And especially seeing in the periods thereof I find it rigorous it seemeth to me to be but losse of time to treat of recouery Hence-forward therefore let no more paines be taken in that behalfe For I am very conformable to the will of our Souereigne God and do giue him infinite thankes for this great fauour which he vouchsafeth me in taking me out of the troubles and calamities of this miserable life Then hee caused the King Abilgualit and the Infant Abraham Alamzari to bee called who being come before him on their knees and halfe prostrate on the ground kissed his hand and he giuing them his blessing said thus vnto them My deare and welbeloued Sonnes the last period of my life is now at hand the Souereigne God being pleased to take mee out of this World That which I admonish you is that yee loue like true Brethren holding good conformitie in your minds and confirming it with good deeds for so shall yee liue in Peace and no enemie shall bee able to hurt you And if yee continue not in Peace and good conformitie yee shall soone see your Kingdomes ouerthrowne And turning his eyes to the Infant Abraham he said thus And you Sonne Abraham on paine of my curse I command you that you be alwaies obedient to the King Abilgualit your brother and hold him hence-forward in my place for your true Father and Lord for I am confident in his wisdome and vertue that he will hold and vse and regard you as his Sonne Then directing his eyes to his Sonne Abilgualit hee said And so I command and charge you Sonne Abilgualit on like paine And they lamenting and weeping in such sort that they could scarce speake answered that they would obey him Then he called in his Alcaydes the Gouernours of his Kingdomes those of his highest Councels and the men of wisdome and learning who attended in the vtter chamber the rest of his kinsmen friends who when they had saluted him and kissed his hand he commanded his Morabito Mahomet Algazeli who being his fauorite sate at his beds head with the helpe of other attendants to lift him out of his bed and sitting spake thus vnto them My beloued Sonnes and true Friend in our Soueraigne God The time is now come in which my Soule is to passe out of this miserable world to yeeld account of the good and euill which I haue done in this life I haue beene King and Gouernour of these Kingdomes and haue bred you taught you cherished and loued you as a Father and haue also chastened your excesses and ouer-bold attempts with zeale and desire to doe that which was requisite But being a man I know that in all things I haue erred as a man for wee are all weake and miserable Sinners I therefore earnestly intreate and beseech you with all humilitie that if I be any way indebted to any of you that yee presently declare it and that I may cause him to bee recompenced And if there be none I aske pardon of you all in generall of that which is past for I for my part doe pardon and forgiue whatsoeuer in word or deed is by mee to bee pardoned of any errours or neglects of yours which you haue committed against mee And this only I lay before you that hee which vseth not Mercie towards his Neighbour must expect none at Gods hands at the last judgement Which when they had heard so great was the griefe they all conceiued and such plentie of teares in their eyes that they could not answer a word for a good space considering that by losing their King Iacob Almansor they lost their chiefest good so great was the loue which they bore him Yet after awhile they answered that they all did pardon him and if need were would giue all their goods and aduenture their liues for him If hee were so pleased to command as readily as they or any of their Ancestors had formerly done for his seruice and that hee should no way doubt of their pardon and promise since they were there present to fulfill it Then the King Almansor could not refraine weeping yet rendred great thankes for their louing offer and blessed them worning them also that neither they nor any other Friends of his should faile to be present at his buriall for in their loue hee receiued great consolation Which they all promised and departed from his presesence so afflicted and sorrowfull that they shut vp themselues in such sort that in three dayes there was no Councell held nor any businesse dispatched in Court vntill he somewhat amended and then they sell to negotiating and dispatching affaires yet with griefe and sorrow for their good King as they had great reason CHAP. XII How the King Iacob Almansor dyed Of his sumptuous Enterment his Tombe and Monument and of the Epitaphes ingrauen on his Sepulchre THe amendement of the King Iacob Almansor was not such as out of which any certaine signe of Recouery could be had but it was rather a space for the Indication of the last Parocisme of Death during this Interpolation So that albeit his Seruants were in some hope the good King being well assured of his death neglected no moment nor minute for the disposing of all things as hee held himselfe bound Hee willed all his moueable goods and monies to be giuen to the poore for Gods sake which were forthwith distributed accordingly Then he gaue libertie to all his Slaues and Bondmen Hee reserued nothing but only his Librarie charging the King Abilgualit he should keepe it for himselfe and esteeme it as it deserued and that in lieu thereof hee should place in marriage a thousand poore Orphans gining to euery of them a thousand Miticales in marriage On the fift day after hee died naturally leauing this present life on Thursday in the last watch of the night on the third day of the Moone Rageb in the hundred and second yeare of the Hixera On the day following This yeare in about the yeare of our Redemption 723. the King Abilgualit wrote vnto all the Alcaydes of his Kingdomes a Letter to this effect that they all should mourne and solemnize his Funerall Prayse bee giuen to the Souereigne God Amen Hereupon they gaue order for his Enterment for which the King Iacob Almansor had prepared and framed on the top of a high Hill on the Southside of that House called Albazatin that sumptuous Hermitage which is there seene at this present and adioyning to it his Sepulchre being a Vault made of a rich kind of Iasper of such largenesse as would containe fortie persons and vpon it caused a solid stone to be erected on foure Pillars of Alablaster and on the sides foure smooth stones with his Epitaphs written in them in the greater Arabicke verses with a very faire Character This Sepulchre is about a mile distant from the House of Albazatin There were assembled at his Funerall fifteene hundred Alfaqui or principall Priests with the
be sorrowfull then to ordaine Feasts and Triumphs with Musicke and Disports which in effect were vsed according as is vsually accustomed Let these things but passe through your memorie and clearer vnderstanding and then Pride and Ambition will fall vnder your feet and you shall easily subdue them For I assure you that one dramme of Pride will weigh heauier then one hundred Quintals of good vnderstanding in the wisest man in the World and see it is the verie gate by which the Deuill the accursed of God entreth to tempt men and ouercommeth captiuateth and ouerthroweth them into the fearefull horrible euerlasting Hell from which the Souereigne God for his great Mercie free vs and deliuer vs. Amen The fourth thing of which I admonish you is that you yeeld Justice administring it indifferently to all that shall aske it for I assure you that the King which shall not so administer it will soone be dispossessed of his Kingdome as a man vnworthy to reigne For God permitteth vnbeleeuing in this World reseruing the chastisement thereof for the day of his finall Iudgement and maintaineth the World and all his creatures with Iustice and Mercie albeit some are without the true knowledge of him but he readily chastiseth with rigour euen in this life vniustice and wickednesse when malice increaseth and men are obstinate therein like a Iust Iudge as he is Be no teller of Lies for it is the basest thing in the World and the Lier is the Deuils Disciple a man without Vertue a Traitour to the Truth and an enemy therof one to whom no credit is to be giuen the least punishment that men allot him is that although he speake the truth yet he is not beleeued Let your Speech be moderate that men may not note you for a Pratler which would make you vnregarded and held for a man of little discretion All these good aduertisements in my Letter haue their contraries and therefore our Souereigne God gaue you freedome of will and liberty of choice that you might follow the good and of chew the euill and without his helpe you can doe nothing This only I will warne you that you set God before you in all your waies doing Iustice with charity simplicitie and vprightnesse and you shall not erre whatsoeuer you take in hand And although I might write much more in this Letter Yet this may suffice for there is included in it whatsoeuer can bee required of him that will well consider of it to put it in practice as I intend it to his intire satisfaction which I doubt not but you will performe with the helpe of our Souereigne God his blessing and grace whom I humbly pray and beseech to grant it you as I giue you mine and haue you in his keeping Amen From this house of Albasatin the twentieth day of Rageb in the ninetie and fixth yeere This Letter being receiued by the King Abilgualit made him reioyce exceedingly he tooke so earnestly to heart this his Fathers reprehension and put his Rules in practice in such sort that he caused them that serued him to admire for hee endeauoured with great care and diligence to amend the faults and negligences which hee had committed especially in administring Iustice and began to follow the footsteps of the King Almansor his Father in his manner of Gouernment and in all the rest that hee vsed whiles hee raigned in so much that in very short time he made them see the amendement hee had made of his Life and Gouernment in such sort that all his Alcaydes were much contented therewith though in some particular distasted for in all other things he could imitate his Father sauing only in his Liberalitie and Charitie sodim these the King Almansor did much exceed him And this I beleeue was the chiefe cause that hee neuer got so good a name as his Father For certainly Liberalitie is a great vertue in Kings wherewith they draw the minds of men to loue and serue them vnfaynedly with claritie who on the contrarie when they feele not their own interest comming let fall the wings of their courage and cheerefulnesse louing and seruing more coldly and faintly because the irascible facultie hauing her residence as she hath in the heart and louing to be honoured and esteemed and desirous to haue her trauailes gratified with selfe proper interest when that ceasseth the working of the will doth ceasse Especially in men of the Sword which of all others are most necessarie for Kings as well for preseruing their Estates as for the conquering of new Kingdomes and Signiories Which was the chiefe cause that this King Abilgualit could neuer get any new Prouinces but with much difficultie preserued that Kingdome which he had inherited from his Father and was at the point to haue lost all for want of being free and generous towards his men of warre as was requisite for their encouragement for they being accustomed 〈◊〉 such gratification and largesse as the King Iacob Almansor vsed towards them grew soone distasted with the contrarie in his Sonne Abilgualit which was the cause that he could neuer rayse any Army by Land or by Sea worth the speaking of to doe any seruice of account which merited the remembrance of Histories This may suffice for this particular seeing my purpose is onely to write the life of the King Iacob Almansor CHAP. XI How King Iacob Almansor became sicke to to Death and how he assembled his wisemen and the rest of the Alcaydes Of his prudent speech hee made them and the Pardon hee demanded of them THe King Almansor spending his time quietly in that house of Albazatin and Albillan in company of Mahomet Algazeli and his Disciples after some time fell sicke of an infirmitie of long continuance and seeing himselfe to weare away and that all the remedies which his Physicians applyed profited little one day when they were about him in consultation concerning his Disease and the difficultie of the Cure by reason of the manifold Syntomes his great age and debilitie of Nature considered hee said thus vnto them Yee my Physicians endeauour and labour to restore my health but if Gods pleasure be otherwise your purpose is but vaine For I assure you that when God hath determined to end a mans life the Medicines ministred by the Physicians doe little auaile him but serue rather to the hastening his end And so doe I conceiue of those which yee haue hitherto applyed vnto me I lay no blame on you but commend your Learning and Knowledge and that good affection wherewith you haue endeauoured to recouer my health for which I thanke you and esteeme as much of your seruice as if you had preuailed But I will not suffer you to be any longer deceiued for the first day that I fell into this infirmitie I assured my selfe it would be my death knowing the same to bee a lingring extraordinary Disease differing from the rest which I haue endured in the course of my life
Alfaqui Mayor of the Mezquita of his Court and the Morabito Mahometo Algazeli with all his Monkes or Disciples and the King Abilgualit and the Infant Abraham his Brother with all their Seruants the Alcaydes that were Gouernours and those of the Supreme Councels with their Presidents and all the other Alcaydes of the Court whether of Peace or of Warre which were twelue hundred in number The common people being there innumerable for there was almost none but would bee present at this Solemnitie All these Courtiers and Alfaqui were clad in mourning garments trayling their Royall Ensignes and Standards on the ground That which was most to be noted was the abundance of teares flowing from them and the great mourning and lamentation they all made that day especially when they saw their good King laid in his Sepulchre and the entrance thereof closed and fast mured vp with stone hauing no farther hope to see him any more Praysed bee God Amen For the good which commeth to vs by his hand And thus ended this good King leaning an eternall memorie of himselfe among those that should come after The Epitaphs on his Sepulchre were composed by Mahomet Algazeli and are these that follow The first Epitaph HEere lyeth buried the high and highly reuerenced King of most Noble Birth famous Race and Linage descended of eightie and two Kings Abilgualit Miramamolin Iacob Almanfor who was worthily called the Conquerour being neuer ouercome the famousest of the Sonnes of Nasts Abu Malique Seeing hee wonne eightie and sixe Battailes by Sea and by Land and tooke fiue Kings subdued three parts of the World Asia Africke and Europe and gaue Peace and Tranquilitie to his Subiects obseruing Iustice with benignitie and mercie This is he that vsed Charitie and augmented his Religion hauing at his owne cost builded in his Kingdomes fiue hundred and sixe principall Mezquitas eightie and two Hospitals with as many Royall Colledges and endowed them with large and sumptuous reuenues This is hee that married euerie yeere at his charge a thousand Orphanes he that banished Jgnorance and imbraced Learning He that gaue to all the World examples of life in his Sayings and Sentences and notable Deeds of Armes Hee who was an example of good and laudable customes He that killed the hunger and thirst and nakednesse of his Subiects with his large and liberall hands Let immortall fame euer 〈◊〉 on this Sepulchre and acknowledge him thatâ—l yet 〈◊〉 therein for her King and Lord seeing by him she is made triumphant and victorious ouer 〈…〉 This great 〈…〉 dyed 〈…〉 in his Inuocation of the Name of the mercifull God the Creatour of Heauen and Earth without ceasing so much at a moment vntill his last gaspe imploring his incomprehensible mercie and fearing his high justice the third day of the Moone of Rageb the night before Fryday This agreeth with the said yeare of 723. after the last watch in the hundred and second yeare of the Hixera Praysed bee God and blessed bee his most holy Name for euer Amen The second Epitaph O How great is the Miserie of men which hath brought a King of so great Power Empire and Command to the estate wherein hee is at this present who as yesterday was honoured reuerenced and beloued of his people and is now forgotten and forsaken of them all and remayneth solitarie in the darke Caues of the earth He which was wont to bee clad in Silke and Cloth of Gold and Siluer and to sleepe in the softest and sweetest beds curiously and richly decked and adorned lyeth heere buried in the hard earth He which vsed to goe persumed with Muske and Amber and other excellent odours now yeeldeth in his base estate a noysome and stinking smell He that as yesterday did eate the choisest meates and dranke the most delicate drinkes is here become himselfe to be the meat of wretched and loth some Wormes O mortall men let none put confidence in the delights of this life Take example of him that lyeth here buried who hauing possessed them obserue how little while they continued There is no confidence to bee placed in any but in God and in things eternall Let these terrene transitorie worldly things bee forgotten for his loue and reuerence Let vs follow good and holy workes which endure for euer that with them through his Grace and Mercie we may obtayne that eternall Life which endureth for euer and euer Amen The third Epitaph HEere lieth buried the terrour and feare of the Moores Christians and Gentiles that ploughed vp the Sea and made the Land euen and playne He that subdued the Nations of the World The example and patterne of benignitie and mercie and the right Rule of executing Iustice seuerely for the chastisement of those which do not liue vertuously as the Souereigne God commandeth Here resteth that liberall hand that was neuer shut or closed to any that sought reliefe thereof The Protector of the poore the Father of the Orphans the refuge of the Widowes the Zeale of Chastitie The Mirrour of Honestie and Shamefastnesse accompanied with Modestie The Patterne of Princes the Modell of Gouernment the Picture of pâ—ritie and cleannesse the. Type of Nobilitie the preseruer of truth in his Tongue the Banisher of Lyes the true Louer of Learning he that hath lest a liuing fame of himselfe for the future ages and a worthy example of such lasting memory as Time cannot consume which hath consumed the great deeds and exployts of Kings Princes and Emperors burying their memory in Obliuion O yee Mortall Men let vs pray to our Souereigne God that he vouchsafe to prosper and augment his memory for example of the Kings to come that by imitation of him they may gouerne their Common-weales in Peace directing vs also to his holy Seruice and filling vs with his Grace Amen The fourth Epitaph EVen as Gold is refined and purified in the Crusible placed on the fire which discouereth the finenes thereof among the flames So a sinfull man who preserueth his patience in the persecution of this life doth purifie and perfect himselfe thereby A man ought to consider that hee was borne to suffer and her â—â—ay comfort himselfe in this that all the trauailes of this life shall haue an and with him at his death and that only the good and holy works are they which remayne for euer being accepted and regarded of our Souereigne God O man consider that hee created thee for his seruice and that thou vngratefully hast departed from him without recompence of amends Behold how luke warme thy loue is towards him and that of thy Creatour towards thee is constant and true hauing giuen thee thy being and accomplishment for his Mercie Consider with how high a price he hough thee and gaue thee meanes to saue thy selfe by vsing well thy libertie and freedome as he hath commanded thee And therefore doe I admonish thee that thou lose not the much for the little the certaine for the vncertaine for if so thou doe thou wilt find thy selfe deceiued Consider how Miserie and Pouertie consisteth not in the wanting of Parents or Kindred or of temporall goods but in want of the fauour of God and of his Benediction