treason being discouered Abuzeuen was apprehended and put in prison Howbeit king Abuchemmeu being after that expelled out of his kingdome by the people Abuzeuen was not onely restored to his former libertie but was also chosen king and enioyed the kingdome so long till as is before-mentioned he was slaine by Barbarossa Iahia fled vnto the king of Fez who being at length proclaimed king by the people of Tenez raigned for certaine yeeres And his yoong sonne that he left behinde him being vanquished by Barbarossa fled vnto Charles who was then onely king of Spaine But when as the ayde promised by Charles the Emperour stayed long and the Prince of Tenez was too long absent a rumour was spread abroad that hee and his brother were turned Christians whereupon the gouernment of Tenez fell immedially to the brother of Barbarossa Their fields indeed yeeld abundance of corne but of other commodities they haue great want Of the towne of Mazuna THis towne as some report was built by the Romanes and standeth about fortie miles from the Mediterran sea It hath fruitfull fields strong walles but most base and deformed houses Their temple indeed is somewhat beautiful for it was in times past a most stately towne but being often sacked sometime by the king of Telensin and sometime by his rebels and at length falling into the hands of the Arabians it was brought vnto extreme miserie so that at this present there are but few inhabitants remaining all being either weauers or husbandmen and most grieuously oppressed by the Arabians Their fields abound plentifully with all kinde of corne Neere vnto this towne there haue beene in times past many houses streets and villages which may probably be coniectured by the letters engrauen vpon marble stones The names of which villages are not to bee found in any of our histories or Chronicles Of Gezeir otherwise called Alger GEzeir in the Moores language signifieth an island which name is thought to haue beene giuen vnto this citie because it lieth neere vnto the isles of Maiorica Minorica and Ieuiza howbeit the Spanyards call it Alger It was founded by the Africans of the familie of Mesgana wherefore in old time it was called by the name of Mesgana It is a large towne containing families to the number of fower thousand and is enuironed with most stately and impregnable walles The buildings thereof are very artificiall and sumptuous and euery trade and occupation hath here a seuerall place Innes bath-stoues and temples here are very beautifull but the stateliest temple of all standeth vpon the sea-shore Next vnto the sea there is a most pleasant walke vpon that

Constantina caused certaine faire houses to be built thereabouts for the said merchants of Genoa to repose themselues and their goodes therein and vpon a mountaine not farre off he built a strong 〈◊〉 for the securitie and defence of the said merchants from all enemies whatsoeuer From the said hauen to Constantina the high way is paued with certaine black stones such as are to be seene in some places of Italie being there called Le strade Romane which is a manifest argument that Sucaicada was built by the Romans Of the citie of Constantina NO man can denie the Romans to haue beene founders of this citie that shall consider the great strength height and antiquitie of the walles and how curiously they are beset and adorned with blacke stones This citie standeth vpon the south side of an exceeding high mountaine and is enuironed with steepe rocks vnder which rocks and within the compasse whereof runneth the riuer called Sufegmare so that the said deepe riuer with the rocks on either side serueth in stead of a towne-ditch to Constantina The north part is compassed with a wall of great thicknes and there are two extreme narrow passages onely to enter into the citie one on the east part and another on the west The citie-gates are very large and stately The citie it selfe containeth aboue eight thousand families Buildings it hath very sumptuous as namely the chiefe temple two colleges three or fower monasteries and other such like Here euery trade and occupation hath a seuerall place assigned and the inhabitants are right honest and valiant people Here is likewise a great companie of merchants whereof some sell cloth and wooll others send oile and silke into Numidia and the residue exchange linnen-cloth and other wares for slaues and dates Neither are dates so cheape in any region of all Barbarie besides The kings of Tunis vsually commit the gouernment of Constantina vnto their eldest sonnes and so he that is now king of Tunis bestowed Constantina vpon his eldest sonne in like sort who waging warre against the Arabians was slaine in the first battel Then fel the gouernment of Constantina vnto his second sonne whose intemperate life was the cause of his sudden and vntimely death After him succeeded the third and yoongest sonne who in regarde of his insolent and shamelesse behauiour was so hated of all the citizens that some had determined to kill him whereof his father hauing intelligence sent for him and kept him for certaine yeeres prisoner at Tunis Afterward he committed the gouernment of Constantina to a certaine Renegado that of a Christian became a Mahumetan this Renegado he trusted as his owne brother for he had made former triall of him who for many yeeres gouerned the place with great tranquillitie Vpon the north part of the citie standeth a certaine strong castle built at the same time when the citie it selfe was built which castle was more strongly fortified then before by one Elcaied Nabil the kings lieutenant and this castle greatly bridled both the citizens and all the bordering Arabians whose great captaine it held as prisoner and released him not till he had left his three sonnes for hostages At length the said Elcaied grew so hautie that he coined money to the great contempt of his king and soueraigne whom notwithstanding he endeuoured by many giftes and presents to appease But when men perceiued Elcaied to degenerate from his first forme of gouernment they that before loued him and had him in high regarde were presently of another minde and vtterly forsooke him So that laying siege vnto a certaine citie of Numidia called Pescara he perceiued some treason to be attempted against him and thereupon returning foorthwith to Constantina he found the citie-gates shut against him from whence he presently tooke his iourney to the king of Tunis and was by him cast into prison and not restored to libertie till he had paid an hundred thousand duckats Afterward by the kings aide he was restored to his former gouernment but when he began to tyrannize ouer some of the chiefe citizens he againe prouoked the whole citie vnto armes who besieged foorthwith the castle whereunto he fled which was such a corrasiue vnto Elcaied his minde that within few daies he died for sorrow And so the people after they were reconciled to their king would fromthencefoorth neuer admit any forren gouernour wherefore the king of Tunis was as is aforesaid againe constrained to send his owne sonnes thither The fields belonging to this citie are exceeding fertil And on either side the riuer which runneth through the plaines there are most commodious gardens if they were well husbanded Also without the citie stand many faire and ancient buildings About a mile and a halfe from the citie standeth a certaine triumphall arch like vnto the triumphall arches at Rome which the grosse common people thinke to haue beene a castle where innumerable diuels remained which they say were expelled by the Mahumetans when they came first to inhabite Constantina From the citie to the riuer they descend by certaine staires hewen out of the rocke and neere vnto the riuer standeth a little house so artificially cut out of the maine rocke that the roofe pillers and walles are all of one continued substance and here the women of Constantina wash their linnen Neere vnto the citie likewise there is a certaine bath of hot water dispersing it selfe among the rocks in this bath are great store of snailes which the fond women of the citie call Diuels and when any one falleth into a feuer or any other disease they suppose the snailes to be the authors thereof And the onely remedie that they can apply vpon such an occasion is this first they kill a white hen putting her into a platter with her feathers on and then verie solemnly with waxe-candles they carry her to the bathe and there leaue her and many good fellowes there are which so soone as the silly women haue set downe their hens at the bath wil come secretly thither and conuey away the hens to their owne kitchins Somewhat farther from the citie eastward there is a fountaine of extreme cold water and neere vnto it standeth a certaine building of marble adorned with sundrie Hieroglyphicall pictures or emblemes such as I haue seene at Rome and at many other places of Europe But the common people imagine that it was in times past a Grāmar-schoole because both the masters and schollers thereof were most vitious they were transformed say they into marble The inhabitants twise euerie yeere send great store of wares into Numidia and because as they trauell they are in danger of the Arabian theeues they hire certaine Turkish Harquebusiers for great wages to guard them The merchants of Constantina trauelling to Tunis pay no tribute at all but onely at their departure foorth of Constantina for the worth of euerie 100. ducates in merchandise they allow two ducates and a halfe Of the towne of Mela. THis

towne built by the Romans within twelue miles of Constantina and enuironed with most strong walles containeth almost three thousand families but at this present there are but few buildings by reason of the warres that haue happened Here are greatstore of artizans the most wherof are such weauers as make couerlets In the market place there is a most cleere fountaine The citizens are valiant though they bee of rude behauiour Here is abundance not onely offruits whereupon some thinke the name of the towne to be deriued but also of cattle and corne Vnto this towne the gouernonr of Constantina sendeth euery yeere a certaine Iudge to decide the townesmens controuersies and to receiue the yeerely tribute howbeit oftentimes the said Iudge is slaine by the people Of the ancient towne of Bona. THis towne built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea almost 120. miles more to the west was in auncient times called Hippo where the reuerend father Saint Augustine was once Bishop It was in processe of time subdued by the Gothes and was afterward surprised and burnt to ashes by Hutmen the third patriarke after Mahumet And many yeeres after they built a new town within two miles of the stones that were brought from the ruines of Bona which new towne they called Beld Elhuneb that is the citie of the fruit called Ziziphus or Iuiuba by reason of the great abundance of that fruit the which they vse to drie in the sunne and to keepe till winter It containeth almost three hundred families and all the houses and buildings thereof are verie base saue one onely temple which standeth next the sea The inhabitants are all of an ingenuous disposition some of them being merchants and the residue artizans Here is great store of linnen-cloath wouen the greatest part whereof is carried to Numidia The inhabitants of this towne hauing vpon a time slaine their gouernours were so bold as to threaten the king of Tunis and they had without all doubt betrayed the towne vnto the Christians had not the king of Tunis taken speciall heed thereunto In this towne are certaine lewd people and most beggerly apparelled which notwithstanding are highly reuerenced by the citizens Here are no fountaines nor yet any water at all but rainewater onely which is kept in cesterns On the east side of the towne standeth a strong castle built by the king of Tunis where the gouernour of the towne appointed by the king hath his aboad Vnto this towne adioyneth a most large plaine containing in length fortie and in bredth fiue and twentie miles verie commodious it is for corne and is inhabited by certaine Arabians called Merdez these Arabians haue great store of cattell and but little money and they bring good store of butter dayly vnto Bona. Vnto this towne the people of Tunis of the isle of Gerbi and of Genoa vse yeerely to resort and to buy great abundance of corne and butter Euerie friday they haue neere vnto the towne wals a market which is well frequented euen till night Not farre from hence there is a certaine place in the sea abounding with great store of corall and because the townesmen know not how to fish for the same the king of Tunis licenced certaine merchants of Genoa to fish for it who in regard of the continuall assaults of pirates because they could not speed of their purpose they obtained leaue also of the king to build a castle neere vnto the place but that the townesmen would in no case permit saying that the Genoueses in times past tooke their towne by such a wile and that it was afterward recouered againe by the king of Tunis Of the towne of Tefas THE towne of Tefas founded by the Africans vpon the side of a mountaine and standing almost an hundred and fiftie miles southward of Bona was in times past 〈◊〉 populous and full of braue buildings but it hath beene since destroyed by the Arabians Afterward being replanted with new inhabitants and remaining free from war for certaine moneths it was the second time destroyed by the Arabians Last of all because it was a place commodious for corne it was inhabited the third time by certaine Africans called Haoara and that by the ayde of a certaine prince brother vnto him which had slaine Enasir the king of Tunis his sonne but now all that remained of this towne was vtterly razed by the king of Tunis Of the citie of Tebessa THis great and strong citie built by the Romans neere vnto Numidia and being distant two hundred miles southward from the Mediterran sea is compassed with an high wall made of such stones as are to be seene vpon the Colosso at Rome neither saw I to my remembrance any such wals in all Africa or Europe and yet the houses and other buildings are verie base Through part of this citie runneth a great riuer and in the market and diuers other places stand certaine marble pillers hauing Epigrams and sentences with Latin letters engrauen vpon them there are also other square pillers of marble couered with roofs The plaines adiacent albeit verie drie yet are they most fruitfull for corne Fiue miles from hence grow such abundance of wall-nut-trees as you would take them to be some thicke forrest Neere vnto this towne standeth a certaine hill full of mighty caues wherein the common people say that giants inhabited of olde but it is most euident that those caues were digged by the Romans at the same time when they built the citie for certaine it is that the stones whereof the citie-walles consist were taken out of those rockes The inhabitants are people of a couetous inhumane and beastly disposition neither will they vouchsafe to looke vpon a stranger insomuch that Eldabag a famous Poet of the citie of Malaga in Granada hauing in his trauell this way receiued some discourtesie wrote in disgrace of Tebessa certaine satyricall verses which my selfe likewise haue thought good here to set downe in the dispraise thereof Within this place here 's nought of any worth Saue worthles nuts which Tebessa affourds Soft I mistake the marble walles are worth Your earnest view so are the Christall-fourds But hence are banisht vertues all diuine The place is hell the people woorse then swine This Eldabag was a most learned and elegant Poet in the Arabian toong and out of measure satyricall and bitter in his inuectiues But to returne to our former purpose these Tebessians haue alwaies rebelled against the king of Tunis and haue slaine all the gouernours that he hath sent Wherefore the king that now is trauelling vpon a time towards Numidia sent certaine ambassadours into the city to know how the citizens stood affected towards him vnto whom they instead of God saue the King made answere God saue our Citie-walles Whereat the king waxing wroth sacked the citie forthwith beheaded and hanged diuers of the inhabitants and made such hauock that euer since it hath remained desolate This was done in the yeere of the

Hegeira 915. Of the towne called Vrbs. BY the name of this towne it sufficiently appeareth that the Romans were the first founders thereof Situate it is vpon the most beautifull plaine of al Africa which by reason of the abundance of fountaines is so wel stored with corne that from thence to Tunis which standeth 190. miles northward of this place and to other regions adioyning great plentie of corne is transported In this towne are to bee seene sundrie monuments of the Romans as namely images of marble and euerie where vpon the walles are sentences in Latin letters engrauen the towne-walles are most artificially and sumptuously built This towne the Gothes being assisted by the Moores surprised when as it contained the chiefe treasure and wealth that the Romanes enioyed in all Africa Afterward it remained for certaine yeeres desolate being at length notwithstanding inhabited a new yet so that it deserueth rather the name of a village then of a towne Not far from this towne runneth a certaine riuer vpon the which are diuers water-milles and this riuer taketh his beginning from a little hill but halfe a mile distant from the towne All the inhabitants are either weauers or husbandmen and are continually molested by the king of Tunis Howbeit if the fertilitie of the soyle the pleasantnes of the place and the holesome disposition of the aire were as well knowne to the king as they are to my selfe I thinke verily that he would leaue Tunis and goe and dwell in this region The Arabians are well acquainted with the place for from hence they yeerely transport great store of corne vnto their deserts Of the towne of Beggia THis towne built by the Romans vpon a mountaine almost twentie miles distant from the Mediterran sea and about eightie miles westward of Tunis standeth right in the way from Tunis to Constantina But because the name of this towne is no Arabian name it seemeth that the first name hath been oftentimes corrupted and changed The ancient walles of this towne are as yet standing and it is a most defensible place and well furnished with all kinde of necessaries It is inhabited with great store of weauers and husbandmen and the fields thereof are so large and fruitfull for all kindes of graine that the people of the same region could not sufficiently manure them vnlesse they were assisted by certaine bordering Arabians and yet a great part of their fields lieth vntilled howbeit they send continually great store of corne vnto Tunis The king of Tunis surchargeth them with continuall and greeuous exactions which is the cause why their estate so mightily decaieth Of the towne called Hain Sammit THis towne was in my time founded by the king of Tunis being distant almost thirtie miles from Beggia It was built they say of purpose that none of the fields thereabout might lie vntilled But it hath since beene destroied by the Arabians at the commandement of the king of Tunis and now there remaineth a tower and certaine other buildings onely whereof some haue roofes vpon them and others none Of the towne of Casba THis towne built by the Romans vpon a large plaine of twelue miles compasse is fower and twentie miles distant from Tunis The towne-wall remaineth strong as yet but the towne it selfe is destroied by the Arabians and the fields lie vntilled and all by the negligence of the king of Tunis and of the inhabitants of the same region Of the castle of Choros THis castle founded not many yeeres past by the Africans vpon the riuer of Magrida and being about ten miles distant from Tunis is enuironed with most fruitfull fields Neere vnto this towne groweth a certaine wood greatly abounding with oliues At length it was destroied by certaine Arabians called Beni Heli which make perpetuall warre against the king of Tunis and liue onely vpon theft and robberie Of the towne of Biserta THe ancient towne of Biserta otherwise called Bensart founded by the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea thirtie fiue miles from Tunis is but of a small bignes and is inhabited with most miserable people Neere vnto this towne entreth a certaine creeke or arme of the sea which at the first being very narrow increaseth by little and little into a maruellous bredth On either side there of dwell great store of fishers and husbandmen and westward of the said creeke lieth a most large and fruitfull plaine called Mater which is greeuously molested by the king of Tunis and by the Arabians In this creeke are taken abundance of fishes and after the moneth of October they catch a certaine fish called by the Africans Giarrafa which I take to be the same that is at Rome called Laccia for then by reason of the abundance of raine that falleth the salt water of the baye becommeth somewhat fresh wherewith those fishes they say are much delighted Very deepe it is and affoordeth good fishing till the end of May but then the fishes begin to decrease and to be much drier in taste then before like vnto the fishes taken in the riuer of Fez. Of the great citie of Carthage THis famous and ancient citie was built at the first by a certaine people that came out of Syria But others say that it was founded by a queene The African chronicler Ibnu Rachich is of opinion that it was built by a certaine people that came from Barca being expelled thence by the king of Egypt wherefore I cannot in this place affirme any certaintie as touching the founders thereof for besides that the African historiographers disagree about this matter there is none that hath left any writing thereof ancienter then the decay of the Roman empire when as all the Romans that were found in Africa were expelled by the Goths But afterward Tripolis of Barbaria and Capis being taken by the Mahumetans the inhabitants of them both went vnto Carthage whither the principall Romans and Goths had retired themselues who endeuoured by all meanes to withstand the Mahumetans and after many skirmishes the Romans fled to Bona and the Goths left Carthage for a pray vnto the Mahumetans so that it remained desolate many yeeres after till a certaine Mahumetan patriarke called Elmahdi brought in new colonies howbeit he could scarce furnish the twentith part with inhabitants There are to be seene at this day certaine ruines of the citie-walles till you come to a deepe and large cesterne And there remaineth as yet also a certaine conduct which conueieth water to the citie from a mountaine thirtie miles distant being like vnto the conduct of the great palace at Rome Neere vnto Carthage likewise are certaine great and ancient buildings the description whereof is out of my remembrance On the west and south part of this citie are diuers gardens replenished with all kinde of fruites which are carried from thence to Tunis in great abundance The plaines adioining to this citie are exceeding fruitfull though not very large for vpon the north part thereof lieth a mountaine the

side towards the lake of Buchaira the third westward towards the desert of Barca and the fourth towards the Mediterran sea and the hauen whereat stand the searchers and customers which ransacke strangers euen to their verie shirts for they demaund custome not onely for wares and merchandize but also some allowance in the hundred for all kinde of money Neere vnto the citie-walles there are two other gates also being diuided asunder by a faire walke and a most impregnable castle which standeth vpon the strand or wharfe of the port commonly called Marsa el Bargi that is to say the port of the castle in which port ride the principall and best ships namely such as come from Venice Genoa Ragusa with other ships of Europe For hither resort the English the low Dutch the Biscaines the Portugals and men of all other nations in Europe for traffiques sake Howbeit this port is most vsually frequented by the 〈◊〉 of Appulia Sicilia and of Greece which are Turkish ships all which resort into this harbour to saue themselues from pirates and from tempestuous weather Another port there is also called Marsa Essil Sela that is to say the port of the chaine wherein the ships of Barbarie namely those of Tunis of the isle of Gerbi harbor themselues The Christians are constrained to pay about the 10. part for all wares that they bring in carie out but the Mahumetans pay but the 20. part and whatsoeuer wares are caried by land to Cairo pay no custom at all And at this present that part of the citie which is next vnto Cairo is the most famous and best furnished with merchandize brought by merchants from al places of the world The other parts of this city are destitute both of ciuilitie inhabitants for except one long street and that part of the citie next the hauen which is full of merchants shops inhabited by christians the residue is void and desolate Which desolation happened at that time when Lewis the fourth king of France being restored to libertie by the Soldan the king of Cyprus with a fleet partly of Venetians partly of Frenchmen suddenly assailed Alexandria and with great slaughter surprized and 〈◊〉 the same But the Soldan comming with an huge armie to rescue Alexandria so discouraged the Cyprians that they burnt downe the houses 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 themselues to flight Whereupon the Soldan repairing the 〈◊〉 and building a castle neere vnto the hauen the citie grew by 〈◊〉 and little into that estate wherein it standeth at this present In the citie of Alexandria there is a certaine high mount fashioned like vnto the place called Testaccio at Rome whereon although it hath no naturall situation are found diuers earthen vessels of great antiquitie Vpon the top of the said mount standeth a turret where a certaine officer is appointed to watch for such ships as direct their course towards the citie who for euery ship that he giueth notice of vnto the customers receiueth a certaine fee but if he chanceth to fall asleepe or to be out of the way at the arriuall of any ship whereof he certifieth not the customers he paieth double for his negligence into the Soldans exchequer Vnder each house of this citie there is a great vaulted cesterne built vpon mighty pillers and arches whereinto the water of Nilus at euery inundation is conueied vnder the walles of the citie by a certaine woonderfull and most artificiall sluce standing without the city itselfe But these cesternes growing sometime corrupt and fowle are often in summer the occasion of many diseases and infirmities This citie standeth in the midst of a sandie desert and is destitute of gardens and vines neither is the soile round about it apt to beare corne so that their corne is brought them from places fortie miles distant Howbeit neere the foresaid sluce whereby the water of Nilus is conueied into the citie are certaine little gardens the fruits whereof being growen to ripenes are so vnholesome that they breed feuers and other noisome diseases among the citizens Sixe miles westward of Alexandria among certaine ancient buildings standeth a piller of a woonderfull height and thicknes which the Arabians call Hemadussaoar that is to say the piller of trees Of this piller there is a fable reported that Ptolemey one of the kings of Alexandria built it vpon an extreme point of land stretching from the hauen whereby to the end he might defend the citie from the inuasion of forren enemies and make it inuincible he placed a certaine steele-glasse vpon the top thereof by the hidden vertue of which glasse as many ships as passed by while the glasse was vncouered should immediately be set on fire but the said glasse being broken by the Mahumetans the secret vertue thereof vanished and the great piller whereon it stood was remooued out of the place But this is a most ridiculous narration and fit for babes to giue credit vnto At this present there are amongst the ancient inhabitants of Alexandria many Christians called Iacobites being all of them artizans merchants these Iacobites haue a church of their own to resort vnto wherin the body of S. Mark the Euāgelist lay in times past interred which hath since beene priuily stolne by the Venetians carried vnto Venice And the said Iacobites pay tribute vnto the gouernour of Cairo Neither is it to be passed ouer in silence that in the midst of the ruinous monuments of Alexandria there remaineth as yet a certaine little house built in forme of a chappell and containing a sepulchre much honoured by the Mahumetans wherein they affirme out of the authoritie of their Alcaron that the bodie of the high prophet and king as they terme him Alexander the great lieth buried And thither resort yeerely great multitudes of pilgrimes from forren nations to adore and reuerence the said sepulchre and oftentimes to bestow large almes thereupon Other things woorthie the noting I purposely passe ouer least I should seeme too tedious vnto the reader Of the citie of Bochin THis ancient and small citie situate in times past vpon the Mediterran sea shore eight miles eastward of Alexandria lieth at this time vtterly desolate nought remaining thereof but certaine ruines of the walles It is now planted with date-trees wherewith the poore inhabitants dwelling in base and solitarie cottages sustaine themselues Neere vnto this citie standeth a towre vpon a certaine dangerous rocke against which many ships of Syria being driuen in the night doe suffer shipwracke because they cannot in the darke finde the right course to the port of Alexandria Round about this citie there are no fields but sandie deserts euen to the riuer of Nilus Of the citie of Rasid called by the Italians Rosetto THe citie of Rosetto was built by a slaue of a certaine Mahumetan patriarke and gouernour of Egypt vpon the easterne banke of Nilus three miles from the Mediterran sea not farre from the place where Nilus dischargeth