Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	french_a	king_n	prisoner_n	2,998	5	8.6314	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49623	The last account from Fez, in a letter from one of the embassy to a person of honour in London containing a relation of Colonel Kirk's reception at Mequinez, by the Emperour, with several passages in relation to the affairs of Tangier.	One of the embassy.	1682 (1682)	Wing L467; ESTC R2464	5,063	4

The last Account from Fez in a Letter from one of the Embassy to a Person of Honour in London containing a Relation of Colonel Kirk's Reception at Mequinez by the Emperour with several passages in Relation to the Affairs of Tangier MY LORD THis second account of our Journey into Barbary is a debt I owe your Lordship by my promise in my first with Humble dependance on your Lordships Goodness to Pardon the Imperfections of both Leaving the Alazar the 7th of February we were Conducted on our way by the Alcade of Tituan who used us with such extream Care and Kindness that though we met with many Objects worth our Observation yet nothing so much as the Civility and Complement we found from the Chief Men of this Wild and Rude Race of People in seven days march we arrived at Mequinez which is the Versailles of this Kingdom Situated so well for Security and Pleasure that it 's the chosen Seat of this King Muley Ishmael It has been the House of the Successors and First Princes of the Blood But the King refusing to live at his Capital City of Fez has so much Beautified and Enlarged this Place that in time it will be a most Agreeable and Magnificent Palace About a Musquet shott off he has laid the Foundation of a New Castle which by the Misery and Slavery of 500 Christian Slaves continually working upon it he intends to Build in the nature of a Cittadel to contain his Guards and Houshold Their Lines and Fortifications is a thin Wall with Flankers after the manner of German Bourges which though they be not rampiers of Defence against us in Europe yet they are sufficient against any offensive War they are capable of amongst themselves It is a great mistake that is represented to us in England of their being informed by French and other Engineers They scarcely know the use of Cannon but by the direction of some few Christian Slaves Men they take Prisoners The next day after our Arrival Col. Kirk was received by the King in his Garden being accompanied only with four of his Chiefest Councellors and Alcades his Bashaws and General Officers of the Army waiting at the Gate with the Guards After he had delivered his Letters and made his Complement the King returned more favorable answers then could be expected from a Prince so Haughty that his Person is very rarely accessible by any body he told him that in return of the Honour he did him in his Complement he would grant him four years Peace and if by any Spyes he could be informed of a breach of Peace Committed by his Officers he would punish them with extream Severity and in great Zeal he was pleased to tell us we were nothing so much Christians as the Spaniards or French they Worshipping the Cross and Images but that our Opinion was much nearer Paganism and that he would Pray to God to give us Grace to forsake Christ and follow Mahomet After many other expressions in this Infidel manner he told us he referred the terms of the Treaty to Alcade Omar of Alcazor who is his Vice-Roy over all his Majesties Dominions and whose Character is so extraordinary as well for Goodness as Greatness that had I as much Capacity as Zeal I would have described it to your Lordship that the King our Master might know how much his Majesties affairs may be advantaged by the Honesty and Justice of so well Principled a Moor who has been so industriously kind to the Proceedings of this Treaty that it has been his pains alone that has rendred it acceptable to this King who is difficult of access beyond imagination and I am assured his Majesties Embassadours would have met much Impossibilities of effecting any thing but for the use we made of this Discreet Honest Man who has since his acquaintance with Col. Kirk seemed to do very much for his sake and by his Influence on our affairs has prepared matters for an easie method of conclusion we owe great acknowledgments for his kind usage of us not only supplying us plentifully with Necessaries but in as much Fashionable Ceremony as could come from any well bred Man After some time of Discourse the King mounted his Horse and at the head of his Guards drew towards a Plain to give us the opportunity to observe their Exercise and Horse-man-ship which as it was very different to what I have seen in other Services so the only form I can express it by is that of Prison base on Horse back I have seen in France they dividing themselves into two Bodies Skirmish and Charge by Sallies from each side and after firing in full speed they made their Wheel but in so much confusion that not a word of Command can be distinguisht not so much as the Kings Person who was in the midst of all this tumultuous way of Fighting without the least Art of Order which makes me conclude they are the easiest People Conquered I ever saw Our Ranged Armies keeping their Squadrons firm and relieving their Charge with loose Parties after their own manner must take their ground from them and so consequently be Masters of the Field but however they are a very Vigorous and Valiant Enemy their Discipline proportionable to the confused and difficult passages of this Country observing their Ambuscades with the greatest cunning and patience Imaginable But what I find here most exceeding other Nations is their chief breed of Horses which for shape and speed are certainly the most Noble and Rarest Kind in the World their Horses Habits and Furniture on Festival daies make up a figure of extraordinary State and shew their Emulating one another in Equipage of that Nature and though they are plain and poor in every thing else yet the Trappings of their Bridles and Saddles are rich and fine to an incredible degree The King at his return home gave us the liberty to see some of his Horses and the apartment of some of his Lyons he keeps as Prisoners of War but though we passed the Out-Courts of his Pallace yet were not permitted to see the inward Lodgings each Room being a several Cabinet to lock up the Kings Treasure of Women who were almost an Army of Ladies under cruel confinement and bare subsistance of one Mans allowance This insatiable Monarch suffers no Court to be made on the Queens side but with the Majesty and Jealousie of a Game Cock struts in his own Walls and keeps all but Capons or Eunuchs from his Flock of Mistresses and here-if I may be bold with the Character of an Infidel Prince he excells all Mankind in Barbarous and Bloody Actions Massacre and Murder being his Royal Game and Divertisement which that it may not cloy his Majesty in one kind he invents every day a new pastime of Cruelty The day before our Arrival he threw several Moors to his Lyons taking great delight to see those Lawless Princes Publick Executioners of Criminals All that are Sentenc'd