Patriarke who aspiring himselfe to the Patriarkship and seeing that if he followed this vnion begun with the Romaine church he could not attaine to that dignitie but by the Popes authoritie which he altogither misdoubted he first made the decree of two natures to be deferred commanding afterwards that none should subscribe thereunto and finally caused the Patriarke wholie to giue ouer this busines and to retire himselfe into the wildernes whereas he continued for certaine months Afterwards the priests vnderstanding where he was wrot vnto him a letter signifying therein what a special desire they had to see him and what domage the retiring of himselfe would procure to the sillie sheepe recommended vnto him by God if he ratified not fully those things which were decreed vpon in the laft assemblie He curteously answered making shew that he would returne when he had visited his dioces and in the meane while they should expect him at Cairo But while he thought vpon returne his owne death interrupted him The Cofti haue a law or custome that betweene the death of one Patriarke and the creation of an other there must be in a maner an whole yeeres space for so long it is requisite say they that the church should bewaile the death of her spouse Whereupon the priests not to loose so much time determined to go home into Italy to acquaint the Pope with the successe of all things and afterwards neede so requiring to returne The Cofti vnderstanding thus much writ letters to the Pope wherin they partly thanked him for the care he had of them partly lamented that their recōciliation with the Romish church was not fully confirmed and finished While the priests were about to depart on Saint Mathewes day in the morning there came a route of armed Turkes to their lodging These layde hands suddenly on two priests and another companion of theirs and on three Fryers of the order of Saint Francis lodged in the same house No man knew the reason of this hurly burly but for as much as could be learned all this grew through the enuie of a Frenchman This man aspiring to the degree of Consull or Gouernor ouer his nation which Mariani had obtayned maliciously gaue the Bassa of Cairo to vnderstād that Mariani suborned the people against the grād Signor that he had order from the K. of Spaine to leuie Christian men And that to this end he kept in his house certaine priests who practised in this behalf with Mariani for the king There was nothing that more preiudiced the priests then the Cofties letters which bred a vehement suspition in the Turkes that such an vnion might be concluded with the Roman Church as might worke some extraordinarie innouation They were therefore cast into a filthie and stinking prison The Venetian Consull assayed first by word of mouth and after by suite and supplication to asswage the furie and anger of the Bassá Howbeit he receiued such bitter and nipping answeres that he himselfe was also afraid But nothing preuaileth further with the Turkes then money For it seemeth that with this onely their sauage furie is mitigated and their fiercenes appeased Fiue thousand crownes therefore were disbursed for the priests libertie wherein the Cofti shewed themselues verie friendly the richest of them offering one after another to lend money without any interest for the same But this matter cost Mariani more then ten thousand crownes and besides that he was depriued of his degree of Consulship The priests being thus freed out of prison and obseruing how things went returned one after another backe to Rome A relation touching the state of Christian Religion in the dominions of Prete Ianni taken out of an oration of Matthew Dresserus professour of the Greeke and Latine toongs and of Histories in the Vniuersitie of Lipsia Who hauing first made a generall exordium to his auditorie proceedeth at length to the peculiar handling of the foresaid argument in manner following NOndum saith hee vni us seculi aet as exacta est c. The space of one hundred yeeres is not as yet fullie expired since the fame of the Ethiopians religion came first vnto our eares Which because it is in many points agreeable vnto Christian veritie and carrieth an honest shew of pietie therewith is to be esteemed as a matter most worthie of our knowledge Of this therefore so far forth as the short time of an oration will permit I purpose to intreate to the end it may appeare both where and what manner of Christian church that of Ethiopia is and what were the first beginnings thereof This Ethiopian not vnfitly called The southerne church is situate in Africa far south namely vnder the Torrid Zone betweene the Tropique of Cancer and the Equinoctial some part thereof also stretching beyond the Equinoctial towards the Tropique of Capricorne Two summers they haue euery yeere yea in a manner one continual summer so that at the very same time in some fields they sowe and in others they reape Somewhere also they haue euery moneth ripe some kinde of earthlie fruits or other especiallie pulse The people are skorched with the heate of the sun and they are black and go naked saue onely that some couer their priuities with cloth of cotton or of silke The countrie is very great and containeth well nie twentie kingdomes so that it is almost as large as Europe or as all Christendome in these parts At the beginning indeed it had not aboue two kingdomes but in processe of time it was mightily enlarged by the conquest of countries adiacent For it is enuironed on all sides by vnbeleeuing gentiles and 〈◊〉 who are most deadlie enimies to the Christian religion with whome the emperour of Ethiopia is at continuall wars endeuouring by all possible meanes to reclaime them from their heathenish Idolatry to the faith of Iesus Christ. It is reported that certaine bordering Mores beare such implacable hatred against these Christians that none of them may 〈◊〉 before he bringeth testimony that he hath slaine twelue of 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 of Ethiopia is not called as some imagine 〈◊〉 or priest but Pretious Iohn For in the Ethiopian toung he is termed Belul Gian and in the Chaldean Encoe Gian both which additions signifie pretious or high so that in a maner he commeth neer vnto the titles of our princes who are called Illustres Excelsi Serenissimi c. to signifie that they are exalted and aduanced aboue other people And this is a common name to all the christian kings of Ethiopia as Pharao was to the Egyptian kings and Augustus to the Roman emperours Neither is this Pretious Iohn a priest by profession but a ciuil magistrate nor is he armed so much with religion and lawes as with military forces Howbeit he calleth himselfe The piller of faith because he is the maintainer of the Christian faith not onely enioining his owne subiects to the obseruation thereof but what in him lyeth enforcing his enemies
in the midst thereof most cleere and coole fountaines This towne is enuironed on all sides with rockes and mightie woods In the said towne are Iewes of all occupations and so me there are which affirme that the first inhabitants of this towne came by naturall descent from King Dauid but so soone as the Mahumetan religion had infected that place their owne lawe and religion ceased Heere are great store of most cunning lawyers which are perfectly well seene in the lawes and constitutions of that nation for I remember that I my selfe sawe a very aged man who could most readily repeate a whole volume written in their language called by them Elmudevuana that is to say the body of the whole lawe The said volume is diuided into three tomes wherein all difficult questions are dissolued together with certaine counsels or commentaries of a famous author which they call 〈◊〉 They haue a kinde of tribunall or iudgement-hall wherein all contentions happening betweene the citizens of this place and their neighbour-cities are presently decided and set through Neither doe the said lawyers deale onely in common-wealth matters but also in cases pertaining to religion albeit in criminall cases the people doe not so greatly credit them for indeede their learning little serueth them for that purpose Being amongst them it was my hap to soiourne in the house of a certaine lawyer who was a man of great learning This lawyer to the end he might giue me more solemne entertainmēt would needs inuite diuers learned men of his owne profession to beare vs companie at supper After supper we had many questions propounded and amongst the residue this was one namely Whether any man might iustly sell that person for a bondflaue who is nourished by any commoditie of the people There was in companie at the same time a certaine aged Sire hauing a graue beard and a reuerend countenance vnto whom each one of them ascribed much honour him they called in their owne language Hegazzare Which name when I had heard thrice or fower times repeated I demanded of some that were in presence what was the true signification thereof They told me that it signified a butcher for say they as a butcher knoweth right well the true anatomy of euery part of a beast euen so can this aged Sire most learnedly dissolue all difficult questions doubts of lawe This people leadeth a most miserable and distressed life their foode is barlie bread oile arganicke and goates-flesh They know no vse of any other graine but barlie Their women are very beautifull and of a louely hue their men be strong and lustie hauing haire growing vpon their brestes and being very liberall and exceeding iealous Of Culeihat Elmuridin that is to say The rocke of disciples a castle of Hea. THis Culeihat Elmuridin is a castle built vpon the top of a certaine high mountaine hauing round about it diuers other mountaines of a like heighth which are enuironed with craggie rocks and huge woods There is no passage vnto this castle but onely a certaine narrow path vpon one side of the mountaine By the one side thereof stands a rocke and vpon the other side the mountaine of Tesegdelt is within halfe a mile and it is distant from Eitdeuet almost eighteene miles This castle was built euen in our time by a certaine apostata or renouncer of the Mahumetan religion called by them Homar Seijef who being first a Mahumetan preacher vnto the people propounded vnto a great number of disciples and sectaries whom he had drawen to be of his opinion certaine new points of religion This fellow seeing that he preuailed so with his disciples that they esteemed him for some petie-god became of a false preacher a most cruell tyrant and his gouernment lasted for twelue yeeres He was the chiefe cause of the destruction and ruine of the whole prouince At length he was slaine by his owne wife because he had vnlawfully lien with her daughter which she had by her former husband And then was his peruerse and lewd dealing laide open vnto all men for he is reported to haue beene vtterly ignorant of the lawes and of all good knowledge Wherefore not long after his decease all the inhabitants of the region gathering their forces togither slew euerie one of his disciples and false sectaries Howbeit the nephew of the said apostata was left aliue who afterward in the same castle endured a whole yeeres siege of his aduersaries and repelled them insomuch that they were constrained to depart Yea euen vntill this day he molesteth the people of Hea and those which inhabite neere vnto him with continuall warre liuing vpon robberie and spoile for which purpose he hath certaine horsemen which are appointed to watch and to pursue trauellers sometimes taking cattel and sometimes men captiues He hath likewise certaine gunners who although trauellers be a good distance off for the common high way standeth almost a mile from the castle will put them in great feare Howbeit all people doe so deadly hate him that they will not suffer him to till one foote of ground or to beare any dominion without the said mountaine This man hath caused his grandfathers body to be honorably buried in his castle suffering him to be adored of his people as if he were a god Passing by that way vpon a certain time I escaped their very bullets narrowly The life religion manners of the foresaid Homar Seijef I perfectly learned by a disciple of his hauing at large declared the same in a certaine briefe treatise which I haue written concerning the Mahumetan religion Of Igilingigil a towne of Hea. MOreouer the Africans in olde time built a certaine towne vpon an hill called by the inhabitants Igilingigil being distant from Eitdeuet about six miles southward and containing almost fower hundred families In this towne are sundry artificers employing themselues onely about things necessarie to the ende they may make their best gaine aduantage thereby Their ground is most fertile for barlie as likewise they haue great abundance of honie and of oile Arganicke The passage or way vnto this citie is very narrow lying onely vpon one side of the hill And it is so hard and difficult that horses cannot without great labour and perill goe vpon it The inhabitants are most valiant people and wel exercised in armes maintaining continuall warre against the Arabians and that for the most part with very prosperous successe by reason of the naturall and strong situation of the 〈◊〉 A more liberall people then this you shall hardly find They generally exercise themselues in making of earthen pots and vessels which I thinke none of their neighhours thereabout can doe Of Tefethne a port and most famous mart-towne of Hea. NEere vnto the Ocean sea standeth a citie most strong both for situation and building commonly called Tefethne being westward of Ingilingigil about fortie miles They say that this towne was built by certaine Africans and that it
deciding of 〈◊〉 Here is likewise a certaine prison for captiues supported with many pillers and being so large that it will hold as diuers are of opinion three thousand men Neither are there any seuerall roomes in this prison for at Fez one prison serueth for all By this castle runneth a certaine riuer very commodious for the gouernour Of the magistrates the administration of iustice and of the apparell vsed in Fez. IN the citie of Fez are certaine particular iudges and magistrates and there is a gouernour that defineth ciuill controuersies and giueth sentence against malefactors Likewise there is a iudge of the canon law who hath to doe with all matters concerning the Mahumetan religion A third iudge there is also that dealeth about marriages and diuorcements whose authoritie is to heare all witnesses and to giue sentence accordingly Next vnto them is the high aduocate vnto whom they appeale from the sentence of the saide iudges when as they doe either mistake themselues or doe ground their sentence vpon the authoritie of some inferiour doctor The gouernour gaineth a great summe of money by condemning of parties at seuerall times Their manner of proceeding against a malefactor is this hauing giuen him an hundred or two hundred stripes before the gouernour the executioner putteth an iron-chaine about his necke and so leadeth him starke-naked his priuities onely excepted through all partes of the citie after the executioner followes a sergeant declaring vnto all the people what fact the guiltie person hath committed till at length hauing put on his apparell againe they carrie him backe to prison Sometimes it falleth out that many offenders chained together are led about the citie and the gouernour for each malefactor thus punished receiueth one duckat and one fourth part and likewise at their first entrance into the iaile he demaunds of each one a certaine dutie which is paid particularly vnto him by diuers merchants and artificers appointed of purpose And amongst his other liuings he gathereth out of a certaine mountaine seuen thousand duckats of yeerely reuenue so that when occasion serueth he is at his proper costs to finde the king of Fez three hundred horses and to giue them their pay Those which follow the canon-lawe haue neither stipend nor rewarde allowed them for it is forbidden by the law of Mahumet that the iudges of his religion should reape any commoditie or fees by their office but that they shoulde liue onely by reading of lectures and by their priesthood In this facultie are many aduocates and proctors which are extreme idiotes and vtterly voide of all good learning There is a place also in Fez whereinto the iudges vseto cast the citizens for debt or for some light offence In all this citie are fower officers or sergeants onely who from midnight till two a clocke in the morning doe walke about all partes of the citie neither haue they any stipend but a certaine fee of such malefactors as they lead about in chaines according to the qualitie of euery mans crime moreouer they are freely permitted to sell wine and to keepe harlots The saide gouernour hath neither scribes nor notaries but pronounceth all sentences by word of mouth One onely there is that gathereth customes and tributes ouer all the citie who daily paieth to the kings vse thirtie duckats This man appointeth certaine substitutes to watch at euery gate where nothing be it of neuer so small value can passe before some tribute be paid Yea sometime they goe foorth of the citie to meete with the carriers and muliters vpon the high waies to the end they may not conceale nor closely conuey any merchandize into the citie And if they be taken in any deceite they pay double The set order or proportion of their custome is this namely to pay two duckats for the woorth of an hundred for Onix-stones which are brought hither in great plentie they pay one fourth part but for wood corne oxen and hennes they giue nothing at all Neither at the entring of the citie doe they pay any tribute for rammes but at the shambles they giue two Liardos apeece and to the gouernour of the shambles one The said gouernour of the shambles hath alwaies twelue men waiting vpon him and oftentimes he rideth about the citie to examine the weight of bread and finding any bread to faile of the due waight he causeth the baker to be beaten with cudgels and to be led in contempt vp and downe the citie The said office was woont to be allotted vnto men of singular honestie but now adaies euery ignorant and lewd person enioieth it The citizens of Fez goe very ciuilly and decently attired in the spring-time wearing garments made of outlandish cloth ouer these shirtes they weare a iacket or cassocke being narrow and halfe-sleeued whereupon they weare a certaine wide garment close before on the breast Their caps are thinne and single like vnto the night-caps vsed in Italie sauing that they couer not their eares these caps are couered with a certaine skarfe which being twise wreathed about their head and beard hangeth by a knot They weare neither hose nor breeches but in the spring-time when they ride a iourney they put on bootes mary the poorer sort haue onely their cassocke and a mantle ouer that called Barnussi and a most course cap. The doctors and ancient gentlemen weare a certaine garment with wide sleeues somewhat like to the gentlemen of Venice The common sort of people are for the most part clad in a kinde of course white cloth The women are not altogether vnseemely apparelled but in sommer-time they weare nothing saue their smocks onely In winter they weare such a wide sleeued garment being close at the breast as that of the men before mentioned When they goe abroad they put on certaine long breeches wherewith their legs are all couered hauing also after the fashion of Syria a vaile hanging downe from their heads which couereth their whole bodies On their faces likewise they weare a maske with two little holes onely for their eies to peepe out at Their eares they adorne with golden eare-rings with most pretious iewels the meaner sort weare 〈◊〉 of siluer and gilt only Vpon their armes the ladies and gentlewomen weare golden bracelets and the residue siluer as likewise gold or siluer-rings vpon their legs according to each ones estate and abilitie Of their manner of eating and drinking LEt vs now speake somewhat of their victuals and manner of eating The common sort set on the pot with fresh meat twise euery weeke but the gentlemen and richer sort euery day and as often as they list They take three meales a day their breakefast consisteth of certaine fruits and bread or else of a kinde of liquid pap made like vnto frumentie in winter they sup off the broth of sal flesh thickened with course meale To dinner they haue flesh sallets cheese and oliues but in summer they haue greater cheere Their supper is easie
A GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORIE of AFRICA Written in Arabicke and Italian by IOHN LEO a More borne in Granada and brought vp in Barbarie Wherein he hath at large described not onely the qualities situations and true distances of the regions cities townes mountaines riuers and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa but also the descents and families of their kings the causes and euents of their warres with their manners customes religions and ciuile gouernment and many other memorable matters gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations and partly out of the ancient records and Chronicles of the Arabians and Mores Before which out of the best ancient and moderne writers is prefixed a generall description of Africa and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and Isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. And after the same is annexed a relation of the great Princes and the manifold religions in that part of the world Translated and collected by IOHN PORY lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge LONDINI Impensis Georg. Bishop 1600 TO THE RIGHT HONORAble sir ROBERT CECIL Knight principall Secretarie to her Maiestie Master of the Court of Wardes and Liueries and one of her Highnes most Honorable priuie Counsell LO heere the first fruits or rather the tender buddes and blossomes of my labours Which least in this their winterly sprouting they might perhaps by some bitter blasts of censure be frost-nipped I humbly recommend to your Honorable protection Most due they are onely to your selfe being for the greatest part nothing else but a large illustration of certaine southern voiages of the English alreadie dedicated to your Honour And at this time especially I thought they would prooue the more acceptable in that the Marocan ambassadour whose Kings dominions are heere most amplie and particularly described hath so lately treated with your Honour concerning matters of that estate Vouchsafe therefore right Honorable according to your accustomed humanitie towards learning to accept of this Geographicall historie in like manner as it pleased your Honour not long since most fauourablie to take in good part those commendable indeuours of my reuerend friend M. Richard Hakluyt who out of his mature iudgement in these studies knowing the excellencie of this storie aboue all others in the same kinde was the onely man that mooued me to translate it At London this three and fortieth most ioifull Coronation-day of her sacred Maiestie 1600. Your Honors alwaies most readie to be commanded IOHN PORY To the Reader GIue me leaue gentle Readers if not to present vnto your knowledge bicause some perhaps may aswel be informed as my selfe yet to call to your remembrance some fewe particulars concerning this Geographicall Historie and Iohn Leo the auther thereof Who albeit by birth a More and by religion for many yeeres a Mahumetan yet if you consider his Parentage Witte Education Learning Emploiments Trauels and his conuersion to Christianitie you shall finde him not altogither vnfit to vndertake such an enterprize nor vnwoorthy to be regarded First therefore his Parentage seemeth not to haue bin ignoble seeing as in his second booke himselfe testifieth an Vncle of his was so Honorable a person and so excellent an Oratour and Poet that he was sent as a principall Ambassadour from the king of Fez to the king of Tombuto And whether this our Author were borne at Granada in Spaine as it is most likely or in some part of Africa certaine it is that in naturall sharpenes and 〈◊〉 of Wit he most liuely resembled those great and classicall authours Pomponius Mela Iustinus Historicus Columella Seneca Quintilian Orosius Prudentius Martial Iuuenal Auicen c. reputed all for Spanish writers as likewise Terentius After Tertullian Saint Augustine Victor Optatus c. knowen to be writers of Africa But amongst great varietie which are to be found in the processe of this not able discourse I will heere lay before your view one onely patterne of his surpassing wit In his second booke therefore if you peruse the description of Mount Tenueues you shall there finde the learned and sweete Arabian verses of Iohn Leo not being then fully sixteene yeeres of age so highly esteemed by the Prince of the same mountaine that in recompence thereof after bountifull entertainment he dismissed him with gifts of great value Neither wanted he the best Education that all Barbarie could affoord For being euen from his tender yeeres trained vp at the Vniuersitie of Fez in Grammar Poetrie Rhetorick Philosophie Historie Cabala Astronomie and other ingenuous sciences and hauing so great acquaintance and conuersation in the kings court how could he choose but prooue in his kinde a most accomplished and absolute man So as I may iustly say if the comparison be tolerable that as Moses was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians so likewise was Leo in that of the Arabians and Mores And that he was not meanely but extraordinarily learned let me keepe silence that the admirable fruits of his rare Learning and this Geographicall Historie among the rest may beare record Besides which he wrote an Arabian Grammar highly commended by a great Linguist of Italie who had the sight and examination thereof as likewise a booke of the liues of the Arabian Philosophers and a discourse of the religion of Mahumet with diuers excellent Poems and other monuments of his industrie which are not come to light Now as concerning his Emploiments were they not such as might well beseeme a man of good woorth For to omit how many courts and campes of princes he had frequented did not he as himselfe in his third booke witnesseth personally serue king Mahumet of Fez in his wars against Arzilla And was he not at another time as appeereth out of his second Booke in seruice and honorable place vnder the same king of Fez and sent ambassadour by him to the king of Maroco Yea how often in regard of his singular knowledge and iudgement in the lawes of those countries was he appointed and sometimes constrained at diuers strange cities and townes through which he trauelled to become a iudge and arbiter in matters of greatest moment Moreouer as touching his exceeding great Trauels had he not at the first beene a More and a Mahumetan in religion and most skilfull in the languages and customes of the Arabians and Africans and for the most part trauelled in Carouans or vnder the authoritie safe conduct and commendation of great princes I maruell much how euer he should haue escaped so manie thousands of imminent dangers And all the former notwithstanding I maruel much more how euer he escaped them For how many desolate cold mountaines and huge drie and barren deserts passed he How often was he in hazard to haue beene captiued or to 〈◊〉 had his throte cut by the prouling Arabians and wilde Mores And how hardly manie times escaped he the Lyons greedie mouth and the deuouring iawes of the Crocodile But if you will needes haue a
Monomotapa to the riuer Coauo and beyond west with the riuer Nilus North vpon the dominions of Prete Ianni and east vpon the kingdomes of Melinde Mombaça and Quiloa hath not many yeeres ago bin discouered or at least heard of by the Portugales vpon occasion perhaps of the warres which with vnfortunate successe they haue waged against Monomotapa The emperour of this country holdeth a continuall league with the princes of Melinde Mombaça and Quiloa towards the sea for traffiques sake for they prouide his dominions with cloth of cotton cloth of silke and sundrie other commodities brought from Arabia Persia Cambaya and India which are very well esteemed in those parts but among the rest they bring especially certaine little balles of a red colour and in substance like vnto glasse being made in Cambaya of a kinde of Bitumen or clammie claie which balles they vse to weare like beades about their necks They serue also to them in stead of money for gold they make none account of Likewise with the silkes that are brought vnto them they apparel themselues from the girdle downward In exchange of all the foresaide wares and commodities they giue gold siluer copper and iuorie Howbeit vpon his Inland frontiers to the south and southwest he maintaineth continuall and bloudie warres against the emperour of Monomotapa his principall and greatest forces consisting of a most barbarous and fierce nation called by the people of Congo Giachi but by themselues Agag who inhabite from the first great lake which is the fountaine of Nilus for a certaine space vpon both sides of the said riuer and then afterward on the westerne banke as farre as the second great lake from whence Zaire hath his chiefe original thence euen to the confines of Prete Ianni They are a wilde and lawles people liuing after the manner of the ancient Scythians and Nomades and like the Tartars and Baduin-Arabians of these times a vagrant kind of life vnder cabbins and cottages in the open forrests They are of stature tall and of countenance most terrible making lines vpon their cheekes with certaine iron-instruments and turning their eie-lids backward whereby they cast vpon their enimies a most dreadfull and astonishing aspect They are man-eaters and couragious in battaile For their armour of defence they vse certaine Pauises or great targets wherwith they couer their whole bodies being otherwise naked and their offensiue weapons are dartes and daggers It is not many yeeres since these cruel sauages ranging westward from Nilus inuaded the kingdome of Congo vanquished the inhabitants in sundrie battels tooke the head citie and forced the king Don Aluaro to flee for succour and safetie vnto the isle of horses in the mouth of the great riuer Zaire being one of the extreme frontiers of his dominions Where the king himselfe was taken with an incurable dropsie and his people in great numbers died of famine who to relieue their extreme necessities sold their wiues their children and their owne selues for slaues vnto the Portugals Howbeit these warlike Giacchi notwithstanding their hautie courage and great exploits are no whit feared but rather most boldly encountered and sometimes vanquished by the Amazones or women warriers of Monomotapa Which two nations what by warlike stratagems and what by open and maine force do often fight the most desperate and doubtfull battailes that are performed in all those southern parts The empire of Monomotapa the fourth generall part of the lower Ethiopia BEnomotapa Benomotaxa or Monomotapa is a large empire so called after the name of the prince thereof who in religion is a Gentile and for extension of dominions and military forces a renowmed and mightie emperour in the language of whose subiects an emperour is signified by this word Monomotapa This empire of his lyeth as it were in an Island which containeth in compasse seuen hundred and fiftie or as some thinke one thousand leagues being limited on the north-west by the great lake whereout Nilus springeth on the south by the riuer Magnice and the tributarie kingdome of Butua or Toroa on the east it hath the sea-coast and the kingdome of Sofala which in very deed is a member thereof and the North part abutteth vpon the riuer of Cuama and the empire of Mohenemugi That part of this great Island which lyeth betweene the mouth of Cuama and the cape de los Corrientes is a very pleasant holesome and fruitfull country And from the said cape to the riuer of Magnice the whole region aboundeth with beasts both great and small but it is cold by reason of the sharp brizes which come off the sea and so destitute of wood that the people for fewel are constrained to vse the dung of beasts and they apparel themselues in their skinnes Along the banke of the riuer Cuama are diuers hilles and downes couered with trees and vallies likewise watered with riuers being pleasantly situate and well peopled Here are such plenty of Elephants as it seemeth by the great quantitie of their teeth that there are yeerely slaine betweene foure and fiue thousand Their elephants are nine cubites high and fiue cubites in thicknes They haue long and broad eares little eyes shorte tailes and great bellies and some are of opinion that Ethiopia yeeldeth as many elephants as Europe doth oxen The townes and villages of this empire are very few and their buildings are of wood and clay couered with thatch None may haue doores to their houses but onely great personages Their principal cities are Zimbas and Benamataza the first whereof is one and twentie and the second fifteene daies iourney from Sofala They serue this emperour at the table vpon their knees to sit before him is all one as with vs for a man to stand vpon his feete neither may any presume to stand in his presence but onely great lords He is tasted vnto not before but after he hath eaten and drunke For his armes he hath a spade and two dartes Tribute he taketh none but onely certaine daies seruice and giftes presented vnto him without which there is no appearing in his sight Hee carrieth whithersoeuer he go foure hundred dogs as a most sure and trustie guard Hee keepeth all the heires of his tributary princes as vassals and as pledges of their fathers loialtie There are no prisons in al his empire for sufficient testimonie being brought of the commission of any crime iustice is executed out of hand and of all offences none are punished with greater seueritie and rigour then witchcraft theft and adulterie His people are of a meane 〈◊〉 blacke and well proportioned They are Gentiles in religion hauing no idols but worshipping one onely God whom they call Mozimo They go apparelled in cloth of cotton either made by themselues or brought from other countries howbeit the king will in no case weare any forrein cloth for feare of poison or such like trecherie and the meaner sort of his subiects are clad in beasts skins Among all the armies and
legions of soldiers which this emperour for the defence of his great estate is forced to maintaine his Amazones or women warriers before mentionied are the most valiant being indeed the very sinewes and chiefe strength of all his militarie forces These women after the manner of the ancient Scythish or Asiatike Amazones so much spoken of in histories of former times seare off their left paps that they might not be an hinderance vnto them in their shooting They are most expert in warlike stratagems and swift of foote Their weapons are bowes and arrowes At certaine times for generations sake they accompany with men sending the male children home to their fathers but keeping their daughters vnto themselues They inhabite towards the west not farre from the beginning of Nilus in certaine places which themselues make choise of and which are graunted vnto them by the fauour of the Emperour This empire of Monomotapa comprehendeth not onely the foresaid great island but stretcheth it selfe farther also toward the cape of Buena esperanca as farre as the kingdomes of Butua or Toroa which being gouerned by particular lords do acknowledge Monomotapa for their soueraigne Throughout all this emperours dominions is found infinite quantitie of gold in the earth in the rockes and in the riuers The gold-mines of this countrey neerest vnto Sofala are those of Manica vpon a plaine enuironed with mountaines and those also in the prouince of Matuca which is inhabited by the people called Battonghi and situate betweene the Equinoctiall line and the Tropique of Capricorne These mines are distant from Sofala betweene the space of 300. and sixe hundred miles but those of the prouinces of Boro and Quiticui are fifteene hundred miles distant towards the west Others there are also in the kingdomes of Toroa or Butua so that from hence or from Sofala or from some other part of Monomotapa some are of opinion that Salomons gold for the adorning of the temple at Ierusalem was brought by sea A thing in truth not very vnlikely for here in Toroa and in diuers places of Monomotapa are till this day remaining manie huge and ancient buildings of timber lime and stone being of singular workemanship the like whereof are not to be found in all the prouinces there abouts Heere is also a mightie wall of fiue and twentie spannes thicke which the people asoribe to the workemanship of the diuell being accounted from Sofala fiue hundred and ten miles the neerest way All other houses throughout this empire as is aforesaid consist of timber claie and thatch And heere I may boldly affirme that the ancient buildings of this part of Africa along the coast of the east Indies may not onely be compared but euen preferred before the buildings of Europe The authors of which ancient monuments are vnknowen but the later African buildings haue beene erected by the Arabians In the time of Sebastian king of Portugale the emperour of Monomotapa and many of his nobles were baptized howbeit afterward being seduced by certaine Moores hee put Gonsaluo Silua to death who conuerted him to the Christian religion Whereupon Sebastian king of Portugall sent against him an armie of sixteene thousand consisting for the most part of gentlemen and men of qualitie vnder the conduct of Francisco Barretto The Monomotapa being afraid of the Portugall forces offered Barretto as good and acceptable conditions of peace as might be desired but he not contented with reason was quite ouerthrowne not by his enimies but by the vnholesome aire of Ethiopia and by the manifold diseases which consumed his people Cafraria the fift generall part of the lower Ethiopia CAfraria or the land of the Cafri we esteeme to be both the coasts and inlands of the extreame southerly point of Africa beginning from the riuer Magnice and thence extending by Cabo da pescaria Terra do Natal Bahia da lagoa Bahia fermosa about the cape of Buena esperança by the bay called Agoada Saldanha and thence Northward along the westerne coast of Africa as far as Cabo Negro or the blacke cape which is situate verie neere vnto eighteene degrees of Southerly latitude The saide Cape of Buena esperança is deuided into three smaller headlands or capes The westermost being called Cabo de buena esperança or The cape of good hope after the name of the whole promontorie and being cut from the rest of the firme land The middlemost is named Cabo falso because the Portugales in their voiage homewards from the east Indies haue sometimes mistaken this for the true cape beforementioned betweene which two capes runneth into the sea a mightie riuer called by the Portugales Rio dolce where their caraks often take in fresh water and by the naturall inhabitants Camissa which springeth out of a small lake called Gale situate among The mountaines of the moon so much celebrated by ancient geographers The third and eastermost cape stretching farthest into the sea is called Cabo das Agulhas or the cape of Needles because there the needles of dialles touched with the loadstone stand directly North without any variation either to the east or to the west betweene this cape and the foresaid westermost cape which ly forth into the sea like two hornes is the bredth of this mightie promontorie containing about fiue and twentie leagues the length whereof from the riuer of Fernando Poo where it beginneth to iuttie forth into the sea along the westerne coast southward to the cape das Agulhas amounteth to two thousand two hundred Italian miles and from Cabo das Agulhas along the easterne shore northward to Cape Guardafu are three thousand three hundred of the same miles This cape at the first discouerie thereof was called by Nauigators The Lyon of the sea Cabo tormentoso or The tēpestuous cape not so much as I take it for the dangerous and stormie seas more about this cape then any other but partly in regard of the chargeable dangerous and long trauels of the Portugals before they could attaine vnto it and partly bicause of the great compasse which in their voiages outward they are constrained to fetch for the doubling thereof and partly also in regard of some tempestuous and stormie weather wherewith they haue beene encountered at this Cape which notwithstanding at certaine times is an ordinarie matter vpon all shores and promontories ouer the face of the whole earth And albeit some will not come within sight of this cape but keepe a great distance off for feare of the dangerous seas beating thereupon as namely Francis de Almeida who sailed aboue an hundred leagues to the south in fortie degrees of latitude Pedro de Agnaia in fortie fiue and Vasco Carualho in fortie seuen where in the moneth of Iuly eight of his men died for cold yet we finde by the late and moderne experience of sir Francis Drake master Candish master Lancaster in his returne from the east Indies and of the Hollanders in their nauigations thither begun in the yeere
which the same author nameth Aromata Promōtorium Being about threescore miles long and fiue and twentie miles broad it is diuided with a rough and exceeding high ridge of mountaines and is subiect vnto most terrible and boisterous windes which do out of measure dry and parch the same For which cause and in regard of the slothfull rudenes of the inhabitants it is very scarce of victuals for it yeeldeth neither wheate rice wine nor hony In the vallies and places of shelter it affoordeth some quantitie of Millet of dates and of sundrie kinds of fruits neither is it altogither destitute of pasture for cattell It is frequented by merchants for Cinabre Sanguis Draconis and the most excellent Aloës of the world It hath no hauen of importance The Portugals are heere possessed of two small townes one called Coro and the other Benin and here in times past the king of Fartac A countrey of Arabia Foelix had a castle a garrison of soldiers vpon this isle which castle being taken by the Portugals was afterward by them abandoned bicause it quited not the cost The inhabitants being of a browne colour and of a good constitution are in religion a kind of Christians They hold an opinion that Saint Thomas suffred shipwracke vpon this isle and that of his ship was built a most ancient church which as yet is to be seene walled round about with three allies or partitions and three doores Furthermore they liue for the most part in caues or in cabins made of boughes very farre from the sea They go apparrelled in course cloth or in the skins of beastes In war their weapons are slings and swordes made of base iron and the women are as good soldiers as the men They are much addicted vnto Magick and inchantments and doe bring to passe matters incredible They haue no vse at all of nauigation nor of traffique and yet forsooth they esteeme themselues the most noble and worthy people vnder the heauens as also they are vtterly voide of learning which I doe note because that such as are learned make but small account of their wisedome To the North of Socotera are two small Isles which are called the two sisters the inhabitants whereof being of an oliue-colour liue without lawe and haue no conuersation with any other people The commodities of these Islets are Iuorie amber Sanguis draconis Aloës and a kind of pretious stones called Nizzolij Likewise ouer against Socotera are two other Islets one called the Isle of men and the other the Isle of women being distant thirtie miles asunder and fiue miles from Socotera They are so termed because that in the one dwell men onely and in the other women Howbeit they visite one another at certaine seasons but they cannot stay one in the Isle of another aboue three moneths in regarde of a secret qualitie of the ayer which is contrary to either sexe A matter if it be true most strange and admirable Of the Isles lying in the sea called Sinus Barbaricus ouer against the Easterne and Southeasterne shore of Africa ALl along from the cape of Guardafu to the cape of Buena Esperança are found sundry Islands partly dispersed heere and there in the sea and partly adioining vpon the firme land Such as are far into the sea are the greatest part vnhabited as namly the Isle of Don Garçia The * three and The * seuen brethren As rocas partidas the Isles of Sant Brandan and those of Mascarenha of Sant Francis of Santa Apollonia of Iohn de Lisboa of Cosinoledo and betweene the great Isle of Saint Laurence and the maine the Isles Do Natal or of the natiuitie as likewise the three Isles of Comoro with those of Alioa of Spirito Santo and of sant Christopher But of those which the vicinity of the firme land hath made more noble and frequented the first that offereth it selfe to our consideration is the Isle of Mombaza in foure degrees of southerly latitude cut out by a certaine chanel or arme of the sea which deuideth the same from the maine of Africa in compasse it containeth twelue miles and at the entrance of the saide chanel vpon a downe standeth the city of Mombaça built very handsomely after the Arabian fashion Somewhat farther from the continent are situate the Isles of Pemba Zanzibar and Monfia inhabited by Negros the greatest of which is Zanzibar the prince whereof is called by the name of a king and it lyeth vnder sixe degrees of south latitude being from the main ten leagues distant But the soueraigne of all these Isles was Quiloa inhabited like the rest with Mahumetans of little bodies and abiect mindes It aboundeth with rice millet cattel woods of palme-trees limons orenges sugar-canes where of notwithstanding they are ignorant how to make sugar The city standeth vpon the sea-shore ouer against the firme 〈◊〉 it is built of pure marble and the streetes are very narrow a thing common among the Arabians whereby they vse to defend themselues after the enemie hath once entered their townes From this Isle to Moçambique are about an hundred leagues Without the porte lieth Misa and three miles off Songo and Canga inhabited by Moores Next follow As Ilhas do Açotatado or The isles of the scourged bicause here a certaine pilot that was a Moore who had determined to wracke the whole fleete of Vasco da Gama receiued punishment Concerning Moçambique called by Ptolemey and other ancient writers Prassia we haue intreated before Fower miles from thence lie the desert isles of Saint George and then the isles of Angoscia inhabited by Moores These are stored with indifferent quantitie of victuals and here vpon an east winde they gather plentie of Ambergrise An hundred and fiftie miles from Cabo dos corrientes lieth A Ilha das vacas or The isle of Cowes with a castle thereupon and store of good water As Ilhas llanas or The plaine isles are not woorth the speaking of A Ilha da cruz otherwise called Ilha das fontanhas was the farthest limite of Bartholomew Diaz his nauigation who was the first Portugale that euer doubled the cape of Buena esprança and hauing doubled it returned backe without discouering any farther Of the Isle of Saint Laurence otherwise called Madagascar THis isle called by the Portugales The isle of Sant Laurence by the naturall inhabitans Madagascar by Paulus Venetus Magastar by Ptolemey Menuthias and by Plinie Cerne is accounted one of the greatest noblest and richest in the whole world About the midst thereof it approcheth towards the maine of Africa in forme of an elbowe being distant from thence an hundred threescore and ten miles The extreames of this isle are very farre separate from the saide maine and especially that which stretcheth toward the northeast The whole isle containeth in bredth fower hundred and fowerscore in length one thousand two hundred and in compasse fower thousand miles so that in bignes it farre exceedeth Italy though it be
vnto lust whereby the said women thinke themselues more trim and beautifull How the Arabians in the deserts betweene Barbarie and Aegypt doe lead their liues THE life of these men is full of miserie and calamitie for the places where they inhabite are barren and vnpleasant They haue some store of camels and other cattell howbeit their fodder is so scarce that they cannot well sustaine them Neither shall you finde ouer all the whole region any place fit to beare corne And if in that desert there be any villages at all which vse to husband and manure their ground yet reape they small commoditie thereby except it be for plentifull increase of dates Their camels and other of their cattell they exchange for dates and corne and so the poore husbandmen of the foresaide villages haue some small recompence for their labours notwithstanding how can all this satisfie the hunger of such a multitude For you shall dayly see in Sicilia great numbers of their sonnes layde to pawne Because when they haue not wherewithall to pay for the corne which they there buy they are constrained to leaue their sonnes behinde them as pledges of future payment But the Sicilians if their money be not paide them at the time appointed will chalenge the Arabians sonnes to be their slaues Which day being once past if any father will redeeme his childe he must disburse thrise or fower times so much as the due debt amounteth vnto for which cause they are the most notable theeues in the whole world If any stranger fall into their hands depriuing him of all that he hath they presently carrie him to Sicilie and there either sell or exchange him for come And I thinke that no merchants 〈◊〉 at any time within these hundred yeeres 〈◊〉 for traffiques sake vpon any part of their coast For when they are to passe by with merchandize or about any other weightie affaires they eschew that region fiue hundred miles at the least Once I remember that I my selfe for my better 〈◊〉 and to auoide the danger of those mischieuous people went in companie with certaine merchants who in three ships sayled along their coast We were no sooner espied of them but forthwith they came running to the shore making signes that they would traffique with vs to our great aduantage Howbeit becaufe we durst not repose any trust in them none of our companie would depart the ship before they had deliuered certaine pledges vnto vs. Which being done we bought certaine 〈◊〉 or gelded men and good store of butter of them And so immediately weighing our ankers we betooke vs to flight fearing least we should haue beene met withall by the Sicilian and Rhodian Pirates and beene spoiled not onely of our goods but of our liberties also To be short the saide Arabians are verie rude forlorne beggerly leane and hunger-starued people hauing God no doubt 〈◊〉 displeased against them by whose vengeance they dayly sustaine such 〈◊〉 calamities Of the people called Soara namely which possesse droues and flockes of cattell and being Africans by birth do notwithstanding imitate the manners of the Arabians YOV shall finde many among the Africans which liue altogithera shepheards or drouers life inhabiting vpon the beginning of mount Atlas and being dispersed here and there ouer the same mountaine They are constrained alwaies to pay tribute either to the King of the same region where they dwell or else to the Arabians except those onely which inhabite Temesna who are free from all forren superioritie and are of great power They speake the same kinde of language that other Africanes doe except some fewe of them which conuerse with the inhabitants of the citie called Vrbs which is neere vnto Tunis who speake the Arabian toong Moreouer there is a certaine people inhabiting that region which diuideth Numidia from Tunis These oftentimes wage warre against the King of Tunis himselfe which they put in practise not many yeeres since when as the said King his sonne marching towards them from Constantina with an armie for the demaunding of such tribute as was due vnto him fought a verie vnfortunate battell For no sooner were they aduertised of the Kings sonne his approach but foorthwith they went to meete him with two thousande horsemen and at length vanquished and slew him at vnawares carrying home with them all the furniture bag and baggage which he had brought foorth And this was done in the yeere of Mahumets Hegeira 915. From that time their fame hath beene spred abroad in all places Yea many of the king of Tunis his subiects reuolted from their King vnto them insomuch that the Prince of this people is growen so puissant that scarcely is his equall to be found in all Africa Of the faith and religion of the ancient Africans or Moores THE ancient Africans were much addicted to idolatrie euen as certain of the Persians are at this day some of whom worship the sunne and others the fire for their gods For the saide Africans had in times past magnificent and most stately temples built and dedicated as well to the honour of the sunne as of the fire In these temples day and night they kept fire kindled giuing diligent heed that it might not at any time be extinguished euen as we read of the Romane Vestall virgines All which you may read more fully and at large in the Persian and African Chronicles Those Africans which inhabited Libya and Numidia would each of them worship some certaine planet vnto whom likewise they offered sacrifices and praiers Some others of the land of Negros worship Guighimo that is to say The Lord of Heauen And this sound point of religion was not deliuered vnto them by any Prophet or teacher but was inspired as it were from God himselfe After that they embraced the Iewish law wherein they are said to haue continued many yeeres Afterward they professed the Christian religion and continued Christians vntill such time as the Mahumetan superstition preuailed which came to passe in the yeere of the Hegeira 208. About which time certaine of Mahomets disciples so bewitched them with eloquent and deceiueable speeches that they allured their weake minds to consent vnto their opinion insomuch that all the kingdomes of the Negros adioyning vnto Libya receiued the Mahumetan lawe Neither is there any region in all the Negros land which hath in it at this day any Christians at all At the same time such as were found to be Iewes Christians or of the African religion were slaine euerie man of them Howbeit those which dwell neere vnto the Ocean sea are all of them verie grosse idolaters Betweene whom and the Portugals there hath beene from time to time and euen at this present is great traffique and familiaritie The inhabitants of Barbarie continued for many yeeres idolaters but before the comming of Mahomet aboue 250 yeeres they are saide to haue embraced the Christian faith which some thinke came to passe vpon this occasion namely because
beeing destitute of inhabitants and nothing at that time to be there seene but onely the nests of rauens and of other birds All this I saw in the 920. yeere of the Hegeira Of Teculeth a towne of Hea. VPon the foote of an hill eighteene miles Eastwarde from Tednest stands a towne called by the Africans Teculeth and containing about one thousand housholdes Hard by this towne runneth a certaine riuer on both sides whereof are most pleasant gardens and all kindes of trees Within the walles of the saide towne are many pits or wels whereout they draw most cleere and pleasant water Here also is to be seene a most stately and beautifull temple as likewise fower hospitals and a monasterie of religious persons The inhabitants of this towne are farre wealthier then they of Tednest for they haue a most famous port vpon the Ocean sea commonly called by merchants Goz. They haue likewise great abundance of corne and pulse which grow in the fruitfull fields adiacent These also of Teculeth send waxe into Portugall to be solde and they are verie curious in their apparell and about the furniture of their 〈◊〉 When I my selfe was at Teculeth I found there a certaine nobleman who was the president or chiefe of their senate this noblemans duety was both to procure tribute which was yeerely to be payed vnto the Arabians and also to make attonement and reconciliation betweene them when they were at ods This man had gathered great riches vnto himselfe which he imployed rather to purchase friends then to fill his coffers most liberall he was vnto the poore most bountifull and fauourable vnto all his citizens insomuch that all men did reuerence and honour vnto him as vnto their father and best protectour Of whose curtesie I my selfe also made triall and being not meanely but verie sumptuously entertained by him I remained with him for a certaine time and read in his house diuers histories of African matters This good man togither with his sonne was slaine in a skirmish against the Portugals which was done according to our computation in the yeere of the Hegeira 923. that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 1514. After which misfortune we heard that the citie was razed that the people were part of them put to flight part lead captiue and the residue 〈◊〉 by the enimy all which particulars we haue declared more at large in that Booke which is now lately printed and published concerning African affaires Of Hadecchis a towne of Hea. THE citie of Hadecchis being situate vpon a plaine standeth eight miles Southward of Teculeth it containeth seauen hundred families and the wals churches and houses throughout this whole citie are all built of free stone Through the midst of the towne runneth a large and faire streame hauing many vines galleries on both sides thereof There be many Iewes artificers in this citie The citizens here go somewhat decently apparelled their horses are good most of them exercise merchandize also they stampe a kinde of coine and they haue certaine yeerely faires or martes whereunto the nations adioining do vsually resort Here is to be sold great store of cattell of butter oyle yron and cloath and their said mart lasteth fifteene dayes Their women are very beautifull white of colour fat comely and trim But the men beare a most sauage minde being so extremely possessed with ielousie that whomsoeuer they finde but talking with their wiues they presently goe about to murther them They haue no iudges nor learned men among them nor any which can assigne vnto the citizens any functions and magistracies according to their worthines so that hee rules like a king that excelleth the residue in wealth For matters of religion they haue certaine Mahumetan priests to administer them Who neither pay tribute nor yeerely custome euen as they whom we last before mentioned Heere I was entertained by a certaine curteous and liberall minded priest who was exceedingly delighted with Arabian Poetrie Wherefore being so louingly entertained I read vnto him a certaine briefe treatise as touching the same argument which he accepted so kindly at my hands that he would not suffer mee to depart without great and bountifull rewards From hence I trauelled vnto Maroco And afterward I heard that this towne also in the yeere of the Hegeira 922. was sacked by the Portugals and that the inhabitants were all fled into the next mountaines and the verie same yeere I returned home to visit my natiue countrey which was in the yeere of our Lord 1513. Of Ileusugaghen a towne of Hea. THis towne is situate vpon the top of a certaine high mountaine which is distant eight miles to the South of Hadecchis it consisteth of about two hundred families and by the foote of the hill runneth a small riuer Heere are no gardens at all nor yet any trees which beare fruit the reason whereof is as I suppose because the inhabitants are such slothfull and grosse people that they regard nothing but their barley and their oyle They are at continuall warre with their next neighbours which is performed with such monstrous bloodshed and manslaughter that they deserue rather the name of beasts then of men They haue neither iudges priests nor lawyers to prescribe any forme of liuing among them or to gouerne their common-wealth wherefore iustice and honestie is quite banished out of their habitations Those mountaines are altogither destitute of fruits howbe it they abound greatly with honie which serueth the inhabitants both for food and for merchandize to sell in the neighbour-countries And because they know not what seruice to put their waxe vnto they cast it foorth togither with the other excrements of honie The saide towne of Ileusugaghen hath a verie small and narrow chappell which will scarce containe a hundred persons whither notwithstanding the people doe so slowly resort that they need not to haue any greater so much do they neglect religion and pietie Whensoeuer they goe abroad they carrie a dagger or a iauelin about with them and you shall often heare of the slaughter of some one or other of their citizens No people vnder heauen can be more wicked trecherous or lewdly addicted then this people is I remember that I my selfe went once thither with a Seriffo or Mahumetan priest who made chalenge vnto the gouernment of Hea to the ende that we might arbitrate certaine strifes and contentions for it were incredible to report what cruell warres partly for murthers and partly for robberies were practised among them But because the Seriffo had brought no lawyers with him nor any iudges to decide controuersies he would needes that I should take that office vpon me Immediately the townsmen come flocking about vs one complaines that his neighbour hath slaine eight of his kinred and family his neighbour on the contrarie alleageth that the former had slaine ten of his familie wherefore according to the auncient custome he demaundeth to haue a summe of money giuen
dispossessed of the kingdome by a certaine king of the Tribe called Marin Now attend I beseech you and marke what changes and alterations of estates befell afterwards The family of Marin after the said kings decease bare rule till the yeere of the Hegeira 785. At length the kingdome of Maroco decreasing dayly more and more was gouerned by kings which came out of the next mountaine Howbeit neuer had Maroco any gouernours which did so tyrannize ouer it as they of the family called 〈◊〉 The principall court of this family was holden for the most part at Fez but ouer Maroco were appointed Vice-royes and deputies insomuch that Fez was continually the head and Metropolitan citie of all Mauritania and of all the Western dominion euen as God willing we will declare more at large in our briefe treatise concerning the law and religion of Mahumet But now hauing made a sufficient digression let vs resume the matter subiect where we left In the said citie of Maroco is a most impregnable castle which if you consider the bignes the walles the towers and the gates built all of perfect marble you may well thinke to be a citie rather then a castle Within this castle there is a stately temple 〈◊〉 a most 〈◊〉 and high steeple on the top where of standeth an halfe moone 〈◊〉 vnder the halfe moone are three golden spheares one bigger then another which all of them togither weigh 130000. ducates Some kings there were who being allured with the value went about to take downe the saide golden sphears but they had alwaies some great misfortune or other which hindered their attempt insomuch that the common people thinke it verie dangerous if a man doth but offer to touch the said sphears with his hand Some affirme that they are there placed by so forcible an influence of the planets that they cannot be remooued from thence by any cunning or 〈◊〉 Some others report that a certaine spirite is adiured by 〈◊〉 magique to defend those sphears from al assaults and iniuries whatsoeuer In our time the king of Maroco neglecting the vulgar opinion would haue taken down the said sphears to vse them for treasure against the Portugals who as then prepared themselues to battell against him Howbeit his counsellours would not suffer him so to doe for that they esteemed them as the principall monuments of all Maroco I remember that I read in a certaine historiographer that the wife of King Mansor to the ende she might be famous in time to come caused those three sphears to be made of the princely and pretious iewels which her husband Mansor bestowed vpon her and to be placed vpon the temple which he built Likewise the said castle containeth a most noble college which hath thirtie hals belonging thereunto In the midst whereof is one hall of a maruellous greatnes wherein publique 〈◊〉 were most solemnely read while the studie of learning flourished among them Such as were admitted into this college had their victuals and 〈◊〉 freely giuen them Of their professours some were yeerely allowed an hundred and some two hundred ducates according to the qualitie of their profession neither would they admit any to heare them read but such as perfectly vnderstood what belonged to those Arts which they professed The walles of this 〈◊〉 hall are most stately adorned with painting and caruing especially of 〈◊〉 hall where lectures were woont publiquely to be read All their porches and vaulted roofes are made of painted and glittering stones called in their language 〈◊〉 such as are yet vsed in Spaine In the midst of the said building is a most pleasant and cleare fountaine the wall whereof is of white and polished 〈◊〉 albeit low-built as in Africa for the most 〈◊〉 such wals are I haue heard that in old time here was great abundance of students but at my beeing there I found but fiue in all and they haue now a most 〈◊〉 professour and one that is quite voide of all humanitie In the time of mine abode at Maroco I grew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquaintance with a certaine Iewe who 〈◊〉 his skill in the law was but meane was 〈◊〉 exceeding rich and well 〈◊〉 in histories This Iewe in regard of many singular duties which he performed to his prince found the kings bountie and liberalitie extended vnto him All others which beare any publike office are in mine opinion men of no high reach Moreouer the foresaide castell as I remember hath twelue courts most curiously and artificially built by one Mansor In the first lodged about fiue hundreth Christians which carried crosse-bowes before the king whither soeuer he went Not farre from thence is the lodging of the Lord Chancellour and of the kings priuie counsell which house is called by them The house of affaires The third is called The court of victorie wherein all the armour and munition of the citie is laide vp The fourth belongeth to the great Master of the kings horse Vpon this court three stables adioine each one of which stables will containe two hundreth horses Likewise there are two other 〈◊〉 wherof one is for mules and the other for an hundreth of the kings horses onely Next vnto the stables were two barnes or garners adioining in two seuerall places in the lower of which barnes was laide straw and barly in the other There is also another most large place to laye vp corne in euerie roume whereof will containe moe then three hundreth bushels The couer of the saide roume hath a certaine hole whereunto they ascend by staires made of stone Whither the beasts laden with corne being come they powre the saide corne into the hole And so when they woulde take any corne from thence they do but open certaine holes below suffring so much corne to come foorth as may serue their turnes and that without any labour at all There is likewise a certaine other hall where the kings sonne and the sonnes of noble men are instructed in learning Then may you beholde a certaine fower-square building containing diuers galleries with faire glasse windowes in which galleries are many histories most curiously painted heere likewise the glittering and gilt armour is to be seene Next vnto this building is another wherein certaine of the kings guard are lodged then followes that wherein state-matters are discussed whereunto adioineth also another which is appointed for ambassadours to conferre with the kings priuie counsell in Likewise the kings concubines and other ladies of honour haue a most conuenient place assigned them next vnto which standeth the lodging of the kings sonnes Not farre from the castell wall on that side which is next vnto the fields may you behold a most pleasant and large garden containing almost all kinde of trees that can be named Moreouer there is a sumptuous and stately porch built of most excellent square marble in the midst whereof standeth a piller with a lion very artificially made of marble out of the mouth of which lion issueth most cleere and
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 flesh of such beasts as are taken in those deserts Sometimes they receiue tribute of the gouernour of Suachen and sometimes of the gouernors of Dangala They had once a rich towne situate vpon the red sea called Zibid whereunto belonged a commodious hauen being opposite vnto the hauen of Zidem which is fortie miles distant from Mecca But an hundred yeeres since it was destroied by the Soldan bicause the inhabitants receiued certaine wares which should haue beene carried to Mecca and at the same time the famous port of Zibid was destroied from whence notwithstanding was gathered a great yeerely tribute The inhabitants being chased from thence fledde vnto Dangala and Suachin and at length being ouercome in battaile by the gouernour of Suachin there were in one day slaine of them aboue fower thousand and a thousand were carried captiue vnto Suachin who were massacred by the women and children of the citie And thus much friendly reader as concerning the lande of Negros the fifteene kingdomes whereof agreeing much in rites and customes are subiect vnto fower princes onely Let vs now proceed vnto the description of Egypt Here endeth the seuenth booke IOHN LEO HIS EIGHT BOOKE OF the Historie of Africa and of the memorable things contained therein Of Egypt THe most noble and famous prouince of Egypt bordering westward vpon the deserts of Barca Numidia and Libya eastward vpon the deserts lying betweene Egypt it selfe and the red sea and northward vpon the Mediterran sea is inclosed southward with the land of the foresaid people called Bugiha and with the riuer of Nilus It stretcheth in length from the 〈◊〉 sea to the land of the people called Bugiha about fower hundred and fiftie miles but in bredth it is very narrow so that it containeth nought but a small distance betweene both the banks of Nilus and the barren mountaines bordering vpon the foresaid deserts being inhabited onely in that place where Nilus is separate from the saide mountaines albeit towards the Mediterran sea it extendeth it selfe somewhat broader For Nilus about fower-score miles from the great citie of Cairo is diuided into two branches one whereof 〈◊〉 in his chanell westward returneth at length into the maine streame from whence he tooke his originall and hauing passed about threescore miles beyond Cairo it diuideth it selfe into two other branches whereof the one runneth to Damiata and the other to Rosetto And 〈◊〉 of that which trendeth to Damiata issueth another branch which discharging it selfe into a lake passeth through a certaine gullet or streit into the Mediterran sea vpon the banke whereof standeth the most ancient citie of Tenesse and this diuision of Nilus into so many streames and branches causeth Egypt as I haue beforesaid to be so narrow All this prouince is plaine and is most fruitfull for all kind of graine and pulse There are most pleasant and greene medowes and great store of geese and other fowles The countrey people are of a swart and browne colour but the citizens are white Garments they weare which are streite downe to their wastes and broad beneath and the sleeues likewise are streight They couer their heads with a round and high habite called by the Italians a Dulipan Their shooes are made according to the ancient fashion In sommer they weare garments of particoloured cotton but in winter they vse a certaine garment lined with cotton which they call Chebre but the chiefe citizens and merchants are apparelled in cloth of Europe The inhabitants are of an honest cheereful and liberall disposition For their victuals they vse a kinde of newe and extreme salt cheeses and sowre milke also artificially congealed which fare albeit they account very daintie yet cannot strangers digest it and into euerie dish almost they put sower milke A diuision of Egypt SInce the Mahumetans were Lords of Egypt it hath beene diuided into three parts For the region from Cairo to Rosetto is called the shore of Errif and from Cairo to the lande of Bugiha it is called Sahid that is to say The firme land but the region adioining vpon that branch of Nilus which runneth towardes Damiata and Tenesse they call by the name of Bechria or Maremma All Egypt is exceeding fertile but the prouince of Sahid excelleth the two other parts for abundance of corne cattle fowles and flaxe and Maremma aboundeth with cotton and sugar Howbeit the inhabitants of Marremma and Errif are farre more ciuill then the people of Sahid bicause those two prouinces lie neerer vnto the sea and are more frequented by European Barbarian and Assirian merchants but the people of Sahid haue no conuersation with strangers except it be with a fewe Ethiopians Of the ancient pedigree and originall of the Egyptians THe Egyptians as Moses writeth fetch their originall from Mesraim the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham the sonne of Noe and the Hebrewes call both the countrie and the inhabitants of Egypt by the name of Mesraim The Arabians call Egypt it selfe Mesre but the inhabitants Chibith And Chibith they say was the man that first tooke vpon him the gouernment of this region and began first to builde houses thereon Also the inhabitants call themselues by the same name neither are there left any true Egyptians besides a fewe Christians which are at this present remaining The residue embracing the Mahumetan religion haue mingled themselues amongst the Arabians the Moores This kingdome was gouerned many yeeres by the Egyptians themselues as namely by the kings that were called Pharao who by their monuments and admirable buildings seeme to haue beene mightie princes and also by the kings called Ptolomaei Afterward being subdued vnto the Romaine Empire this kingdome since the comming of Christ was conuerted vnto the Christian religion vnder the saide Romaine gouernment since the decay of which Empire it fell into the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople who being very carefull to maintaine this kingdome were at length depriued thereof by the Mahumetans vnder the conduct of Hamrus the sonne of Hasi being appointed captaine generall ouer the Arabian armie of Homar the second Califa or Mahumetan patriarke of that name who permitting all men to haue their owne religion required nought but tribute at their hands The said captaine built vpon the banke of Nilus a certaine towne called by the Arabians Fustato which word signifieth in their language a tabernacle for when he first vndertooke this expedition he marched through wilde and desert places voide of inhabitants so that his armie was constrained to lye in tents The common people call this towne Mesre Hatichi that is to say the auncient citie which notwithstanding in comparison of Cairo may not vnfitly be called the New citie And as concerning the situation of this towne many excellent men both Christians Iewes and Mahumetans haue in these our times beene deceiued For they thinke Mesre to be situate in the same place where king Pharao in the time of Moses and king Pharao in the time of
acknowledge the kings of Fez for soueraigne Princes ouer that citie But on the other side the Xeriffi whose reputation and power daily encreased when the time of paying tribute came sent to certifie this yoong king that being lawfull successors to Mahumet they were not bound to paie tribute to any and that they had more right to Affrica then he so that if he would haue them his friends so it were otherwise if he ment to diuert them from this their warre against the Christians they should not want courage nor power to defend themselues Wherewith the Fessan king being offended proclaimed warre against them and went himselfe in person to the siege of Maroco but at the very first he was driuen to dislodge and afterwards returning with eighteene thousand horse amongst whom were two thousand harquebuziers or bowmen he was vanquished by the Xeriffi who had no more but seuen thousand horse and twelue hundred harquebuziers which were placed on the way at the passage of a riuer By meanes of this victorie the Xeriffi shooke off the tribute of that countrie and passing ouer Atlas they tooke Tafilete an important citie and partly by faire meanes partly by force they brought diuérs people of Numidia to their obedience as also those of the mountaines In the yeere of our Lord 1536. the yoonger Xeriffo who was now called king of Sus hauing gathered togither a mightie armie and much artillerie taken in part from the king of Fez and partly cast by the French Renegados he went to the enterprise of Cabo de Guer a very important fortification held then by the Portugals which was built and fortified sirst at the charge of Lopes Sequeira and afterward knowing their opportunitie from the king Don Emanuel there was fought on both sides a most terrible battell In the end fire taking hold on the munition and vpon this the souldiers being daunted that defended the fortresse the Xeriffo entred thereinto tooke the towne and made the greatest part of the garrison his prisoners By this victorie the Xeriffi brought in a manner all Atlas and the kingdome of Maroco to their obedience those Arabians who serued the crowne of Portugall Whereupon king Iohn the third seeing that his expences farre exceeded the reuenues which came in of his owne accord gaue ouer Safia Azamor Arzilla and Alcazar holds which he had on the coast of Mauritania This 〈◊〉 was an occasion of grieuous discord betwixt the Brothers the issue whereof was that the younger hauing in two battels subdued the elder whereof the second was in the yeere of our Lord 1554 and taken him prisoner he banished him to Tafilet and afterwards turning his armes against the king of Fez after hauing taken him once prisoner and then releasing him he yet the second time because he brake promise got him into his handes againe depriued him of his estate and in the end caused both him and his sonnes to be slaine and by meanes of his owne sonnes he also tooke Tremizen In the meane while Sal Araes viceroy of Algier fearing the Xeriffos prosperous successe gathered together a great army with which he first recouered Tremizen afterwards defeating the Xeriffo conquered Fez and gaue the gouernment thereof to Buasson Prince of Veles but this man ioyning battaile with the Xeriffo lost at one instant both his citie and kingdome In the ende Mahumet going to Tarodant was vpon the way slaine in his pauilion by the treason of some Turkes suborned thereunto by the viceroy of Algier of whom one Assen was the chiefe who together with his companions went into Tarodant and there made hauock of the kinges treasures But in their returne home they were all but fiue slaine by the people in the yeere 1559 and Mullei Abdala the Xeriffos sonne was proclaimed and saluted king Let thus much suffice to haue bin spoken of the Xeriffo whose proceedinges appeare much like to those of Ismael the sophie of Persia. Both of them procured followers by bloud and the cloake of religion both of them subdued in short time many countries both of them grew great by the ruine of their neighbours both of them receiued greeuous checkes by the Turkes and lost a part of their states for Selym tooke from Ismael Cacamit and diuers other cities of Diarbena And the viceroy of Algier did driue the Xeriffo out of Tremizen and his other quarters And euen as Selim won Tauris the head citie of Persia and afterwardes gaue it ouer so Sal Araes tooke Fez the head citie of Mauritania and then after abandoned the same The Xeriffo his reuenues or commings in THe Xeriffo is absolute Lord of all his subiects goods yea and of their persons also For though he charge them with neuer so burdensome tributes and impositions yet dare they not so much as open their mouthes He receiueth from his tributarie vassals the tenthes and first fruits of their corne and cattell True it is that for the first fruits he taketh no more but one for twentie and the whole being aboue twentie he demandeth no more then two though it amount to an hundred For euery dayes tilth of grounde he hath a ducate and a quarter and so much likewise for euerie house as also he hath after the same rate of euerie person aboue fifteene yeers old male or female and when need requireth a greater summe and to the end that the people may the more cheerefullie pay that which is imposed vpon them he alwaies demaundeth halfe as much more as he is to receiue Most true it is that on the mountaines there inhabite certaine fierce and vatamed people who by reason of the steep craggie and inexpugnable situation of their countrie cannot be forced to tributes that which is gotten of them is the tenth of their corne and fruits onely that they may be permitted to haue recourse into the plaines Besides these reuenues the king hath the towles and customes of Fez and of other cities For at the entring of their goods the naturall citizen payeth two in the hundred and the stranger ten He hath further the reuenues of milles and many other thinges the summe whereof is very great for the milles yeelde him little lesse then halfe a royall of plate for euerie Hanega of corne that is ground in Fez where as they say there are aboue foure hūdred mils The moschea of Caruuen had fourescore thousand ducates of rent the colledges and hospitals of Fez had also many thousands Al which the king hath at this present And further he is heire to all the Alcaydes and them that haue pension of him and at their deaths he possesseth their horses armour garments and al their goodes Howbeit if the deceased leaue any sonnes apt for the seruice of the warres he granteth them their fathers prouision but if they be but young he bringeth vp the male children to yeeres of seruice and the daughters till they be married And therefore that he may haue some interest in the goods of
intreated them most barbarously as also those Abassins whom they had conuerted He likewise was afterwards ouerthrowne in battaile by the Turkes who stripped Ouiedo and his companions of all things that they had Whereupon they grew into such pouertie and miserie as all helpe failing them they were enforced to get their liuing with the plough and spade till they all died one after another This Ethiopian Christianitie is brought at this day to an hard point by the inuasions of the Turkes and Mores as is before declared Notwithstanding their religious men affirme that they haue prophesies of the comming of a Christian nation to their Ports from farre countries with whom they shall go to the destruction of the Mores and these they hold to bee Portugals They haue farther certaine presagements of Saint Sinoda who was an Egyptain Hermite of the ruine of Meca the recouerie of the holy sepulcher and the taking of Egypt and Cairo by the Abassins vnited with the Latines Of the Christians of the isle of Socotera VIcinitie of place and conformitie of customes inuite me to crosse the sea and to visite the Christians of Socotera This island is sixtie miles long and fiue and twentie in bredth It is situate ouer against the Red sea The people thereof receiued the faith from Saint Thomas the Apostle for they affirme that heere he suffred shipwracke and that of the broken and battered ship he built a church which is as yet extant They imitate for the most part the rites customes and fashions of the Abassins but with great ignorance and errour for being separated from all commerce with the Christians of these parts they remaine depriued of that spirituall helpe which the westerne church by communication might impart vnto them They retaine circumcision and some other Moisaicall ceremonies Also they pray for the dead and obserue ordinarie fasts hauing prefixed howers for praier and bearing great reuerence to their religion in honour whereof they build chappels wherein assembling togither with an high and loude voice they make supplications and praiers in the Hebrew toong But their farre distance as I said from these parts of Christendome the sterilitie of the island and the pouertie of the people are occasions that the little light of truth which they haue is in a manner quite eclipsed by multitudes of errors Vnto other things may be added the tyrannie of the king of Fartac a Mahumetan who subdued them about the yeere of our Lord 1482. and partly by dominion partly by affinitie and kinred and partly also by conuersation brought in amongst them the deadly poison of Mahumet From this seruitude they were deliuered by Tristan d' Acunna one of the king of Portugals captaines sixe and twentie yeeres after they fell into the same And for their better securitie he repaired the fortresse leauing therein a Portugall garrison But bicause the charges farre surmounted any benefite that came of the island not long after the said fortresse was ruinated and the island abandoned by the Portugals Iohn the third king of Portugall had a great desire to assist and free them from the tyrannie of the Turkes whereunto after the taking of Aden they were subiect But for feare of prouoking the great Turke or giuing him occasion to disturbe and molest those seas with his fleetes as also for the dispatching of other affaires he had in hand he neuer went about that enterprise Of the Christians of Nubia FRantis Aluarez in his Aethiopicke relation writeth that he being at the court of Prete Ianni there arriued certaine ambassadors frō Nubia to make 〈◊〉 vnto that prince for some priests and ministers of the Gospell and sacraments by whom they might be instructed in the Christian faith But Prete Ianni answered them that he had not enough for his owne countrey whereupon they returned home very discōtent so that hauing no helpe from the Christians on the otherside being daily sollicited by the Mahumetans vpon whom they border on many sides it is thought that at this present they remaine in a manner without any religion at all Notwithstanding at this day there are more then an hundred and fiftie churches standing with diuers other notes and signes of Christianitie Their language partaketh much with the Egyptain and no lesse with the Chaldean and Arabick Of the Christians in the king dome of Congo HItherto we haue described that little which remaineth of the ancient Christianity of Africk It now resteth that we giue some notice of that which hath beene brought in of late Congo is a kingdome about the bignes of France situate as is before said beyond the equinoctiall betweene Cabo da Catherina and Bahia das vacas It was conuerted to Christian religion by the meanes of Don Iohn the second king of Portugal in manner following Don Diego Cano a captaine of that king by his commission coasting along Africa after a great nauigation arriued at length in the great riuer of Zaire and 〈◊〉 to saile vp into it he discouered along the banks thereof many townes where he found much more affability in the inhabitants then in those of other countries which before he had discouered And that he might be able to giue the more faithfull aduertisement thereof to his king his hart moued him to go to the court of that kingdome Whither bein̄g come and courteously brought to the kings presence he shewed them the vanity of their Idolatry the high reuerence of christian faith And he found in that Prince so good a disposition as returning into Portugal besides an ambassador he was permitted to carry with him certaine youths of noble parentage to the end they might learne the Christian doctrine and be well instructed therein and being baptized also might afterwards be sent back with Portugall priests to preache the gospel and to plant the Christian faith in that kingdome These youthes remained in Portugal two yeeres and were there liberally entertained and with all diligence instructed in matters of religion and were at length with great solemnity baptized When they came to riper yeeres king Iohn sent them backe againe into their owne countrey with an honorable ambassage in whose company went for teachers and instructers of that nation three Dominick-Fryers reputed for men of exquisit learning and holy life Being arriued in Congo they first cōuerted Mani-Sogno the kings vncle with one of his sonnes After that ensued the baptisme of the king and Queene for which cause in short time there was a goodly Church erected vnder the name and title of Santa Cruz. And in the meane while there were infinit Idols burnt The king was called Iohn the Queene Leonora and his eldest sonne Alonso This Alonso was a singular good man who not being satisfied in his owne conuersion laboured also with a kind of Apostolicall zeale for the conuersion of his subiects But let no man thinke that the planting of religion can euer passe without some labour and trouble These Dominick-Fryers besides the intemperature of
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