1595. that those seas are at sometimes not onely free from stormie tempests but most pleasant also to saile vpon with faire and gentle weather And as the Spaniards for a long time that they might discourage all other nations from attempting nauigation vpon The south sea beyond America blinded all Christendome with a report that the streights of Magellan were vnrepasable so perhaps the Portugals to terrifie all others from sailing to the east Indies and to keepe the gaine and secrets of that rich trade entire vnto themselues haue in their writings and relations made the doubling of the cape of Buena Esperança and the crossing ouer those seas a matter of farre greater difficultie and danger then it is of late manifestly found to be The name of Buena esperança or good hope was giuen vnto this promontory by Iohn the second king of Portugall bicause that when his fleetes had once doubled this cape either outward or homeward they then stedfastly hoped in good time to performe the residue of their voiage otherwise not In the midst of this cape lieth a plot of ground of that beautie and delight as that without any humane industrie it may compare with the most artificiall gardens of Europe On the top of this place nature minding as it were to excell her-selfe hath framed a great plaine which for beautifull situation fruitfulnes of herbes varietie of flowers and flourishing verdure of all things seemeth to resemble a terrestriall paradise The Portugals terme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfitly The table of the cape And to the end they might not faile of the meanes to enioy so pleasant a place there is close vnder it a very good harbour which is called The port of Conception The people of this place called in the Arabian toong Cafri Cafres or Cafates that is to say lawlesse or outlawes are for the most part exceeding blacke of colour which very thing may be a sufficient argument that the sunne is not the sole or chiefe cause of their blacknes for in diuers other countries where the heate thereof is farre more scorching and intolerable there are tawnie browne yellowish ash-coloured and white people so that the cause there of seemeth rather to be an hereditarie qualitie transfused from the parents then the intemperature of an hot climate though it also may be some furtherance thereunto The Hollanders in the yeere 1595. entering the harbour of Saint Bras somewhat to the east of Cabo das Agulhas had conuersation truck with some of these Cafres whom they found to be a stoute and valiant people but very base and contemptible in their behauiour and apparell being clad in oxe and sheeps skins wrapped about their shoulders with the hairie sides inward in forme of a mantle Their weapons are a kinde of small slender dartes or pikes some whereof are headed with some kinde of mettall the residue being vnheaded and hardened onely at the points with fire They couer their priuie parts with a sheepes tayle which is bound vp before and behinde with a girdle Their horne-beasts are like those of Spaine verie well limmed and proportioned Their sheepe are great and faire not hauing any wooll on their backes but a kinde of harsh haire like goates Other particulars by them obserued for breuities sake I omit Now that we may proceede in describing the residue of Cafraria hauing sayled about the cape of Buena esperança westward albeit the coast in regard of the greatnes thereof may seem to ly directly north yet for the space of seuenteene degrees till you come to Cabo Negro the farthest Northwesterne bound of this fift part of the lower Ethiopia it trendeth somewhat to the west along which coast somewhat within the lande appeareth a mighty ranke or ridge of mountaines called by the Portugales Os picos fragosos that is the ragged points or spires being besides their excessiue height craggie rough and steepe lying bare desolate and vtterly voide of all succour and seruing for no other end but for an obiect to the windes and a mark for the tempests The residue of the coast till you come to Cabo Negro sometimes lying lowe and sometimes high sometimes shooting into the sea and sometimes again gently retiring containeth many plaines hils vallies and places most fertile and delightful some of them being alwaies of so fresh and pleasant view as they seeme to represent a continuall spring The sixt and last part of the lower or extreme Ethiopia containing the kingdome of Congo whereunto in times past were tributarie and subiect the kingdomes of Matama and Angola to the south the kingdomes of Quisama and Pangelungos to the east and to the north the kingdome of Anzicana inhabited by the Anzichi and Loango peopled by the Bramas FIrst therefore according to our proposed order that we may begin with the most southerly parts The kingdome of Matama so called after the name of the king thereof who being a Gentile ruleth ouer diuers prouinces named Quimbebe bordereth north vpon the first great lake whereout Nilus springeth and vpon the south frontiers of Angola east it abutteth vpon the western banke of the riuer Bagamidri and stretcheth south as far as the riuer Brauagul which springeth out of the mountains of the moone This coūtrey standeth in a good holesome aire aboundeth with mines of cristall other metals hath victuals great plenty And although the people thereof their neighbour-borderers doe traffike togither yet the king of Matama and the king of Angola wage war oftentimes one against another also the said riuer Bagamidri deuideth this kingdome of Matama from the great empire of Monomotapa before described which lieth to the east thereof Next followeth Angola a kingdome subiect in times past to the king of Congo the gouernour whereof not verie many yeeres ago growing exceedingly rich mightie rebelled against his soueraigne by diuers attempts shaking off the yoke of superioritie became himselfe an absolute prince This countrey by reason that the people are suffered to haue as many wiues as they list is a place most woonderfully populous They goe whole millions of them to the warres not leauing any men of seruice behinde but for want of victuals they are often constrained to leaue their enterprises halfe vndone Vpon this king Paulo Diaz who remained gouernour in these parts for the king of Portugall waged warre the reason was bicause certaine Portugall merchants and others going by way of traffike to Cabaza a towne situate an hundred and fiftie miles from the sea where the king of Angola vsually resideth they were by order from this king the same yeere that king Sebastian died in Barbarie sodainly spoiled of their goods and part of them slaine it being alleaged that they were all spies and came to vndermine the present state Whereupon Paulo Diaz prouided himselfe and with two galeots did many notable exploits on both sides of the riuer Coanza Finally hauing built a forte in a very commodious and hillie ground
the Africans vpon the Mediterran sea and being thirtie miles distant from Alger is enuironed with most ancient and strong walles The greatest part of the inhabitants are dyers of cloth and that by reason of the many riuers and streames running through the midst of the same They are of a liberall and ingenuous disposition and can play most of them vpon the citterne and lute Their fields are fertill and abounding with corne Their apparell is very decent the greatest part of them are delighted in fishing and they take such abundance of fishes that they freely giue them to euery bodie which is the cause that there is no fish-market in this towne Of the mountaines contained in the kingdome of Telensin Of the mountaine of Beni Iezneten THis mountaine standeth westward of Telensin almost fiftie miles one side thereof bordering vpon the desert of Garet and the other side vpon the desert of Angad In length it extendeth fiue and twentie and in bredth almost fifteene miles and it is exceeding high and difficult to ascend It hath diuers woods growing vpon it wherein grow great store of Carobs which the inhabitants vse for an ordinarie kinde of foode for they haue great want of barly Here are diuers cottages inhabited with valiant and stout men Vpon the top of this mountaine standeth a strong castle wherein all the principall men of the mountaine dwell amongst whom there are often dissentions for there is none of them all but woulde be sole gouernour of the mountaine I my selfe had conuersation with some of them whom I knew in the king of Fez his court for which cause I was honorably intertained by them The soldiers of this mountaine are almost ten thousand Of mount Matgara THis exceeding high and colde mountaine hath great store of inhabitants and is almost sixe miles distant from Ned Roma The inhabitants are valiant but not very rich for this mountaine yeeldeth nought but barly and Carobs They speake all one language with the people of Ned Roma and are ioined in such league with them that they will often aide one another against the king of Telensin Of mount Gualhasa THis high mountaine standeth nigh vnto the towne of Hunain The inhabitants are sauage rude and vnciuill people and are at continuall warre with the people of Hunain so that oftentimes they haue almost vtterly destroied the towne This mountaine yeeldeth great store of Carobs and but little corne Of mount Agbal THis mountaine is inhabited with people of base condition and subiect to the towne of Oran They all exercise husbandrie and carrie woode vnto Oran While the Moores enioied Oran their state was somewhat better but since the Christians got possession thereof they haue beene driuen to extreame miserie Of mount Beni Guerened THis mountaine being three miles distant from Tremisen is well peopled and aboundeth with all kinde of fruits especially with figges and cherries The inhabitants are some of them colliers some wood-mongers and the residue husbandmen And out of this onely mountaine as I was informed by the king of Telensin his Secretarie there is yeerely collected for tribute the summe of twelue thousand ducats Of mount Magraua THis mountaine extending it selfe fortie miles in length towardes the Mediterran sea is neer vnto the towne of Mustuganin before described The soile is fertile and the inhabitants are valiant and warrelike people and of a liberall and humaine disposition Of mount Beni Abusaid THis mountaine standing not farre from Tenez is inhabited with great multitudes of people which lead a sauage life and are notwithstanding most valiant warriors They haue abundance of honey barly and goats Their waxe and hides they carrie vnto Tenez and there sell the same to the merchants of Europe When as the king of Tremizen his kinsemen were lords of this mountaine the people paied for tribute certaine thousands of ducats Of mount Guanseris THis exceding high mountaine is inhabited with valiant people who being aided by the king of Fez maintained warre against the kingdome of Telensin for aboue three-score yeeres Fruitefull fields they haue and great store of fountains Their soldiers are almost twentie thousand in number whereof 2500. are horsemen By their aide Iahia attained to the gouernment of Tenez but after Tenez began to decay they gaue themselues wholy to robberie and theft Of the mountaines belonging to the state of Alger NEre vnto Alger on the east side and on the west are diuers mountains well stored with inhabitants Free they are from all tribute and rich and exceeding valiant Their corne fields are very fruitefull and they haue great abundance of cattell They are oftentimes at deadly warre togither so that it is dangerous trauailing that way vnlesse it be in a religious mans company Markets they haue and faires vpon these mountaines where nought is to be solde but cattle corne and wooll vnlesse some of the neighbour cities supplie them with merchandise now and then Here endeth the fourth booke IOHN LEO HIS FIFTH BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein A description of the kingdomes of Bugia and Tunis WHen as in the former part of this my historie I diuided Barbaria into certaine parts I determined to write of Bugia as of a kingdome by it selfe and I found indeed that not many yeeres ago it was a kingdome For Bugia was subiect to the king of Tunis and albeit for certaine yeeres the king of Telensin was Lord thereof yet was it at length recouered againe by the king of Tunis who committed the gouernment of the city vnto one of his sons both for the tranquillitie of Bugia and also that no discord might happen among his sonnes after his decease He left behinde him three sonnes the eldest whereof was called Habdulhaziz and vnto him he bequeathed the kingdome of Bugia as is aforesaide vnto the second whose name was Hutmen he left the kingdome of Tunis and the third called Hammare he made gouernour of the region of dates This Hammare began foorthwith to wage warre against his brother Hutmen by whom being at length taken in the towne of Asfacos depriued of both his eies he was carried captiue vnto Tunis where he liued many yeeres blinde but his brother Hutmen gouerned the kingdome of Tunis full fortie yeeres The prince of Bugia being most louing and dutifull to his brother raigned for many yeeres with great tianquilitie till at length he was by king Ferdinand of Spaine and by the meanes of one Pedro de Nauarra cast out of his kingdome A description of the great citie of Bugia THis auncient citie of Bugia built as some thinke by the Romans vpon the side of an high mountaine neere vnto the Mediterran sea is enuironed with walles of great height and most stately in regard of their antiquitie The part thereof now peopled containeth aboue eight thousand families but if it were all replenished with buildings it were capeable of more then fower and twentie thousand housholds for it is of a
be seene to his subiects but onely vpon solemne dayes At other times it was held as a great fauour if he did shew but the halfe part of his feete to ambassadours and to his fauorites And no maruel for amongst the Ethiopians it hath beene an ancient custome as Strabo writeth To adore their kinges like gods who for the most part liue enclosed at home This so strange and stately kinde of gouernment did exceedingly abase his subiects whom the Prete vsed like slaues so that vpon the smallest occasions that might be he would depriue them of all honour and dignity were they neuer so great Abassia containeth many large plaines and very high mountaines all fruitfull In some places you shall haue most extreame coulde and frostie weather but not any snowe throughout the whole empire no not in the mountaines The Prete hath many moores in his dominions and vpon his borders but the most populous of all others are the Moores called Dobas who are bound by a law neuer to marry till they can bring most euident testimony that each of them hath slaine twelue Christians Wherefore the Abassin merchantspasse not by their country but with most strong guardes A particular and briefe relation of all the kingdomes and prouinces subiect to the Christian Emperour of Abassia commonly called Prete Ianni 〈◊〉 OF all the prouinces subiect vnto the Prete that of Barnagasso is best knowne vnto vs bicause it is so neere vnto the Red sea ouer against the shore whereof it stretcheth in length from Suachen almost as farre as the very mouth or entrance of the streight being as is before saide bounded on the south part with the mightie riuer of Abagni which runneth westward out of the lake of Barcena into Nilus Howbeit it hath no other port vpon the Red sea but onely Ercoco situate neere the Isle of Mazua neither hath the Prete any porte but this in all his dominions so that he is as it were on all sides land-locked which is one of the greatest defects in any empire kingdome or state that can be imagined This prouince is full of townes villages as likewise of riuers and pooles which make it exceeding fruitfull The Viceroy or gouernour hereof called also by the name of Barnagasso resideth in the citie of Beroa otherwise called Barua and by Ptolemey as Sanutus thinketh Coloue situate vpon a pleasant riuer abounding with fish Vnto him likewise are subiect the gouernments of Danfila and of Canfila neere vnto the borders of Egypt Certaine yeeres past the great Turkes forces haue mightily afflicted this prouince destroying the townes and leading the people captiue so that in the end Isaac the lorde Barnagasso was inforced to compound with the Turkes lieutenant bearing title The Bassa of Abassia and residing in Suachen for the yeerely tribute of a thousand ounces of golde Ouer and besides he paieth euery yeere vnto his soueraigne the Prete an hundred and fiftie excellent horses with cloth of silke and of cotton and other matters On the most westerly part of Barnagasso beginneth a mightie ridge of mountaines which for a good space waxing narrower and narrower at length in the kingdome of Angote dilateth 〈◊〉 selfe into a rounde forme enuironing with the steepe sides and impassable tops thereof many fruitefull and pleasant vallies for the space of fifteene daies iourney in compasse within which vallies as it were in walled castles all persons whatsoeuer both male and female of the Abassin bloud royall are vnder paine of most extreme punishment togither with their whole families limited to remaine Within this great roundell or enclosure of mountaines there is among many others contained one lesser which is begirt arounde with a mountainous wall so craggie steepe and vnscaleable that no man can come in or out but onely by a certaine basket drawne vp and downe vpon a rope neither is it possible to famish the parties within by a siege be it neuer so long for they haue fruitefull ground with houses a church a monasterie cesternes of water and all other necessaries for the continuall maintenance of fiue hundred persons Within this strong citadell of mountaines for the auoiding of all tumults and seditions are locked vp those great personages which come neerest in bloud to the Prete and are in possibilitie of the crowne and here must they all liue and die except a very few of them who attaine at length vnto the gouernment of the empire The Abassins haue a tradition that one Abraham an emperour of theirs being admonished in a dreame that he shoulde keepe his dominions in tranquillitie by the meanes aforesaid was the first that founde this mountaine and vsed it for the same purpose Tigremahon TIgremahon a very large kingdome lieth betweene the riuer Marabo Nilus the Red sea and the kingdome of Angote The gouernour heere of paieth for yeerely tribute vnto the Prete two hundred Arabian horsés a great quantitie of silke and cotton-cloth and very much golde Vnto this kingdome is subiect the prouince of Tigray wherein standes the citie of Caxumo sometimes the royall seate of the Queene of Saba which they say was called Maqueda of whom Salomon begat a sonne named Melich before mentioned which citie was the seate likewise of Queene Candace Also to the said kingdome of Tigremahon belong the prouinces of Sabaim Torrates Balgada and others Angote THis kingdome standing betweene the kingdomes of Tigremahon and Amara is full of mountaines and valleies and aboundeth mightilie with all kinde of corne and cattell The inhabitants eate but one meale in fower and twentie howers and that alwaies in the night their foode is most commonly rawe flesh with a kinde of sauce made of an oxegall In stead of money they vse salte and little balles of iron as is before saide Vnto this kingdome do belong the prouinces of Abuguna and Guanamora with other regions and places Amara THe kingdome of Amara bordering north vpon Angote east vpon Xoa south vpon Damut and extending west almost as farre as Nilus is for the most part a plaine region without mountaines very fertile and abounding with cattell Vpon the frontiers of this kingdome standeth the foresaide large high and 〈◊〉 mountaine wherein the sonnes brethren and kinsfolkes of the Prete are most warily kept and from whence after his decease the heire apparant is brought to be inuested in the empire The kingdome of Xoa situate betweene the kingdomes of Amara Damut and Fatigar containeth many deepe vallies and aboundeth with all kinde of corne and cattell In the kingdome of Goiame are two mightie lakes from which Nilus is saide to fetch his originall Heere is exceeding plentie of golde vnrefined the north part of this region is full of deserts and mountainous places Bagamidri one of the largest kingdomes in all the vpper Ethiopia extendeth in length by the riuer Nilus the space almost of six hundred miles and in 〈◊〉 kingdome are many mostrich siluer-mines The kingdome of Fatigar lying betweene
occasion to effect his purpose sent word vnto Hali vpon a certaine festiuall day that after their Mahumetan deuotions were finished he shoulde come and walke with him appointing a place where he had laide a troupe of men in ambush to kill Hali at his comming which being done he went to church Hali suspecting no harme at all told his associate that now was the time wherein they might bring their purpose to effect And this intent of theirs they foorthwith declared vnto ten other of their adherents and to the end that the whole matter might go securely and certainly forward they presently assembled a great multitude of footemen which they fained that they woulde sende the next day vnto Azamor that if they were constrained to flie they might haue aide and succour in a readines All their complices being armed they came to church at the very same time when as the king with all his traine was entring thereinto and had placed himselfe next vnto the Mahumetan preacher The church was full of auditors and the king had his guard attending vpon him who bicause they knew the two foresaid yoong gentlemen to be very familiar with the king suspected none euill but suffered them to draw neere vnto his person Wherefore one of the saide yoong courtiers as though he would haue done obeizance vnto the king came before him but Hali got in at his backe and stabd him through with a dagger and at the verie same instant the other thrust him in with his sworde and so this vnhappie king imbrued in his owne bloud gaue vp the ghost The kings guarde went about to apprehend the authors of this fact but being ouermatched by the contrarie part and suspecting least the people were authors of this conspiracie they sought to saue themselues by flight And after them followed all the rest of the assemblie till the authors of the saide murther were left alone They also immediately came foorth and perswaded the people with many words that they had slaine the king for none other cause but onely in regard that he had attempted the vtter ouerthrow both of themselues and of the whole people The citizens beeing to too credulous aduaunced the two foresaid conspiratours to the gouernment of the kingdome howbeit they agreed not long thereabout but the common-wealth was diuersly tossed hither and thither sometime inclining to one sometime to another Wherefore the Portugall merchants which vsually frequented that citie in great numbers wrote vnto their king to sende foorthwith an armie of soldiers thither for they were in good hope that he shoulde most easily and with small disaduantage winne the saide citie Howbeit the king being nothing mooued with this message of theirs would not send any forces at al til he was more certainly informed by his said merchants touching the death of the king of Azaphi the dissension betweene the two new gouernours As also that they had made such a compact with a certaine captaine of the contrary faction that it was the easiest matter in the world for him to cōquer the towne For they had built them a verie strong castell vpon the sea-shore wherein their merchandize might safely be bestowed For the Portugals had perswaded the townes-men that during the great tumult about the kings death they were all of them in danger to lose both their liues and goods Wherefore into this castell among their vessels of oile and other wares they cunningly conueied gunnes and all other kind of warlike instruments but the townes-men being ignorant heere of exacted nothing of the Portugals saue onely custome due for their wares Now after the Portugales had sufficiently prouided themselues of all kinde of armour and warlike munitions they sought by all meanes an occasion to fight with the citizens At length it came to passe that a certaine Portugals seruant buying meat in the citie did so prouoke a butcher that after much quarrelling they fell to blowes whereupon the seruant feeling himselfe hurt thrust the butcher with his sworde and laide him along vpon the colde earth and then fledde speedily to the castell wherein he knewe the merchants to be The people immediately rose vp in armes and ranne all of them with one consent vnto the castell to the end they might vtterly destroy it cut the throats of all them which were therein But the guns and crosse-bowes which were there in a readines made such hauock among the townes-men that it cannot be but they were greatly daunted At this first encounter there were an hūdreth and fiftie citizens slaine outright howbeit the residue woulde not therefore giue ouer but gaue the castle daily assaults At length the king of Portugall sent aide vnto his subiects to wit fiue thousand footemen two hundreth horsemen with a great number of gunnes Which forces when the citizens sawe to approch they presently betooke themselues to their feete and fled vnto the mountaine of Benimegher neither durst any man staie in the towne but onely he that was the author of building the castle And so it came to passe that the Portugall forces woon the towne without any perill or labour Soone after the generall of the whole armie sent the builder of the castle vnto the king of Portugall But the king sent him with a certaine number of attendants backe againe to Azafi and appointed him gouernour of all the region adiacent For the Portugall king was not acquainted with their customes nether did he sufficiently know how they gouerned their common-wealth Soone after ensued the miserable desolation and ruine not onely of the citie but of the whole region thereabouts In this discourse we haue beene somewhat tedious to the end we might shew of how great euill a woman may be the instrument and what intollerable mischiefes are bred by dissension These things were a dooing as I remember when my selfe was but ten yeeres olde and being fowerteene yeeres of age I had some conference with the Portugall captaine aforesaide This captaine with an armie of fiue hundreth Portugals and more then twelue thousand Arabian horsemen giuing battaile to the king of Maroco conquered all the foresaid prouince on the behalfe of his master the Portugall king in the yeere of the Hegeira 920. as in our briefe treatise concerning the Mahumetan religion we will declare more at large Of Conta a towne in Duccala THis towne is situate from Azafi about 20. miles is said to haue bin built by the Gothes at the verie same time when they possessed the whole region of Duccala but now it is vtterly layde waste howbeit the field belonging thereto is in subiection vnto certaine Arabians which dwell in the said prouince of Duccala Of Tit a citie in Duccala THis ancient citie of Tit built of olde by the Africans vpon the Ocean sea-shoare is about twentie miles distant from Azamur It hath most large and fruitfull fields belonging vnto it The inhabitants are men of a grosse conceit who regard neither husbandrie nor
the towne vnto the king This condition was accepted and the king hauing a thousand braue horsemen readie to doe the feat ioyned fiue hundred horse and two hundred gunners on horsebacke vnto them Moreouer he wrote vnto certaine Arabians which are commonly called Zuair and haue almost fower thousand horesemen at commaund that if need so required they would come in and ayde his troupes Ouer the saide armie the king appointed as captaine one Ezzeranghi a most valiant and redoubted warriour Who hauing pitched his tents neere vnto the towne began presently to giue the townesmen an assault But when he had done his best the warlike citizens easily gaue him the repulse Moreouer the Arabians called Benigeber were comming with fiue thousand horsemen to succour the towne Which so soone as Captaine Ezzeranghi was aduertised of he raised his siege and went suddenly to meete with the foresaid Arabians whom after he had discomfited in three daies he then safely returned to lay new siege The citizens seeing themselues cut off from all hope of the Arabians ayde began seriously to treat of peace with the enemie which the easlier to obtaine they promised to defray all the kings charges layde out in this expedition and to pay him for yeerly tribute moe then ten thousand ducates howbeit with this prouiso that they for whose cause the king had sent the said armie if they entred the towne should bee secluded from all Magistracie and gouernment But they hearing of these conditions spake vnto the Captaine in manner following Sir if it shall please you to restore vs vnto our former dignitie and state we will procure you aboue an hundreth thousand ducates Neither is there cause why any man should feare any iniurie or violence for we protest vnto you that no man shall be a farthing endamaged by vs onely we will exact at our aduersaries handes the reuenues of our possessions which they haue these three yeeres vniustly detained from vs. The summe whereof will amount vnto thirtie thousand ducates all which we are most willing to bestow vpon you in regard of those labours which you haue vndergone for our sakes Moreouer the reuenues of the whole region shall bee yours which will come to twentie thousand ducates And the Iewes tribute shall yeeld you ten thousand more Vpon these speeches the Captaine returned answere vnto the citizens that his master the king of Fez had most faithfully promised those which mooued him vnto this warre that he would neuer forsake them till they had attained their harts desire for which cause he was more willing to haue them gouerne then the townesmen which were now in possession and that for many reasons wherefore saith he if you be determined to yeelde vnto the king assure your selues that no inconuenience shall light vpon you but if you will to the ende remaine peruerse and obstinate be yee assured also that the king will deale most extremely with you This message was no sooner knowen vnto the people but foorthwith they began to be distracted into diuers factions some there were which stood for the king and others chose rather manfully to fight it out then that the king should be admitted insomuch that the whole citie resounded with brawlings quarels and contentions This tumult came at length by spies vnto the Captaines eare who presently caused halfe his forces to take armes and by their meanes in three howers space he wan the citie with little slaughter on his part For those townesmen that fauoured the king did what they could on the inside to set open the gates and so did the assailants on the outside neither did any resist their attempts by reason of the foresaid ciuill dissensions Whereupon Captaine Ezzeranghi entring the citie caused the kings colours to be aduanced in the market-place and vpon the wals charging his horsemen to range about the citie that no citizens might escape by flight and last of all made a proclamation vnto all his souldiers that they should not vpon paine of death offer any iniurie vnto the townesmen Then he caused all the chieftaines of the contrarie faction to be brought prisoners vnto him to whom he threatned captiuitie and thraldome till they should disburse so much as the king had spent in that expedition the totall summe was twelue thousand ducates which the wiues and kinsfolkes of the captiues presently payde Neither could they yet obtaine their libertie for the exiles for whose cause the king had sent that armie demaunded restitution of all their goods which the other had for certaine yeeres detained from them The captiues therfore were committed that night the next morning lawyers atturnies came to plead on both sides before a iudge the captaine Howbeit after a great deale of tedious fending and proouing hauing concluded nothing at all the captaine was so weary that he left them and went to supper Afterward he caused the captiues to be brought foorth wishing them to pay the sums demaunded for saith he If you come before the king of Fez he wil make you to disburse more then twise the value At which words being terrified they wrote vnto their wiues if they woulde euer see them aliue to procure them money by some meanes Eight daies after the women brought as many golde rings bracelets and other such iewels as were valued at eight and twenty thousand ducates for they had rather bestowe these for the ransome of their husbandes then to reueale their great wealth bringing foorth all their costly ornaments as if their money had beene quite exhaust When therefore the king and the exiles were fully satisfied insomuch that nothing seemed nowe to let the said captiues from libertie the captaine spake vnto them in this wise Sirs I haue signified though vnwillingly vnto my master the king all matters which haue here passed betweene vs for I dare by no meanes release you till the kings letters authorize me so to do Howbeit I wish you to be of good cheere for sithens you haue honestly restored to euery man his owne there is no doubt but your selues shall shortly be set at libertie The same night the captaine called a friend of his whose counsell he founde oftentimes to take good effect and asked him by what meanes he might without suspicion of guile or trechery wring any more sums of money from them Whereunto his friend replied make them beleeue quoth he that you are willed by the kings letters to put them all to death howbeit that you will not for pitties sake deale so extremely with innocent persons but that you will send them to Fez to receiue punishment or pardon at the kings pleasure Heereupon the kings letters were counterfeited which the day following the captaine with a lamētable voice published vnto his two forty prisoners My friends quoth he so it is that the king hauing receiued some sinister and wrong information that you should go about to make a conspiracie most firmely enioineth me by these his letters to put
each one of you to death which though it be ful sore against my wil yet needs I must obey my prince if I wil not wittingly runne vpon mine owne destruction And then shedding some fained teares sithens quoth he we can vpon the sodaine deuise no better course I thinke it most conuenient to send you with a troupe of horsemen vnto the king whose wrath perhaps you may by some meanes pacifie Whereupon the captiues growing farre more pensiue then before recommended themselues vnto God and to the captaines clemencie requesting his good will with many teares And foorthwith there comes one in among them who aduised them to make vp some round summe of money therewithall to trie if they could appease the king and seemed likewise to intreat the captaine that he woulde by his letters stande their friend to the king Heereunto the captiues agreeing with one voice promised that they would giue the king a great summe of golde and woulde most liberally reward the captaine The captaine as though forsooth this condition much disliked him asked at length how much golde they ment to send the king one saide that he woulde disburse a thousand ducates another that he would giue fiue hundreth and the third eight hundreth But the captaine making shew that this was too little saide that he was loth to make signification of so small a summe vnto the king howbeit better it were for you quoth the captaine to goe your selues vnto the king with whom perhaps you shall make a more reasonable end then you are aware of But they fearing hard measure if they should be caried vnto the king were far more importunate with the captaine then before that he would to his power be good vnto them Wherefore the captaine as though at length he had been mooued with their vehement petitions spake vnto them in this wise heere are of you my masters two and fortie noble rich persons if you wil promise two thousand ducates a man I will signifie on your behalfe so much vnto the king and so I hope to perswade him but if this condition will not please him then must I needs send you to make answere for your selues This condition they al of them yeelded vnto howbeit with this prouizo that euery man should giue proportionablie to his wealth and that they might haue for the paiment fifteene daies of farther respite The twelfth day following the captaine fained that he had receiued letters from his king signifying that the king for his sake woulde shewe the captiues more fauour The fifteenth day he had paied vnto him eightie fowre thousand ducates neither coulde he sufficiently woonder how in so small a towne among two and fortie inhabitants onely such huge sums of money could so readily be found Then wrote he vnto his king how all matters had passed demaunding what should be done with the gold And so the king foorthwith sent two of his secretaries with an hundreth horsemen to fetch home the saide golde vnto Fez. The captiues being restored to their libertie presented the saide captaine with horses slaues ciuet and such like gifts to the value of two thousand ducates giuing him exceeding thankes for their libertie and requesting him to take their presents in good woorth for had not their treasure beene quite consumed they saide they woulde haue bestowed farre greater vpon him Wherefore from thence forward that region was subiect vnto the king of Fez and to the foresaide captaine Ezzeranghi till he was trecherously slaine by certaine Arabians Moreouer the king receiueth from that citie euen at this present twentie thousand ducats for yeerely tribute I haue in this narration beene indeede somewhat more large then neede required howbeit perhaps I did it bicause I my selfe was present in al the expedition and was an earnest mediatour for the citizens release neither saw I euer to my remembrance a greater masse of golde then was by subtiltie drawne from them Yea the king himselfe neuer had so much golde in his coffers at one time for albeit he receiueth yeerely thirtie thousand ducates yet neuer could he store himselfe with so much at once nor his father before him These things were done in the yeere of the Hegeira 915. and in the yeere of our Lord 1506. And here I would haue the reader to consider what mans industrie and wit may doe in getting of money The King maruelled much at this summe of gold but afterward he had greater cause to woonder at the wealth of a certaine Iewe who payed more out of his owne purse then all the forenamed captiues And his riches were the cause why the King of Fez exacted fiftie thousand ducates from the Iewes for that they were said to fauour his enimies I my selfe bare him companie that went in the Kings name to receiue the sayd summe of the Iewes Of Efza a towne of Tedles THis towne standeth two miles from Tefza and containeth almost sixe hundred families being built vpon a little hill at the foote of mount Atlas In this towne are many Moores and Iewes which make Bernussi The naturall inhabitants are either artificers or husbandmen being in subiection to the gouernours of Tefza Their women are excellent spinsters wherby they are saide to gaine more then the men of the towne Betweene this towne and Tefza runneth a certaine riuer called by the inhabitants Derne which springing foorth of Atlas runneth through the plaines of that region till at length it falleth into Ommirabih On both sides of this riuer are most beautifull and large gardens replenished with all kindes of fruits The townesmen here are most liberall and curteous people and will permit merchants trauelling that way freely to come into their gardens and to take thence as much fruit as they will No people are slower then they for paying of debts for albeit the merchants lay downe readie money to receiue Bernussi within three moneths yet are they sometime faine to stay an whole yeere My selfe was in this towne when the kings armie lay in Tedles and then they yeelded themselues to the king The second time that the kings generall of his armie came vnto them they presented him with fifteen horses and as many slaues Afterward they gaue him fifteene kine in token that they were the kings loyall subiects Of Cithiteb THis towne was built by the Africans vpon an high hill almost tenne miles westward of Efza Well peopled it is with rich and noble inhabitants and because Bernussi be here made it is alwaies frequented with store of merchants The top of the said high mountaine is continually couered with snow The fields adioyning to the towne are full of vineyards and gardens which bring foorth fruits in such abundance that they are nought woorth to be sold in the markets Their women are beautifull fat and comely being adorned with much siluer their eies and haire are of a browne colour The inhabitants are so stout and sullen that when the other cities of Tedles yeelded to
both to the kings houshold and to his armie This man in time of warre hath tenne or twelue tents to lay vp corne in and euery day with change of camels he sendeth for newe corne least the armie shoulde be vnprouided of victuals he hath also cooks at his command Moreouer there is a gouernour or mastergroome of the stables who prouideth for the kings horses mules and camels and is furnished with all necessaries by the steward There is another also appointed ouerseer of the corne whose dutie it is to prouide barly and other prouender for the beasts and this man hath his scribes and notaries about him who diligently set downe all particular expenses for they must giue vp a perfect account vnto the chiefe steward They haue also a certaine captaine ouer fiftie horsemen which horsemen may well be called purseuants for they are sent by the secretarie in the kings name to do his busines Likewise the Fezzan king hath another captaine of great name being as it were gouernour of his guard who in the kings name may compell the iudges to do iustice and to put their sentences in execution This mans authoritie is so great that sometimes he may commit principal noblemen to ward may seuerely punish them according to the kings commandement Moreouer the said king hath a most trusty chancelor who keepeth the great seale and writeth and signeth the kings letters He hath also a great number of footemen the gouernour of whom accepteth and dismisseth whom he thinkes good and giueth to euery one wages according to his agilitie and desert And whensoeuer the king commeth in place of iudgement the saide gouernour alwaies attendeth vpon him and is in a manner his high chamberlain Also there is another that taketh charge of the carriages and baggage of the armie and causeth the tents of the light horsemen to be carried vp and downe on mules and the tents of the other soldiers on camels There are likewise a company of ensigne-bearers who in marching on a iourney carrie their colours wrapped vp but he that goeth before the armie hath his banner displaied and of a great height And euery one of the saide standard-bearers knoweth most exactly alwaies fords of riuers and passages through woods wherefore they are for the most part appointed to guide the armie The drummers of whom there are great store in the kings host plaie vpon certaine drums of brasse as bigge as a great kettle the lower part whereof is narrow the vpper broad being couered with a skin These drummers ride on horsebacke hauing alwaies on the one side of their horses a great waight hanging downe to counterpoize the heauines of their drums on the other side They are allowed most swift horses bicause the Moores account it a great disgrace to loose a drum The said drums make such a loude and horrible noise that they are not onely heard a farre off but also strike exceeding terrour both vpon men and horses and they are beaten onely with a buls pizzle The musitions are not maintained at the kings charge for the cities are bounde at their costs to send a certaine number of them to the warres who according to their demeanour in the warres are admitted or not admitted vnto the kings table This king hath also a certaine master of ceremonies who sitteth at his feete in the senate-house and commandeth each man to sit downe and to speake according to his dignitie All the maide-seruants in the kings familie are Negro-slaues which are partly chamberlains and partly waiting-maids And yet his Queene is alwaies of a white skin Likewise in the king of Fez his court are certaine Christian captiues being partly Spanish and partly Portugale women who are most circumspectly kept by certaine Eunuchs that are Negro-slaues The king of Fez hath very large dominions but his reuenues are small to wit scare three hundreth thousand ducats the fift part whereof redoundeth not to the king for the remainder is diuided into sundrie portions as we haue before signified Yea the greater part of the said reuenues is paide in corne cattle oile and butter all which yeeld but small store of money In some place they pay a ducate and one fourth part tribute for euery acre but in other places a whole family paieth but so much In some other regions each man aboue fifteene yeeres of age paieth as much tribute also Neither are the people of this great citie more vexed with any thing then with paying of their tributes and impositions Heere also is to be noted that the Mahumetan gouernours the priests onely excepted may not exact greater reuenues then those that Mahumet hath allotted vnto them namely of euery of their subiects which possesseth 100. ducates in ready money they are to haue two ducates an halfe for yeerely tribute Euery husbandman likewise is bound to pay for tribute the tenth part of all his corne And all the saide tributes he appointed to be paied vnto the patriarke who should bestow that which was superfluous for the Prince to haue vpon common vses namely for the releeuing of poore impotent people and widowes and for maintaining of wars against the enimie But since the Patriarches began to decay the Princes as we haue beforesaide exercised tyrannie For it was not sufficient for them to exact all the forenamed tributes and riotously to consume the same but also to vrge people vnto greater contributions so that all the inhabitants of Africa are so oppressed with daily exactions that they haue scarcely wherewithall to feed and apparell themselues for which cause there is almost no man of learning or honesty that will seeke any acquaintance with courtiers or will inuite them to his table or accept any gifts bee they neuer so pretious at their hands thinking that whatsoeuer goods they haue are gotten by theft and briberie The King of Fez continually maintaineth sixe thousand horsemen fiue hundreth crossebowes and as manie Harquebusiers being at all assayes prepared for the warres who in time of peace when the king goeth on progresse lye within a mile of his person for being at home in Fez he needeth not so strong a guard When he wageth warre against the Arabians that be his enemies because the forenamed garison is not sufficient he requireth ayde of the Arabians his subiects who at their owne costs finde him a great armie of men better trained to the warres then his owne souldiers before-mentioned The pompe and ceremonies of this king are but meane neither doth he willingly vse them but onely vpon festiuall daies and when meere necessitie requireth When the king is to ride foorth the master of ceremonies signifieth so much vnto certaine herbengers or postes whereupon the herbengers giue notice thereof vnto the kings parents vnto his nobilitie his senatours captaines guardians and gentlemen who presently arrange themselues before the palace gate At the kings comming foorth of the palace the herbengers appoint vnto each man his place and order
most part of the gentlemen of Fez haue vineyards vpon the saide mountaine At the north foote of this mountaine the fields are replenished with all kinde of graine and fruits For all that plaine is watered southward with the riuer Sebu and here the gardiners with certaine artificiall wheeles and engines draw water out of the riuer to moisten their gardens In this plaine are wel-nigh two hundreth acres of ground the reuenues whereof are giuen vnto the kings master of ceremonies howbeit he maketh thereof not aboue fiue hundreth ducates a yeere the tenth part of all which reuenues amounting to three thousand bushels of corne belongeth to the kings prouision Of mount Zarhon THis mountaine beginneth from the plaine of Esais lying ten miles distant from the citie of Fez westward it extendeth thirtie miles and is almost ten miles broad This mountaine is all couered with waste and desert woods being otherwise well stored with oliues In this mountaine there are of sheepe-foldes and castles to the number of fiftie and the inhabitants are very wealthy for it standeth betweene two flourishing cities that is to say Fez on the east and Mecnase on the west The women weaue woollen cloth according to the custome of that place and are adorned with many siluer rings and bracelets The men of this mountaine are most valiant and are much giuen to pursue and take lions whereof they send great store vnto the king of Fez. And the king hunteth the said lions in manner following in a large field there are certaine little cels made being so high that a man may stand vpright in them each one of these cels is shut fast with a little doore and containe within euery of them an armed man who opening the doore presents himselfe to the view of the lion then the lion 〈◊〉 the doores open comes running toward them with great furie but the doores being shut againe he waxeth more furious then before then bring they foorth a bull to combate with the lion who enter a fierce and bloudie conflict wherein if the bull kill the lion that daies sport is at an end but if the lion get the victorie then all the armed men being ordinarily twelue leape foorth of their cels and inuade the lion each one of them hauing a iauelin with a pike of a cubite and an halfe long And if these armed men seeme to bee too hard for the lion the king causeth their number to be diminished but perceiuing them too weake the king with his companie from a certaine high place where he standeth to behold the sport kill the lion with their crossebowes And oftentimes it falleth out that before the lion be slaine some one of the men dies for it the residue being sore wounded The reward of those that encounter the lion is ten duckats apeece and a new garment neither are any admitted vnto this combat but men of redoubted valour and such as come from mount Zelagi but those that take the lions first are inhabitants of mount Zarhon Of Gualili a towne of mount Zarhon THis towne was built by the Romanes vpon the top of the foresaide mountaine what time they were lordes of Granada in south Spaine It is enuironed around with mighty thicke walles made of smoothe and hewen stones The gates are large and high and the fields are manured for the space of sixe miles about howbeit this towne was long sithence destroied by the Africans But afterward when the schismatike Idris came into this region he began to repaire this desolate towne and to replant it so with inhabitants that within short time it grew very populous howbeit after his decease it was neglected by his sonne being wholy addicted as is beforesaid vnto the building of Fez. And yet Idris lieth buried in this towne whose sepulchre is visited with great reuerence almost by all the people of Barbarie for he is as highly esteemed as if he had been some patriarke because he was of the linage of Mahumet At this present there are but two or three houses in all the towne which were there built for the honour and maintenance of the sepulchre The fields adiacent are exceedingly well husbanded and their gardens are most pleasant by reason of two sweet freshets running through them the which diuersly winding themselues about the little hils and vallies doe water all that plaine Of a certaine towne called the palace of Pharao THis towne was founded by the Romans vpon the top of an hill about eight miles distant from Gualili The people of this said mountaine together with some historiographers are most certainly perswaded that this towne was built by Pharao king of Egypt in the time of Moses and tooke the name from the first founder which notwithstanding I thinke to be otherwise for I can read in no approoued author that either Pharao or any other Egyptians euer inhabited these regions But I suppose that this fond opinion was taken out of that booke which one Elcabi wrote concerning the words of Mahumet For the said booke affirmeth from the authoritie of Mahumet that there were fower kings onely that gouerned the whole world two whereof were faithfull and the other two ethnikes the faithfull he 〈◊〉 were Alexander the great and Salomon the sonne of Dauid and the ethnikes were Nimrod and Pharao But I am rather of opinion by the Latine letters which are there engrauen in the walles that the Romanes built this towne About this towne run two small riuers on either side thereof The little hils and vallies adiacent doe greatly abound with oliues Not far from hence are certaine wilde deserts frequented with lions and leopards Of the towne called Pietra Rossa or The red rocke PIetra Rossa is a small towne built by the Romans vpon the side of the foresaid mountaine being so neere the forrest that the lions will come daily into the towne and gather vp bones in the streets yea they are so tame and familiar that neither women nor children are afeard of them The wals of this towne are built very high and of great stones but now they are ruined in many places and the whole towne is diminished into one streete Their fields being ioyned vnto the plaines of Azgara abound with oliues and all kinde of pulse Of the towne of Maghilla MAghilla is a little towne founded of old by the Romans vpon that side of the foresaid hill which looketh toward Fez. About this towne are most fertill fields and greatly enriched with oliues there is a plaine likewise containing many fresh fountaines and well stored with hempe and flaxe Of the castle of Shame THis ancient castle is built at the foote of the said mountaine neer vnto the high way from Fez to Mecnase and it was called by this name because the inhabitants are most shamefully addicted to couetise like vnto all the people thereabouts In old time it is reported that a certaine king passed by whom the inhabitants of the castle inuited to dinner requesting him to
iackets of leather with hoods vpon them such as trauellers vse in Italie and by this meanes their heads are defended from raine and from snow The schollers and students are diuersly apparelled according to their abilitie and according to the fashion of their natiue countrie the doctors iudges and priestes goe in more sumptuous and costly attire The customes and rites obserued in the King of Telensin his court A Woonder it is to see how stately and magnificently the King of Telensin behaueth himselfe for no man may see him nor be admitted to parle with him but onely the principall nobles of his court each one of whom are assigned to beare offices according to their place and dignitie In this court are sundry offices and dignities and the Kings lieutenant beeing principall officer allotteth vnto each one such places of dignitie as may be correspondent to their honour and this lieutenant leuieth the kings armies and sometime conducteth them against the enemie The second officer is the Kings chiefe Secretarie who writeth and recordeth all things pertaining to the King The third is the high treasurer who is bound by 〈◊〉 office to receiue tributes and customes The fourth is the kings dispensator or almoner who bestoweth such liberalitie as the king vouchsafeth The fift is the captaine of the kings garde who so often as any nobles are admitted to the kings presence conducteth the garde vnto the palace-gate Then are there other meaner officers as namely the master of the kings stable the ouerseer of his saddles stirrops and his chiefe chamberlaine who giueth attendance onely at such times as any courtiers are admitted vnto the kings audience For at other times the kings wiues with certaine Christian captiues and eunuches doe performe that dutie The king sometimes in sumptuous and costly apparellrideth vpon a stately stead richly trapped and furnished In riding he obserueth not much pompe nor many ceremonies neither indeede doth he carrie so great a traine for you shall scarcely see a thousand horsemen in his companie except perhaps in time of warre when as the Arabians and other people giue attendance When the king goeth foorth with an armie there are not many carriages transported therein neither can you then discerne the king by his apparell from any meane captaine and though he conducteth neuer so great a garde of soldiers yet a man would not thinke how sparing he is of his coine Gold-money he coineth of baser golde then that whereof the Italian money called Bislacchi is coined but it is of a greater size for one peece thereof waigheth an Italian duckat and one fourth part He stampeth likewise coine of siluer of brasse His dominions are but slenderly inhabited howbeit because the way from Europe to Aethiopia lieth through his kingdome he reapeth much benefit by the wares that passe by especially since the time that Oran was surprized by the Christians At the same time Telensin it selfe was made tributarie which was euer before a free citie whereupon the king that was the author thereof was extremely hated of his subiects till his dying day Afterward his sonne that succeeded him demanded customes and tributes likewise for which cause being expelled out of his kingdome by the people he was enforced to craue aide of the emperour Charles the fift by whose meanes as is beforesaid he was restored vnto his said kingdome When Oran was subiect vnto the king of Telensin the region therabout paid vnto the king for yeerly tribute sometime three thousand and sometime fower thousand duckats the greatest part whereof was allowed vnto the kings garde and to the Arabian soldiers I my selfe continuing certaine monethes in this kings court had good experience of his liberalitie I haue indeede omitted many particulars in the description of this court of Telensin but because they agreed for the most part with those things which we reported of Fez I haue here passed them ouer least I should seeme too tedious vnto the reader Of the towne of Hubbed THis towne being built in manner of a castle standeth about a mile and an halfe southward of Telensin It containeth store of inhabitants who are for the most part dyers of cloth In this towne was buried one Sadi Bu Median being reputed a man of singular holines whom they adore like a god ascending vp to his monument by certaine steps Here is likewise a stately college and a faire hospitall to entertaine strangers in both which were built by a king of Fez of the Marin-familie as I finde recorded vpon a certaine marble stone Of the towne of Tefesra TThis towne standing vpon a plaine fifteene miles from Telensin hath great store of smiths therein by reason of the iron-mines which are there The fields adiacent are exceeding fruitfull for corne and the inhabitants being for the most part blacke-smithes are destitute of all ciuilitie Of the towne of Tessela THis ancient towne was built by the Africans vpon a certaine plaine extending almost twenty miles in length Here groweth such abundance of excellent corne as is almost sufficient for the whole kingdome of Telensin The inhabitants liue in tents for all the buildings of this towne are destroied though the name remaineth still These also in times past paide a great yeerely tribute vnto the king of Telensin Of the prouince called Beni Rasid THis region extendeth in length from east to west fiftie and in bredth almost fiue and twentie miles The southerne part thereof is plaine ground but toward the north it is full of fruitfull mountaines The inhabitants are of two sorts for some of them dwell vpon the mountaines in houses of indifferent good building and these imploy themselues in husbandry and other necessarie affaires Others being of a more noble condition liue onely vpon the plaines in tents and there keepe their camels horses and other cattell They are molested with daily inconueniences and pay yeerely tribute vnto the king of Telensin Vpon the foresaid mountaines are sundrie villages among which there are two principall whereof the one called Chalath Haoara and built in manner of a castle vpon the side of a certaine hill containeth to the number of fortie merchants and artificers houses the other called Elmo Hascar is the seate of the kings lieutenant ouer those regions and in this village euery thursday there is a great market where abundance of cattell corne raisins figs and honie is to be sold here are likewise cloth-merchants and diuers other chapmen which for breuities sake I passe ouer in silence I my selfe continuing for some time among them found to my hinderance what cunning theeues they were The king of Telensin collecteth yeerely out of this prouince the summe of fiue and twenty thousand duckats and it containeth so many most expert soldiers Of the towne of Batha THis great rich and populous towne was built in my time vpon a most beautifull and large plaine which yeeldeth great abundance of corne The tribute which the king of Telensin hath here amounteth to
sauegarde of the kings owne person and he allotteth punishments vnto such prisoners as are brought into the said castle as if he were the king himselfe The fourth officer is the gouernour of the citie whose dutie is to administer iustice in the common wealth aud to punish malefactors The fift officer is the kings secretarie who hath authoritie to write and to giue answere in the kings name he may open also and read any letters whatsoeuer except such as are sent vnto the Castellan and gouernour of the citie The sixt is the kings chiefe chamberlaine who is to furnish the walles with hangings to appoint vnto euery man his place and by a messenger to assemble the kings counsellours and this man hath great familiaritie with the king and hath accesse to speake with him as often as he pleaseth The seuenth in dignitie is the kings treasurer who receiueth all customes tributes and yeerely reuenues and paieth them with the kings consent vnto the Munafid The eight officer is he that receiueth tribute for merchandize that are brought by land who taketh custome also of forren merchants which are constrained for the value of euery hundred duckats to pay two duckats and a halfe this customer hath many spies and officers who hauing intelligence of any merchants arriuall they bring him foorthwith before their master in whose absence they keepe him so long in their custodie till their said master be present and till the merchant hath deliuered all such custome as is due and then being bound with many othes he is dismissed The ninth officer receiueth tribute onely of such wares as are brought by sea and dwelleth in a house by the hauens side The tenth is the steward of the kings houshold who is to prouide bread meate and other necessarie victuals and to apparell all the kings wiues eunuches and the Negro-slaues that attend vpon him He also taketh charge of the kings sonnes and of their nurses and allotteth busines vnto the Christian captiues These are the chiefe officers vnder the king of Tunis the residue least I should seeme tedious to the reader I haue of purpose omitted to intreate of The king of Tunis hath fifteene hundred most choise soldiers the greatest part of whom are Renegadoes or backsliders from the Christian faith and these haue liberall pay allowed them They haue a captaine ouer them also who may increase or diminish their number as he pleaseth Also there are an hundred and fiftie soldiers being Moores who haue authoritie to remoue the tents of the kings armie from place to place There are likewise a certaine number of crossebowes which attend vpon the king whithersoeuer he rideth but next of all to the kings person is his garde of Christians which as we signified before dwell in the suburbs Before the king marcheth a garde of footemen being all of them Turkish archers and gunners Immediately before the king goe his lackies or footemen One there is that rideth on the one side of the king carrying his partizan another on the other side beareth his target and the third comming 〈◊〉 him carrieth his crossebowe Others there are also that attend vpon the king whom for breuities sake we omit here to speake of These are the principall rites and ceremonies of the ancient kings of Tunis being much different from them which are vsed by the king that now is I could here make a large discourse of the kings vices that now raigneth at whose hands I confesse my selfe to haue receiued great benefits but that is not my purpose at this present this one thing I can affirme that he is maruellous cunning to procure money out of his subiects purses But he himselfe liueth sometimes in his palace and sometimes in gardens in the companie of his concubines musicians stage-plaiers and such like When he calleth for any musician he is brought in blindfold or hoodwinked in manner of a hawke The golden coine of Tunis containeth fower and twenty charats apeece that is to say a duckat and one third part of the coine of Europe there is a kinde of siluermoney coined also being fower square in forme which waieth sixe charats apeece and thirtie or two and thirtie of these peeces are equall in value to one peece of their gold coine and they are called Nasari the Italians call the gold-coine of Tunis Doble And thus much concerning the king of Tunis and the customes of his court Of the towne of Neapolis THis ancient towne built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea almost twelue miles eastward of Tunis is inhabited by certaine Moores called Nabell It was in times past very populous but now there dwell but a few pesants therein which exercise themselues onely about sowing and reaping of 〈◊〉 Of the towne of Cammar THis towne is very ancient also and neere vnto Carthage standing eight miles northward of Tunis The inhabitants being many in number are all of them gardiners and vse to bring their herbes and fruits to Tunis to be solde Here also growe great store of sugar-canes which are brought likewise vnto Tunis but because they haue not the arte of getting out the sugar they vse onely after meales to sucke the sweete iuice out of the said canes Of the towne of Marsa THis ancient towne standing vpon the Mediterran sea neere the same place where the hauen of Carthage was of olde remained certaine yeeres desolate but now it is inhabited by certaine fishers and husbandmen and here they vse to white linnen-cloth Not far from hence are certaine castles and palaces where the king of Tunis ordinarily remaineth in summer-time Of the towne of Ariana MOreouer this ancient towne was built by the Goths almost eight miles northward of Tunis It is enuironed with most pleasant and fruitfull gardens and it hath a strong wall and containeth many husbandmen Certaine other little townes there are not far distant from Carthage some inhabited and the residue desolate the names whereof I haue quite forgotten Of the towne of Hammamet THis towne built by the Mahumetans of late yeeres and enuironed with a wall of great strength is distant from Tunis almost fiftie miles The inhabitants are miserable people and oppressed with continuall exactions being the greatest part of them either fishers or colliers Of the towne of Heraclia THis little and ancient towne was founded by the Romans vpon a certaine mountaine and was afterward destroied by the Arabians Of the towne of Susa. THis exceeding great and ancient towne was built by the Romans vpon the Mediterran sea being distant from Tunis about an hundred miles The plaines adioyning abound with oliues and figs their fieldes are most fruitfull for barlie if they could be tilled but the Arabians often incursions are the cause why they lie waste The inhabitants being most liberall and courteous people and great friends vnto strangers make voiages most of them vnto the easterne regions and vnto Turkie and some also frequent the next townes of Sicilia and Italie The residue of
but the greater part are clad in sheeps skinnes and those which are more honourable in the skins of Lyons Tigres and Ounces They haue all kindes of our domesticall creatures as hennes geese and such like as also abundance of kine and wild swine harts goates hares but no conies besides panthers lyons Ounces and elephants To conclude there cannot be a countrie more apt then this for the generation and increase of all plants and creatures True it is that it hath little helpe or furtherance by the industrie of the inhabitants because they are of a sloathfull dul nature and capacitie They haue flaxe and yet can make no cloath sugar canes and know not the arte of getting the sugar thereout yron and haue no vse thereof but take all smithes to be negromancers They haue riuers and waters and know not how to better their possessions by them They conceaue not greatly of hunting or fishing whereupon the fieldes are full of birdes and wild beastes and the riuers and lakes of fish An other reason of their slacknes and negligence is the euill intreatie of the communaltie by those of the mightier sort for the poore seeing euery thing taken from them that they haue sow no more then verie necessity vrgeth them vnto Their speech also is without any rule or prescription and to write a letter requireth a great assembly of men and many dayes to deliberate thereon The nobles cittizens and peasants liue distinctly and apart and any of these may purchase nobility by some famous or worthie act The first borne inherite all things There is not in all the countrie a castel or fortified place for they thinke as the Spartanes did that a country should be mayntained and defended by force of armes and not with rampires of earth or stone They dwell for the most part dispersed in townes and villages Their trade of marchandise is performed by exchanging one thing for an other supplying the ouerplus of their prises with wheat or salt pepper incense myrrhe salt they sell for the waight in gold In their bargaines they vse gold also but by waight siluer is not ordinary among them Their greatest city is the Princes court which is neuer firme and resident in one place but remoueth here there and remaineth in the open fieldes vnder tentes This courte comprehendeth ten or more miles in compasse His Gouernment PRete Ianni his gouernment is very absolute for he holdeth his subiects in most base seruitude and no lesse the noble and great then those of meaner qualitie and condition intreating them rather like slaues then subiects and the better to doe this he maintaineth him selfe amongst them in the reputation of a sacred and diuine person Al men bow at the name of the Prince and touch the earth with their hand they reuerence the tent wherein he lyeth and that when he is absent also The Pretes in times past were wonte to be seene of the people but onely once in three yeeres space and afterwardes they shewed themselues thrice in a yeere that is on Christmas and Easter daye as also on holy Rood day in September Panufius who now raigneth albeit he is growen more familiar then his predecessors yet when any commission commeth from him the partie to whom it is directed heareth the wordes thereof naked from the girdle vpward neither putteth he on his apparrell but when the king permitteth him The people thought they bind it with an oath yet do they seldome speake truth but when they sweare by the kinges life who giueth and taketh away what great signiorie soeuer it pleaseth him neither may he from whom it is taken so much as shew him selfe agreeued therewith Except the giuing of holy orders and the administration of the sacraments he disposeth as well of the religious as of the laye sort and of their goodes On the way he rideth enuironed with high and long red curtaynes which compasse him on euery side He weareth vsually vpon his head a crowne halfe gold halfe siluer and a crosse of siluer in his hand his face is couered with a peece of blew taffata which he lifteth vp or letteth downe more or lesse according as he fauoreth them that he treateth withall and sometimes he only sheweth the end of his foot which he putteth forth from vnder the said curtaines They that carrie and returne ambassages come not to his curtaine but with long time diuers ceremonies and sundry obseruations None hath slaues but himselfe to whome euery yeere his subiects come to do homage This prince as the Abassins report descendeth from a sonne of Salomon the Queen of Saba called Meilech they receiued the faith vnder Queene Candaces in whose time the familie of Gaspar began to raigne and flourish in Ethiopia and from him after thirteene generations came Iohn called the holie This man about the time of Constantinus the Emperor because he had no children leauing the kingdome to his brother Caius eldest sonne inuested Baltasar and Melchior younger brothers one in the kingdome of Fatigar and the other in Giomedi whereupon the royall blood grew to be deuided into three families namely that of Baltafar that of Gaspar and the third of Melchior ordayning that the Empire aboue all others should be giuen by election to some one of the foresaid families soe it were not to the eldest borne For these first borne there were particular kingdomes appointed And to auoide scandale and tumult hee decreed that the Emperours brothers with his neerest kindred should be enclosed as in a strong castell within mount Amara where he would also haue the Emperours sonnes to be put who cannot succeed in the Empire nor haue any State at all for which cause the Emperour ordinarily marrieth not His forces both in reuenues and people HE hath two kindes of reuenues for one consisteth in the fruits of his possessions which he causeth to be manured by his slaues and oxen These slaues multiplie continuallie for they marrie among themselues and their sonnes remaine in the condition of their progenitors An other great reuenue cōmeth of his tributes which are brought vnto him from all those that hold dominion vnder him And of these some giue horses some oxen some gold some cotton and others other thinges It is thought he hath great treasure as well of cloaths and iewels as of gold and also that he hath treasuries and large magazins of the same riches so that writing once to the king of Portugal he offered to giue for the maintenance of war against the Infidels an hundred thousand drams of gold with infinite store of men and victuall They say that he putteth ordinarilie euerie yeere into the castel of Amara the value of three millions of ducates It is true that before the dayes of King Alexander they layde not vp so much golde because they knew not how to purifie it but rather iewels and wedges of gold Also his commings-in may be said to bee of three sorts for some he raiseth
them forth of their dominions For then many went ouer into the kingdomes of Fez and Maroco and brought in thither the artes and professions of Europe vnknowne before to those Barbarians In Bedis Teza Elmedina Tefsa and in Segelmesse euery placeis full of them They passe also by way of traffick euen to Tombuto although Iohn Leo writeth how that king was so greatly their enemie that he confiscated the goods of those that traded with them It importeth me not to speake of Egypt because it hath euer beene as well by reason of the neernes of Palestina as for the commodity of traffick whereunto they are much enclined as it were their second countrie Here in great number and in a manner in all the cities and townes thereof they exercise mechanicall arts and vse traffick and merchandize as also take vpon them the receit of taxes and customes but aboue all other places in Alexandria and Cairo where they amount to the number of fiue and twentie thousand and the ciuiller sort among them do vsually speake the Castilian toung 〈◊〉 much may suffice to haue been spoken concerning the Iewes It now remaineth that we come to intreat of the Mahumetans of Africa Concerning whom before we make any particular relation it will not be amisse for the readers more perfect instruction to speake somewhat in generall as namely of the sinister proceedings of their first seducer Mahumet of the variety and propagation of their damned sects ouer the east and south parts of the world of the fower principall nations which are the mainteiners and vpholders of this diabolicall religion and of sundry other particulars most worthie the obseruation Of Mahumet and of his accursed religion in generall MAhumet his father was a certaine prophane Idolater called Abdalá of the stock of Ismael and his mother was one Hennina a Iew both of them being of very humble and poore condition He was borne in the yeere of our Lord 562. and was endowed with a graue countenance and a quick wit Being growne to mans estate the Scenite Arabians accustomed to rob and runne all ouer the countrie tooke him prisoner and sold him to a Persian merchant who discerning him to be apt and subtile about busines affected and held him in such account that after his death his mistresse remaining a widow scorned not to take him for her husband Being therefore inriched by this meanes with goods and credit he raised vp his minde to greater matters The times then answered very fitly for one that woulde disturbe or worke any innouation For the Arabians vpon some euill entreatie were malecontented with the Emperour Heraclius The heresies of Arrius and Nestorius had in a miserable sort shaken and annoied the church of God The Iewes though they wanted power yet amounted they to a great number The Saracens preuailed mightily both in number and force And the Romaine Empire was full of slaues Mahumet therefore taking hold on this opportunitie framed a law wherein all of them should haue some part or prerogatiue In this two Apostata Iewes and two heretikes assisted him of which one was Iohn being a scholler of Nestorius schoole and the other Sergius of the sect of Arrius Whereupon the principall intention of this cursed law was wholie aimed against the diuinitie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ wickedly oppugned by the Iewes and Arrians He perswaded this law first by giuing his wife to vnderstand and his neighbours by her meanes and by little and little others also that he conuersed with the angell Gabriell vnto whose brightnes he ascribed the falling sicknes which many times prostrated him vpon the earth dilating and amplifying the same in like sort by permitting all that which was plausible to sense and the flesh as also by offering libertie to all slaues that would come to him and receiue his law Wherefore being prosecuted hard by the masters of those fugitiue slaues led away by him he fledde to Medina Talnabi and there remained some time From this flight the Mahumetans fetch the originall of their Hegeira But questionlesse there was nothing that furthered more the enlargement of the Mahumetan sect then prosperitic in armes and the multitude of victories whereby Mahumet ouerthrew the Persians became lord of Arabia and draue the Romaines out of Syria And his successors afterwards extended their empire from Euphrates to the Atlantick Ocean and from the riuer Niger to the Pirenei mountaines and beyond They occupied Sicilia assailed Italy and with continuall prosperitie as it were for three hundred yeeres either subdued or encumbred both the east west But to returne to Mahumet his law it embraceth circumcision maketh a difference between meats pure vnpure partly to allure the Iewes It denieth the Diuinitie of Christ to reconcile the Arrians who were then most mightie it foisteth in many friuolous fables that it might fit the Gentiles looseth the bridle to the flesh which is a thing acceptable to the greatest part of men Whereupon Auicen though he were a Mahumetan writeth thus of such a law Lex nostra saith he quam de dit Mahumeth c. that is to say Our Law which Mahumet gaue vs regardeth the disposition of felicitie or miserie according to the body But there is another promise which concerneth the minde or the soule which wise Diuines had a farre greater desire to apprehend then that of the body which though it be giuen vnto them yet respect they it not nor hold it in any estimation in comparison of that felicitie which is a coniunction with truth Mahumet being dead Allé Abubequer Omar and Odoman his kinsemen each of them pretending to be his true successor wrote distinctly euerie one by himselfe Vpon which there did arise fower seuerall sects Allé was head of the sect Imemia being followed by the Persians Indians and many Arabians and Gelbines of Africa Abubequer gaue foundation to the sect Melchia embraced generally by the Arabians Saracens and Africans Omar was author of the Anefia which is on foote among the Turks in Syria and in that part of Africk which is called Zahará Odman left behim the Banefia or Xefaia as we may terme it which wanteth not followers among the foresaid nations Of these fower sects in processe of time growen sixtie eight other verie famous besides some of lesse renowme and fame Among the many Mahumetan sects there are the Morabites who lead their liues for the most part in Hermitages and make profession of Morall Philosophie with certaine principles differing from the Alcoran One of these was that Morabite which certaine yeeres past shewing Mahumet his name imprinted in his brest being done with Aqua Fortis as I suppose or some such thing raised vp a great number of Arabians in Africk and laide siege to Tripolis where being betraied by his captaine he remained the Turkes prisoner who sent his skin to the grand Signor This man being in prison said to an Italian slaue his familiar who went to visite him I
very deed so great is the force of antiquitie and custome that where they once take roote they can hardly be remooued And it is a woonder that the Ethiopians do so often repeat baptisme when as they cannot be circumcised any more then once But in regard of all these defects what can we better deuise to do then in our daily praiers to wish them mindes better informed and the puritie and integritie of faith which is agreeable vnto gods worde The Ethiopians conceiued exceeding ioy at the first arriuall of the Portugals in their countrie hoping that their mutuall acquaintance and familiaritie would breed a similitude and coniunction as well of their religions as of their affections and mindes But I am verily afraid least the reprochfull and sterne carriage of the Popish priests and monkes towards the Ethiopick ambassadours before mentioned hath more then euer in times past estranged the mindes of that nation from the Christians of Europe Howbeit the singular care and industrie of those two renowmed Princes Iohn the second and Emanuel kings of Portugall is most highly to be extolled and celebrated who by infinit charges emploied vpon their nauigations to The east Indies and to these parts haue opened a way for the European Christians to the southerne church of Ethiopia and for the Ethiopians to this westerne church of Europe Which had not these two woorthie Princes brought to effect we should not so much as haue knowne the name of a Christian church in Ethiopia For thither by the way of Arabia and Egypt in regard of the Arabians and Mahumetans most deadly enmitie to the Christian faith it is so dangerous and difficult to trauell as it seemeth to be quite barred and shut vp Vnlesse therefore ouer the Atlantike Ethiopick and Indian seas the Portugals had thither found a passage by nauigation it had almost beene impossible for any ambassadours or other persons to haue come out of Ethiopia into these westerne parts Thus 〈◊〉 Matthew Dresserus An ambassage sent from Pope Paule the fourth to Claudius the Emperour of Abassia or the higher Ethiopia for planting of the religion and ceremonies of the church of Rome in his dominions which ambassage tooke none effect at all IN the yeere 1555 Iohn the third king of Portugal determined to leaue no meanes vnattempted for the absolute reconciliation of Prete Ianni vnto the church of Rome For though Dauids ambassador had performed obedience to Pope Clement the seuenth on his emperours behalfe yet doubted the king of Portugal as true it was that for want of speedie prosecution those forward beginnings would proue but altogether fruitlesse in that for all this they still embraced the heresies of Dioscorus and Eutiches and depended on the authoritie of the Patriark of Alexandria receiuing their Abuna from him who is the sole arbitrator of all their matters ecclesiasticall the administrer of their sacraments the giuer of orders ouer all Ethiopia master of their ceremonies and Instructer of their faith Whereupon he supposed that he could not do any thing more profitable or necessarie then to send thither a Patriark appointed at Rome who might exercise spirituall authority ouer them as also with him some priests of singular integrity and learning who with their sermons disputations discourses both publike and priuate might reduce those people from their errors and heresies to the trueth and might confirme and strengthen them in the same And vnto this it seemed a wide gate was already open because not many yeeres before Claudius the emperour of Ethiopia receiued great succours from the Portugals against Graadamet king of Zeila who had brought him to an hard point and in a letter written from him to Stephen Gama he called Christopher Gama his brother who died in this war by the reuerend name of a Martyr The king of Portugal therefore hauing imparted this his resolution first with Pope Iulius the third and then with Paul the fourth it was by them concluded to send into Ethiopia thirteene priests men of principall estimation and account aboue others of their qualitie Iohn Nunnes Barretto was made Patriark and there were ioyned vnto him two assisting Bishops Melchior Carnero and Andrea Oiuedo vnder title of the Bishops of Nicea and Hierapolis King Iohn set forth this ambassage not onely with whatsoeuer the voiage it selfe necessarily required but further with all royall preparation and rich presents for Prete Ianni Neuerthelesse the better to lay open an entrance for the Patriarke there was by the kings appointment sent before from the city of Goa Iago Dias and with him Gonsaluo Rodrigo into Ethiopia to discouer the minde of the Neguz and the disposition of his people These two being admitted to the presence of that Prince shewed him the letters of king Iohn wherein he congratulated with him on the behalfe of all Christians for that following the example of his grandfather and father he had embraced the Christian faith and vnion Whereat Claudius was amazed ' as at a thing neuer before thought of And it being demaunded why he had written to the king of Portugal to that effect he excused himselfe by the writer and interpreter of his letter adding thereunto that though hee esteemed that king as his very good brother yet was he neuer minded to swerue one iot from the faith of his predecessors Roderigo for all this was no whit daunted but wrought all meanes to bring Claudius to his opinion But the greatest difficultie against this his busie enterprise was the ignorance of the emperour and the princes of Ethiopia in all the generall Councels and ancient Histories Afterwards perceiuing that the Neguz did not willingly admit him to audience he wrote and diuulged a booke in the Chaldean toong wherein confuting the opinions of the the Abassins he laboured mightily to aduance the authoritie of the Romaine church Which booke raised so great a tumult that the emperour to auoide woorse inconueniences which were likely to ensue was faine quickly to suppresse it Iago Dias perceiuing that he did but loose time the terme of his returne approching tooke his leaue of the Neguz And hauing made knowne in Goa how matters stood it was not thought requisite that the Patriarke should expose his owne person togither with the reputation of the Romaine church vnto so great hazard But rather not wholy to abandon the enterprise they determined to send thither Andrew Ouiedo newe elect bishop of Hierapolis with two or three assistants who with greater authoritie might debate of that which Roderigo alreadie had so vnfruitfully treated of Ouiedo most willingly vndertaking this attempt put himselfe on the voiage with father Emanuel Fernandez and some fewe others When he was come into Abassia he stood in more need of patience then disputation For king Claudius within a fewe moneths after being vanquished and slaine Adamas his brother succeeded who was a great enimie to the sea of Rome This man drew 〈◊〉 and his assistants to the warres with him and
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
the 〈◊〉 purses * Or 〈◊〉 being a kinde of garment * Ilbernus These people liue like the Tartars * Or Salt-peter * Habat * Chauz or Cheuz A dangerous seducer The horrible desolation of Temesne English traffique Anfa destroied by the Portugals Iron-mines Why king Mansor built the towne of Rebat vpon the seashore Where king Mansor was buried Iron-mines Lyons and leopards * Or Sidi * Or 〈◊〉 English traffique Sela woon by a captaine of Castilia and recouered forthwith by the king of Fez. A merchant of Genoa The occasion of the bloody wars mooued by Sahid The citie of Fez besieged for seuen yeeres together * This number as I take it should rather be 819. Most cruell and 〈◊〉 lions The Portugals attempting to build a forte within the mouth of the riuer Subu defeated of their purpose and slaine A lamentable slaughter Iohn Leo his 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Fierce lions Mecnase reduced vnder 〈◊〉 by the king of Fez. Idris the first founder of Fe Idris his 〈◊〉 valour at fifteene yeeres of age * 1526. The number and 〈◊〉 of the Mahumetan 〈◊〉 in Fez. The principall temple of Fez 〈◊〉 Caruven The reuenues of the great temple and how they are bestowed The 〈◊〉 of learning and learned men a principall cause of disorderly base gouernment Iohn Leo in his youth a notarie of an hospitall for two yeeres together * Like vnto our horse-mils The porters of Fez. * 〈◊〉 in his Italian 〈◊〉 calleth it Baioco The gouernour of the shambles in Fez. * In the Italian copie they are called Baiochi * Or 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 vsed in Africa how to keepe the princes tribute and merchants goods in securitie Iohn Leo was at Tauris in Persia. The punishment of malefactors in Fez. * Or Baiochi * Or 〈◊〉 A kinde of 〈◊〉 called Cuscusu The marriage of widowes The circumcision of their children 〈◊〉 Christian ceremonies 〈◊〉 among the 〈◊〉 Their funerals Rewards for poets in Fez. Three sorts of diuiners in Fez. An Arabian grammar written by Iohn Leo. Diuination and soothsaying forbidden by the lawe of 〈◊〉 Diuers Mahumetan sects 〈◊〉 sacked by the Tartars 72. principall sectes in the religion of Mahumet A booke written by Iohn 〈◊〉 of the liues of the Arabian philosophers The habitation of lepers in Fez and their gouernour * Or Aburinan The founder of new Fez. * Orturbant Engins for the conueiance of water The manner of choosing officers in the court of Fez. The king of Fez his guard How the king of Fez rideth on progresse * Or kines folkes The king of Fez his 〈◊〉 of warfare A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hunting of lions vsed by the king of Fez. Tame 〈◊〉 Tame lions A pleasant discourse how king Mansor was entertained by a fisher Read Osorius lib. 2. de rebus gestis Eman. 〈◊〉 this towne The 〈◊〉 of a prouerbe An attempt and defeate of the Portugals * 1562. The taking of Arzilla by the English Arzilla taken by the Portugals Habdulac the last king of the Marin family Read Osorius lib. 5. de rebus gestis Eman. Iohn Leo serued the king of Fez in his wars against Arzilla * Or Boetica Casar Ezzaghir taken by the king of Portugall The entrance of the Moores into Granada * Or çeuta The streits of Gibraltar from Septa but 12. miles broad Septa taken by the Portugals Abu Sahid king of Fez and his sixe sonnes slaine all in one night Threescore thousand Moores slaine * Here seemeth to be an error in the originall Zibibbo A caue or hole that perpetually casteth vp fire Wine that will last fifteene yeeres 〈◊〉 enioyed and reedified by the Spaniards Chasasa taken by the Spaniards Yron-mines * Or Tremisen The great curtesie of Mahumet toward strangers * 1526. Iron-mines Lions leopards and apes A woonderful bridge Porcellan * The beast called Dabah 〈◊〉 and tame serpents * Or Tremizen * Or Oran * Or Mersalcabir 〈◊〉 king of Tremizen restored to his kingdome by the emperour Charles the fift * 1526 Great store of ostriches A ship of great 〈◊〉 The king of Telensin taken prisoner and beheaded * Or Turbant A passage from Europe to Acthiopia through the kingdome of Tremizen Mines of 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oran taken by the Spaniards Mersalcabir surprised by the Spaniards * Perhaps 〈◊〉 Alger become tributarie to the king of Spaine A voyage performed by Iohn 〈◊〉 The citie of Bugia taken by Pedro de Nauarra The hard successe of the king of Tunis his three sonnes Hot baths A fond and senseles 〈◊〉 S. Augustine in times past bishop of Hippo. Great store of corall The fish called 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 * 1526 The building of Cairaoan Tunis subiect vnto Abdul-Mumen and other kings of Maroco * Or perhaps Andaluzia A strange kind of spinning Doble Sugar-Canes * El Mahdia The isle of Sicilie subdued by the gouernour 〈◊〉 The fruit called Habhaziz A riuer 〈◊〉 hot water The lake of lepers The armie of don Ferdinando defeated Gerbi made tributarie vnto Charles the fift by meanes of a knight of the Rhodes Plentie of dates 〈◊〉 taken by a fleete of 〈◊〉 Tripolis surprized by Pedro de Nauarra Iron-mines Most 〈◊〉 saffron The Arabians of Barca most cruell and bloodie theeues * Error The beast called 〈◊〉 The port of Gart 〈◊〉 Copper-mines The strange propertie of the palme or date-tree Indico The flesh of the Ostrich Infinit numbers of Scorpions Mines of lead and antimonie An iron-mine Deadly scorpions Great store of Manna 〈◊〉 mines A whole carouan conducted by a blinde guide who lead them by sent onely as at 〈◊〉 present the Carouans of Maroco are conducted ouer the Libyan deserts to Tombuto The Negros subiect vnto Ioseph king of Maroco Abuacre Izchia This round and white pulse is called Maiz in the west Indies The naturall commodities of Ghinea The Prince of Ghinea kept prisoner by Izchia The prince of Mâ—lli subdued by Izchia Tombuto was conquered by the king of Maroco 1589. from whencâ— he hath for yeerly tribute mightie summes of gold The king of Tombuto his daughters married vnto two rich merchants * 1526. Great scarcitie of salt in Tombuto which commoditie might be supplied by our English merchants to their vnspeakable gaine Reuerence vsed before the king of Tombuto Poysoned arrowes Shels vsed for coine like as in the kingdome of Congo Rich sale for cloth Their maner of sowing 〈◊〉 at the 〈◊〉 of Niger The 〈◊〉 of Guber slaine by Izchia Zingani Agadez tributarie to the king of Tombuto The kings of Zegzeg of Casena and of Cano subdued by Izchia the king of Tombuto Izchia Izchia The king of Zanfara slaine by Izchia and the people made tributarie Gold Izchia The desert of Seu. Fifteene or twentie 〈◊〉 exchanged for one horse A Negro-slaue who hauing slaine his Lord grew to great might and authoritie The riuer of Nilus not naeuigable betweene Nubia and Egypt The rich commodities of Nubia Most strong poyson Zingani Prete 〈◊〉 Bugiha 〈◊〉 450. miles long Gen. 10. 6. * Mesraim