lyeth neerest to the Mediterranean was by the space of seven hundred yeers possessed by the Moores and Saracens who do confesse the Religion of Mahumet the reason whereof Rodericus Toletanus in the third Book of his Story doth shew to be this Rodericus Toletanus that whereas the Saracens after Mahumets time had spred themselves all along Africk even unto the Western part of Barbary a King of Spaine called Rodericus employed in an Embassage to them one Iulian a Nobleman of his who by his wise demeanour procured much reputation amongst the Moores but in the time of his service the King Rodericus destoured the Daughter of the said Iulian which the Father tooke in such indignation that hee procured those Saracens to come over into Spaine that so he might be revenged on his King but when those barbarous people had once set foot in there they could never be remooved untill the time of Ferdinando and Elizabeth King and Queen of Spain about a hundred yeeres since The Authour before named writeth that before the comming of those Moores into Spaine the King Rodericus would needs open a part of a Palace which had been shut long before and had by discent from hand to hand beene forbidden to be entred by any yet the King supposing there had beene great treasure therein broke into it but found nothing there saving in a great Chest the pictures of men who resembled the proportion Attire and Armour of the Moores and a Prophecie joyned therewithall A strange and unexpected prophecie that at that time when the Pallace should be entred such a people as was there resembled should invade and spoile Spaine which fell out accordingly The Spaniards that now are be a very mixt people descended of the Gothes which in former times possessed that Land and of those Saracens and Iews which are the basest people of the World Portugall added to the Kingdome of Spain The Kingdome of Portugall did contain under it Regnum Algarbiorum but both of them are now annexed unto Castile by the cunning of the King of Spaine Philip the Second who tooke the advantage after the death of Sebastian who was slaine in Barbary in the Yeere 1578. Then after him raigned Henry who sometimes was Cardinall and Vncle to Sebastian in whose time although shew was made that it should be lawfully debated unto whom the Crowne of Portugall did belong yet Philip meaning to make sure work did not so much respect the right as by main force invaded and since to the great griefe of the Portugals hath kept it The chiefe City of Portugall is Lisbone Lisbone the chief City of Portugall called in Latine Olysippo from whence those Navigations were advanced by which the Portugals discovered so much of their South part of Africk of the East Indies possessed by them to this day The City from whence the Castilians do set forth their ships to the West Indies is Sevill Sevill called in Latine Hispalis Another great City in Spain is Toledo Toledo where the Archbishopricke is the richest spirituall dignity of Christendome the Papacy onely excepted The magnificent greatnes of Spain and Portugall In the time of Damianus à Goes there were reckoned to be in Spain foure Archbishoprickes of great worth three other inferiour and forty Bishopricks as also in Portugall three Archbishoprickes and eight Bishopricks Hee reckoneth up also in Spaine besides the great Officers of the Crown 17 Dukes 41 Marquesses 87 Earles or CouÌ„ts 9 Viscounts as also in Portugall besides the Officers of the Crown six Dukes 4 Marquesses nineteen Earles and one Vicount In Spaine he saith are seven Vniversities The Country is but dry and so consequently barren in comparison of some other places What commodities it doth yeeld it may be seen in the Treatise of Damianus a Goes which hee calleth his Hispania Not onely this great and large Countrey heretofore divided into so many Kingdomes is now under one absolute King but that King also is Lord of many other Territories as namely of the Kingdome of Naples in Italy and the Dutchy of Millaine of the Isles of Sicily Sardinia Majorque Minorque Evisa In the mid-land Sea of the Ilands of the Canaries in the Atlantique besides divers strong Towns and goodly Havens in Barbary within without the Straits On the back side of Africk he commands much on the Frontiery besides the Islands adjoyning to the mayn Land In the Western Indies he hath Mexico Peru Brasil large Territories with the Islands of the South the North Sea And Philip the Second getting Portugall as a Dowry to that forc't Marriage got also all the dependances of that Crown in Africke the East Indies and the Atlantique Sea the Towns of Barbary and the East Indies willingly submitting themselves unto him but the Terceras hee wonne by force at the first and second Expedition so if we consider the huge tract of ground that is under this Kings Dominion The Empery of the Kingdome of Spain the greatâ—st in the Christian World wee will say that the Empery of the King of Spain is in that respect the largest that now is or ever was in the World Of France France how bounded THE next Countrey is France which is bounded on the West with the Pyrenie hils on the North with the English Seas on the East with Germany on the South-east with the Alpe-hils on the Southwest with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of France is for one entire thing France oâ—â— of the most absolute kingdomes of the World one of the most rich and absolute Monarchies of the World having both on the North and South side the Sea standing very convenient for profit of Navigation and the land it selfe being ordinarily very fruitfull The consideration wherof caused Francis the first King of France to compare this Kingdome alone to all the Dominions and Seigniories of Charles the fifth Emperour for when the Herauld of the sayd Charles bidding Defiance to King Francis did give his Majestie the title of Emperour of Germany King of Castile Arragon Naples Sicilie c. Francis commanded his Herauld to call him so often King of France as the other had Titles by all his Countryes implying that France alone was of as much strength and worth as all the Countries which the other had Concerning this Argument see the warlike and politike Discourses of Monsieur de la Nove. He who writeth the Commentaries of Religion and state of France doth shew that when there had beene of late in France in the dayes of Francis the second and Charles the ninth three Civill warres which had much ruinated the glory and beauty of that Kingdome Civil wars in France when a little before the great Massacre in the yeare one thousand five hundred seventy two there had beene peace in that Country scant full two yeares yet so great is the riches and happinesse of that Kingdome that in that short time
of a Duke which raigneth as an absosute Prince and by little and little hath so incroched on his own Citizens and Neighbours round about him that hee hath gotten to be called and that not unworthily Magnus Dux Hetruriae or the great Duke of Tuscany The great Duke of Tuscany A great part of the rising of the Family of the Medices which are now Dukes of Florence may be ascribed to the cunning carriage of themselves but it hath been much advanced forward by their felicitie in having two Popes together of that house which were Leo the Tenth and Clement the Seventh who by all means laboured to stablish the government of their Country upon their kindred and it made not the least accesse thereunto that affinity was contracted by them with the Kings of France when Katherine de Medices Neece to Pope Clement the Seventh was married to the younger sonne of Francis the first whose elder brother dying that younger came to be King of France by the name of Henry the Second for as in the time of her Husband she layd the foundation of her aspiring so after the death of the sayd husband when she bare the name of the Queene Mother This Queen Mother swayed all at her pleasure in France during the successive raigne of her three sonnes Francis the Second Charles the ninth and Henry the third in all which time no doubt she promoted Florence and the Florentines to her uttermost A great part of Italy under the Bishop of Rome A good part of Italy is under the Bishop of Rome which is commonly called The land of the Church where the Pope is a Prince absolute not only spirituall as elsewhere hee claymeth but also temporall making Lawes requiring Tribute raising Souldiers executing Iustice as a Monarch The Bishops of Rome do pretend that Constantine the Great did bestow upon them the City of Rome together with divers other Cities and Towns neere adjoyning and the Demeans of them all to be as the Patrimony of Saint Peter as many times they do tearme it But Laurentius Valla in his set Treatise of this argument hath displayed the falshood of that pretence and in truth the greatnesse of the Popes hath risen first by Phocas who killing his Master the Emperour of Rome The manner of the rising of the Popes greatnesse and being favoured by the Bishop of that Sea and so aspiring himself to the Empire did in recompence thereof suffer the Bishop of Rome to be proclaimed Vniversall Bishop and of likelihood gave unto him somewhat to maintain his estate And afterward King Pipin of France and Charles the Great his sonne getting by means of the said Bishop the Kingdome of France and the one of them to the Empire did bestow good possessions upon the Papacy and since that time the Popes have had so much wit as by destruction of the Princes of Italy by encroaching on the favour of others the great Monarchs of Europe and by their warres and other devices to keepe and increase that Land of the Church which in our time is well inlarged by the policy of Clement the Eighth late Pope who hath procured that the Dukedome of Ferrara is or shal be shortly added to his Dominion Rome the chief residency of the Pope The chief residence of the Bishop of Rome is Rome it selfe which was first founded by Romulus and afterwards so increased by others who succeeded him that it was built upon seven hils hath had only raigning in it seven Kings and hath been ruled by seven severall sorts of chief government that is Kings Consuls Decem-viri Tribunes of the people Dictators Emperours and Popes They first incroached on the neighbours about them in Italy afterwards on all Italy Sicily some of the Ilands till at length it proved to be the Lady and chief Mistresse of the world whose incredible wealth and greatnes in men treasure shipping and armour was so huge that it did even sink under the wealth of it self Wherupon after divers civill wars as between Marius and Sylla Pompey and Caesar with others it was at length revoked unto one absolute and Imperiall government The Majesty wherof notwithstanding was afterward somewhat impayred by the building of Constantinople which was erected or rather inlarged by Constantine the Great and called Nova Roma But when the division was made of the East and West Empire it received a greater blow yet the main overthrow of it was when the Gothes and Vandals entred Italy sacked it and possessed it at their own pleasure so that it was for a time almost quite forsaken and had no inhabitants till the Bishops of Rome did make means to gather together some to people it againe and since those times a good part of the old building upon the Hils hath beene quite decayed ruinated and that Rome which now may be called in comparison of the old new Romes is built on a lower ground where the place was which in times past was termed Campus Martius very neer unto Tyber the River which too well appeareth by the sudden inundation of that Tyber destroying and spoyling men cattell and houses as very lately to their great losse was experimented The Bishops of Rome as sometimes for their pleasure or profit they do withdraw themselves unto Bologna or some other Townes of Italy so the time was when they removed their court unto Avignon a City in France standing neer the Mediterranean soa and not far from Marsiles in Province where continuing for the space of seventy yeers they so afflicted the Citie of Rome for lack of resort which is very great when the Pope is there that the Italians to this day do remember that time by the name of the Captivity of Babylon which continued as appeareth by the Scripture for seventy yeeres Who so looketh on the description laid down by the Holy Ghost in the Revelation shall see that the Whore of Babylon there mentioned can be understood of no place but the Citie of Rome In the South part of Italy lyeth the Kingdome of Naples which is a Country very rich Nap'es lyeth in the South part of Italy and full of all kind of pleasure abundant in Nobility whereof commeth to be said that Proverb Naples for Nobilitie Rome for Religion Millain for Beauty Florence for Policie and Venice for Riches This was heretofore ruled by a King of their own till the time of Ioane Queene of Naples who by deed of gift did first grant that Kingdom to the Kings of Arragon in Spain and afterward by will with a revocation of the former Grant did bequeath it to the house of Anjoy in France Since which time the Kingdome of Naples hath sometimes been in the hands of the Spaniard somtimes possessed by the French and is now under the King of Spain The Dukedome of Calabria unto this is annexed also the Dukedome of Calabria This Kingdome of Naples lyeth so neere to some part of Graecia which is
honourable government is established which wee now see at this day It is supposed that the Faith of * The religion ve y ancient which they nâ—w professe Christ was first brought into this Land in the dayes of the Apostles by Ioseph of Arimathaea Simon Zelotes and some other of that time but without doubt not long after it was found here which appeareth by the Testimony of Tertullian who lived within lesse then two hundred yeares after Christ And there are Records to shew that in the dayes of Eleutherius one of the ancient Bishops of Rome * K. Lucius he first that here received Baptisme and the Gospel King Lucius received here both Baptisme and the Gospel in so much that it is fabulous vanity to say that Augustine the Monk was the first that here planted the Christian Faith For hee lived six hundred yeares after Christ in the time of Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome before which time Gildas is upon great reason thought to have lived here of whom there is no doubt but that hee was a learned Christian Yea and that may bee perceived by that which Beda hath in his Ecclesiasticall Story concerning the comming in of Augustine the Monke that the Christian Religion had beene planted here before but that the puritie of it in many places was much decayed and also that many people in the Iland were yet Infidels For the conversion of whom as also for the reforming of the other Austine was sent hither where hee behaved himselfe so proudly that the best of the Christians which were here did mislike him In him was erected the Arch-bishopricke of Canterbury which amongst old Writers is still termed Dorebernia the Archbishops doe reckon their succession by number from this Augustine * Note The reason wherefore Gregory the great is reported to have such care for the conversion of the Ethnicks in Brittaine was because certaine young Boyes were brought him out of this Countrey which being very goodly of countenance as our Countrey Children are therein inferiour to no Nation in the World hee asked them what Countrey-men they were and it was replyed that they were Angli he said they were not unfitly so called for they were Angli tanquam Angeâ—i Nam vultum habent Angelorum And demanding further of what Province they were in this Iland it was returned that they were called Deires which caused him againe to repeate that word and to say that it was great pitty but that by being taught the Gospell they should be saved de ira Dei England hath since the time of the Conquest growne more and more in riches insomuch that now more then 300 yeares since No countrey like England in the time of King Henry the third it was an ordinary speech that for wealth this Countrey was Puteus inexhaustus a Well that could not be drawne dry Which conceit the King himselfe as Mathew Paris writeth did often suggest unto the Pope who thereupon tooke advantage abusing the simplicity of the King to sucke out inestimable summes of money to the intolerable grievance of both the Clergie and Temporality And among other things to bring about his purpose the Pope did perswade the King that he would invest his young Sonne in the Kingdome of Apulia which did containe a great part of all Naples and for that purpose had from thence many thousands besides infinite summes which the King was forced to pay for interest to the Popes Italian Vsurers Since that time it hath pleased God more and more to blesse this Land but never more plentifully than in the dayes of our late and now raigning Soveraigne whose raigne continuing long in peace hath peopled the Land with abundance of inhabitants * The Riches of the Countrey hath stored it with Shipping Armour and Munition hath fortified it many wayes hath increased the trafficke with the Turke and Muscovite and many parts of the earth farre distant from us hath much bettered it with building and enriched it with Gold and Silver that it is now by wise men supposed that there is more Plate within the Kingdome then there was Silver when her Majesty came to the Crown Some Writers of former times yea and those of our owne Country too have reported that in England have been Mynes of Gold or at the least some Gold taken out of other Mynes which report hath in it no credit in as much as the Countrey standeth too cold neither hath it sufficient force of the Sunne to concoct and digest that Mettall But truth it is that our Chronicles doe witnesse that some Silver hath beene taken up in the Southerne parts as in the Tinne-Mynes of Devonshire and Cornewall and such is sometimes found now but the vertue thereof is so thinne that by that time it is tryed and perfectly fined it doth hardly quit the cost notwithstanding ' Lead Iron and such baser mettals be here in good plenty The same reason which hindreth gold ore from being in these parts that is to say the cold of the climate doth also hinder that there is no wine whose Grapes grow here For although wee have Grapes which in the hotter and warme Summers doe prove good but yet many times are nipped with the frost before they be ripe yet notwithstanding they never come to that concocted maturity as to make sweet and pleasant wine yet some have laboured to bring this about therefore have planted vineyards to their great cost and trouble helping and ayding the soyle by the uttermost diligence they could but in the end it hath proved to very little purpose The most rich commodity which our Land hath naturally growing is * The rich commodity of Wooll Wooll for the which it is renowned over a great part of the Earth For our Clothes are sent into Turkie Venice Italy Barbary yea as far as China of late besides Muscovy Denmark and other Northern Nations for the which we have exchange of much other Merchandize necessary for us here besides that the use of this wooll doth in severall labours set many thousands of our people in worke at home which might otherwise be idle * Bridges Amongst the Commendations of England as appeareth in the place before named is the store of good Bridges whereof the most famous are London Bridge and that at Rochester In divers places here there bee also Rivers of good Name but the greatest glory doth rest in three * Rivers the Thames called in Latine of Tame and Isis Tamesis Severne called Sabrina and Trent which is commonly reputed to have his name of trente the French word signifying thirty which some have expounded to be so given because thirty severall Rivers doe run into the same And some other doe take it to bee so called because there bee thirty severall sorts of Fishes in that water to bee found the names whereof doe appeare in certain old Verses recited by Master Camden in his Booke of the Description of
all things were renewed and repaired againe as if there had never beene any such desolation Revenue of the Crowne of France exceeding great The Revenue of the Crowne of France is exceeding great by reason of the Taxes and Impositions which through the whole Kingdome are layd upon the subjects for their Sizes and Toules doe exceed all Imposts and tributes of all the Princes of Christendome in as much as there are few things there used but the King hath a commodity issuing out of them and not onely from matters of Luxury as in other States but from such things as be of necessity as Flesh Wood Salt c. It is supposed at this day that there be in the Kingdome thirty thousand men who are Vnder-officers and make a good part of their living by gathering of the Kings tribute This is much increased no doubt in these latter times but yet of old it was in so great measure which caused that speech of Maximilian the Emperour as Iohannes Aventinus witnesseth de Bello Turcico who said that the Emperour of Germany was Rex Regum meaning that his Princes were so great men The King of Spaine was Rex hominum because his people would obey their Prince in any reasonable moderation The King of England was Rex Diabolorum because the subjects had there divers times deprived their Kings of their Crownes and dignitie But the King of France was Rex asinorum in as much as his people did beare very heavy burthens of taxes and impositions In France the offices of Iustice bought and sold In this Kingdome of France is one great miserie to the subjects that the places and offices of Iustice are ordinarily bought and sold the beginning whereof was this Lewis the 12. who was called a Father of the Country began to pay the debts of his predecessour Charles the 7. which were very great and intending to recover unto France the Dukedome of Millaine and minding not to burden his people further than was need thought it a good course to set at sale all the Offices of the Crowne but with the places of Iustice he did not meddle But his successors after him tooke occasion also to make great profit of them witnesse the Author contra Machiavel lib. 1. cap. 1. By the customes of that Countrey The Custome of France for mustering and pressing Souldiers the King of France hath not that absolute power to muster and presse out Souldiers as in England and some other places of Christendome the Princes have But the manner is when the King will set forward any Military Service he sendeth abroad his Edicts or causeth in Cities and good Townes the Drum to be strucken up and whosoever will voluntarily follow he is enrolled Notwithstanding he wanteth few Souldiers because the Noble and Gentlemen of France doe hold it their dutie and highest honour both to attend the King unto the warres and to beare their own charges yearely for many moneths The person of the King of France hath in former time beene reputed so sacred that Guicciardine saith of them that their people have regarded them in that respect of devotion as if they had beene de mi-gods And Machiavel in his Questions upon Livie saith that they doted so upon their Kings that they thought every thing did become them which they did and that nothing could be more disgracefull than to give any intimation that such or such a thing was not well done by their King But this opinion is now much decayed the Princes of the bloud are in the next ranke under the King himselfe Paris the chiefe City of France There be many and very rich goodly Cities in France but the chiefest of all is Paris called Lutetia quasi Luto sita as some have merrily spoken which place is especially honoured first by the presence of the King most commonly keeping Court and residence there secondly by the great store of goodly houses whereof part belong to Noble men and part are houses of Religion thirdly by the Vniversity which is incomparably the greatest most ancient and best filled of all France fourthly in that it is the chiefe Parliament City of that Kingdome without the ratification of which Parliament at Paris Edicts and Proclamations comming from the King are not held authenticall fiftly by the great traffique of all kinde of Merchandize which is used in that place The Parliament Cities in France are places where their Termes are kept and in severall provinces are 7. unto which the causes of inferiour Courts within their distinct Provinces may be brought by appeale but the Parliament of Paris hath that prerogative that appeales from all Courts of the Kingdome doe lie there That which we call our Parliament in England is amongst them tearmed Conventus Ordinum or the States The kingdome of France divided into three parts France in ancient time as Casar reporteth in the first of his Commentaries was divided into three parts Aquitania which was towards the West Celtica towards the North and West and Belgica which is towards the North. Belgium is sometime called Gallia inferior and sometimes Germania inferior but wee commonly call it the Low-Countries the governement whereof at this day is not at all under France but Gallia Celtica and Aquitania are under the French King Gaules the ancient inhabitants of France The ancient inhabitants of this Countrey were the Gaules who possessed not onely all that we now call France being the greatest part of that the Romans called Gallia Transalpina but also a good part of Italy which they call Gallia Cisalpina a people whose beginnings are unknowne this of them is certaine that they were a Nation of valour for they not onely sackt Rome but also carried their conquering armes into Greece where they sate down and were called by the name of Gallogrecians or Galathians Some report also that they entred into Spaine and subdued and inhabited that part which was called Lusitania now Portugallia but howsoever their former victories and greatnesse they were by Julius Caesar subdued and made a province of the people of Rome and so continued under the Roman Empire till about foure hundred yeares after Christ when in the ruine and dismembring of the Roman Empire the French invaded Gaule and erected a Monarchie which hath continued to this day in the succession of sixty foure Kings of three severall races that is to say the Merovingians Carolovingians and Capevingians about twelve hundred yeares and now flourisheth under Lewis the 13. the now raigning King of France Although the French have done many things worthily out of their owne Countrey in the East against the Saracens although they have for a while held Sicily the Kingdome of Naples and the Dutchy of Millaine yet it hath been observed of them that they could never make good their footing beyōd the Alps France one of the strongest kingdomes in all Europe or in other forraigne Regions howbeit in it selfe France is one of the
Barbarie hath in old time beene called Mauritania which was divided into two parts the East part whereof next to Africa minor was called by the Romanes Mauritania Caesariensis as the other was called Mauritania Tingitana In Mauritania Caesariensi was the Countrey of Numidia the people whereof were used in the Warres of the Carthaginians as Light-horsmen and for all nimble services were very active In the East part of this Countrey standing in the Sea was that famous Citie of Carthage Carthage a famous City supposed to be built by Dido who came from Tyrus This City was it which for the space of some hundred yeares contended with Rome for the Empire of the World In the Romane Histories are recorded the great Warres which the people of Rome had with the City of Carthage In the first warre of the three the contention was for the Iles of Cicilia Corsica and Sardinia when the victory fell to the Romans and the Carthaginians were glad to redeeme their peace with the leaving of those Ilands The second warre was begun by Hannibal who brake the League and after he had taken some part of Spain from the Romanes and sacked Saguntum a Citie of their Friends came first over the Pyrenay hils to France then over the Alpes to Italy where hee overthrew the Romanes in three great Battels and much endangered their estate hee continued in Italy with his Army sixteene yeares till Scipio attempting on Carthage forced Hannibal to returne to rescue his owne Countrey There was Hannibal overthrowne and his City put to a great pension by Scipio who for his victory there was named Africanus In the third Warre because the people of Carthage still brake the League their City was razed to the very ground by the earnest and continuall counsell of Cato the Elder fearing evermore so dangerous a Neighbour though Scipio Nasica counselled to the contrary fearing lest if the dread of that enemy were taken away the Romans would grow either to idlenesse or civill dissention which after they did It is reported of Cato that hee never spake his judgement of any thing in the Senate but his conclusion was thus Thus I think for this matter and withall that Carthage is to be razed down And Scipio Nasica would reply in his conclusion Thus I thinke for this matter and withall that Carthage is not to bee razed down Livie reporteth that the way whereby Cato prevayled that Carthage should be razed downe was this while the question was very hot hee bringeth into the Senâ—te house greene Figges and let the Senatours understand that the same day three weeks those Figges were growing in Carthage Town wherby hee made manifest unto them that it was possible that an Army might be conveyed from Carthage to Rome in so short a time as that they would not be able on a suddaine to resist and so Rome might be surprized whereby they all concluded that it was no safety for their City to have a bad Neighbour so neer unto them In this Countrey toward the West not farre from Carthage stood Vtica whereof the younger Cato was tearmed Cato Vticensis because hee killed himselfe there in the civill warres betwixt Caesar and Pompey because he would not come within the hands of his enemy Caesar Not farre from thence westward standeth Hippo which was the City where S. Augustine was Bishop This whole Countrey at this day is called the Kingdome of Tunis the King whereof is a kinde of stipendary unto the Turke the people that inhabit there are generally Saracens and doe professe Mahumet Some doe write that Tunis standeth in the very place where olde Carthage was which is not so but is situated very neere unto the old ruines of the other Against the king of Tunis Charles the fift had some of his warres by Sea Of Mauritania Tingitana THe other part of Barbary that lyeth along the Mediterranean farthest into the West was called in old time Mauritania Tingitana The people of which Countrey were those which almost in al the old Histories were called by the name of Mauri Those of the other Mauritania being rather termed Numidae Into the North-west part therof did Hercules come and there did set up one of his pillars which answereth to the other in Spain they both being at the straits of Gilbralter in times past called Fretum HerculeuÌ„ On the South part thereof lay the * The kingdome of Bocchus kingdom of Bocchus which in the time of Marius had so much to doe with the Romans In the west part of this Mauritania standeth the Hill called Atlas minor Atlas minor Atlas major on the South part is the great Hill called Atlas major whereof the maine Ocean which lyeth betweene Mauritania and America is called Mare Atlanticum This hill is so high that unto those who stood on the bottome of it it seemed to touch heaven with his shoulders This Countrey hath beene long inhabited by the Saracens who from thence finding it to be but a short passage into Spaine did goe over now seven hundred yeares agoe and possessed there the Kingdome of Granado on the South side of Spaine till they were thence expelled by Ferdinandus and Elizabeth or Isabel King and Queene of Castile In this Countrey since that time have the Spaniards taken some Cities and Holds and so also have the Portugals which by the divers event of victory have often beene lost and won by them Here it was that the Emperour Charles the Fift had divers of his great Warres against the Moores as well as in the Kingdome of Tunis For the assistance of one who claymed to bee King of a part of this Countrey did Sebastian the King of Portugale goe with all his power into Africa in the Yeare 1578. where unadvisedly bearing himselfe hee was slaine together with two other the same day who claymed to be Kings so that there it was that the Battell was fought whereof it was said that * Three Kings slaine in one day at the battle of Aleazar three Kings died in one day which battell is called the battell of Aleazar and was the ruine of the Kingdome of Portugale and the cause of the uniting it to the Crowne of Spaine Astrologers did suppose that the blazing Starre which appeared the Yeare before did signifie that ill event This whole Countrey doth maintaine in it besides some Imperiall Government two absolute Kingdomes * The kingdome of Fezâ— the one of Fezza or Fez which lyeth on the North part toward the Mediterranean and Spain the other is the Kingdome of * The kingdome of Morocco Morroco which lyeth from above the Hill Atlas minor to the South and West part of Mauritania These are both Saracens as be also their people holding true League with the Turke and with some other Christian Princes a League onely for Traffick and Merchandize It may be doubted whether it was in this Mauritania Tingitana or rather but neere unto it in Mauritania Caesariensi