The Orders that were observed upon Sunday, the 5. of November, 1637. by such Honourable and Worshipfull persons, and others that were appointed to con­duct the Embassadors to their Audience.

FIrst, the Right Honourable the Earle of Shrewsbury was in the Privy Cham­ber at White-Hall, at one of the Clocke in [Page 11] the After-noone, and twelve Gentlemen of his Maiesties Privie Chamber were there at the same Houre, and according as it was commanded, it was accom­plished.

Secondly, the EarIes Coach (with as many other as was held to be fitting) waited, and were ready at the Court-gate, to carry his Lordship and the Gentle­men privately to the Embassadors Lodg­ing, or House in Wood-streete.

Thirdly, the Foure Horses which were sent as Presents from the Emperour of Mo­rocco, to the King of Great Brittaine, did stand ready at the Embassadors House at the Houre afore-said, and all the Horses of those that came from the Court for the same Service, were ready at the sayd House the same houre.

Fourthly, a good Guard of Officers, and other men with Halbards, Bills, and lavelins, were at Wood-streete end in Cheap-side, and the like was in Wood-streete below the Embassadors House, to keepe the passage cleare from the presse of people.

[...] [Page 16] now it follows, that I relate somewhat of the greatnesse of the Emperour of Mo­rocco that sent tham, and some Causes why they were sent, with some iust and true Remembrances of the good ser­vices that Mr. Robert Blake (Associate with the Alkaid) hath done for his cap­tive and distressed Countrey-men, our Kings Subiects, English, Scottish, Irish, and of the Isles of Garnsey, and Jarsey, and of other places of his Maiesties Dominions: besides his goodnesse in relieving and helping of many Christians of sundry Na­tions, both with his Word and Purse, when they were in miserable thraldome and slavery; hee never ceased to doe his best to comfort them.

This Mighty and Potent Prince Mulley Mahamed Sheque, is Emperor of Moroc­co, King of Fez, or Fesse, or Sus, or Susa, with many other Dominions of large extent; some part of his Territories butting North­ward upon the Mid-land or Mediterranean Sea, over against part of Spaine, and some large bounds of hundreds of Leagues South and VVest upon the Atlantick Ocean: as also his [Page 17] Empire extends it selfe many hundred Miles upland Southward into Affrica.

The Citty of Morocco, (which is the Metropolis of his Empire) as Atlas relates in his History of Affrica, hath beene one of the greatest Citties in the world, being once of that huge circuite, that it had 100000. houses within it, most strong and defencibly walled, with 24 Gates to issue divers wayes out and in at, but within these 100. yeeres past, what with forraigne Warres and domesticall seditions, the Citty is much ruined, and abated of its ancient greatnesse; yet by the Maiestick Valour and Prudency of this Emperor it begins to re-flourish, and may re-assume the former Magni­tude which once it had.

The Kingdomes of Fesse and Sus are vaste in extention, and rich in divers Commodities, as Chamelots, Grograines, and many other Stuffes made of the haire of Cammels, and other Beasts: be­sides, the best Gold is found there in plenty, with Oyles, Sugars, and many other sorts of Merchandize, for which [Page 18] our Barbary Merchants doe traffique into those parts, with our Iron, Tinne, Lead, and other commodities which are ven­dible there. As concerning any further Description of those Countries, I am no Geographer, and whosoever will know more of them, let them looke in Pliny his Naturall History, or in Mr. Purchase his Pilgrimage, or in Atlas, (a compen­dious Worke, well Translated lately) or in Lithgows Travailes, and there they may have more ample and satisfactory Relations; there shall they finde that in these Dominions of Mauritania, the great Battell of Alcazer was fought in the yeare of our Lord 1578. on the fourth Day of August, when Don Sebastian, King of Portugall, came into Barbary with a great Army, in a wrong quarrell to ayde an usurping Rebell against the true Heire to the Empire of Morocco, for the which Ayde the Rebell had promi­sed to Sebastian, to give him the Kingdome of Fesse: But in that fatall Battell King Sebastian seeking after the shadow, lost the substance; and instead of obtaining [Page 19] Fesse, he was slaine that Day, and there lost both his Life, and Kingdome of Por­tugall; by which meanes the King of Spaine got it, and holds it; and in the same Fight was slaine the lawfull King of Fesse, and the Vsurper, with our Country-man Thomas Stukeley, to whom the Pope had largely promised the King­dome of Ireland; so that 3. Kings fell in that one Battell.

This Emperor now Reigning, is the Sonne of Xeriffe Mulley Cidan, (deceased) who was a valiant and victorious Prince, and his Grandfather was Xeriffe Mulley Hamet, a Prince that held good League and Amity with Queene Elizabeth, (of blessed and most famous memory) and this Emperor as soone as he came to the Crowne, he most lovingly desired the Friendship and Royall Amity of our Graci­ous King Charles: He is a white man, of a goodly proportion, and a Maiesticall Aspect; he is not above 18. yeeres of age, and yet of such surpassing strength, that he hath taken a new Horse-shooe, and with both his hands hath writhed and [...] [Page 22] inforced▪ through extremity and want to retire the Army, without any designe accomplished: And indeed it prooved no otherwise, but still Laishi held Friendship with our Generall, and made many shot out of the Towne of old Sally into new Sally, so that they were sore distrest in the Towne, with Famine, and the battering of our great Ordnance from our Ships by Sea, which did sink and teare their Shipping, and beate their houses about their eares; as also Laishi beate upon them on the Land-side, that by Sea and Land they had lost so many men, that they began to talke of yeel­ding.

The Emperor hearing of the perfidi­ous dealing of Laishi towards him, (for Laishi still stands out, and holds Old Sally from the Emperor) he sent his Al­kaid and Mr. Robert Blake his Associate, in Commission with him, to command them of New Sally to surrender to him the Towne, and deliver the Captives that were the King of Great Brittaines Subiects.

[Page 23] But before the Alkaid and Mr. Blake came, the Towne, being unable to hold out longer against the force of our Eng­lish Ships, that they were in a manner neere yeelded before the Embassadour came thither: so that (under God) our Ships were the meanes to reduce Sally to the obedience of the Emperor, the right Lord and owner thereof, and also to redeeme all the poore Captives that were there, Christians. So on the 28. day of July the Alkaid, with Master Blake, went into the Towne, and in the Empe­rors name did place there their old Go­vernour, and all the Captives were sent a boord the King of Englands ships: those that list to have a more ample Relation of the surrendring of this Towne, with the other passages that happened there, they may read a Journall written by Ma­ster John Duntons Direction, who was the Master of the Admirall-ship the Leo­pard, who, as it is thought, hath de­scribed it truely; but hee is here and there wrong'd by the Writer, in mis­placing some things unorderly.

[...] [Page 26] were in number 302, English, Scottish, and Irish; amongst whom there were 11 Women: Also there were 27. French men, which wisely ran away from their kee­pers; and there were likewise set at Li­berty 8. Dutch-men, and 11. Spaniards: all these great Mercies of God to these poore captived Christians, ought never (by them) to be forgotten, but with praise, Thankesgiving, and amendment of life to be had in perpetuall Remembrance: and we and they are all bound to love, honour, and obey Our most Gracious King, whose piety and pitty was so great, as to take the Affliction of his poore Subiects so farre into his most Princely consideration, as to send his Ships under such wise and able Commanders for their Redemption. And it is a most Remarkable Note of the Al­mighties Mercy, in that hee stir'd up and ordain'd Master Robert Blake to be the Agent and Instrument to move the Em­peror of Morocco, to be so well affected for their enlargement.

Their slavery ( for the time) was worse than the Aegyptian Bondage under [Page 27] Pharaoh; for imagine ( Good Reader) what misery can be more, than for a man or woman to be bought and sold like a Beast, for a Christian to be servile to an Infidell, in the most base and contemp­tible drudgeries; to eate the Bread of sorrow, and drinke the water of affliction; to have the Head shaven, the body pin'd and beaten, to grind in Mills, to digge and dresse Vineyards, to draw Ploughes, to be labourers dayly, and all their wages to be hard fare, hard blowes, hard lodging, and (more hard than those) never to hope to be freed till Death; but hardest and worst of all, to be urged, enforced, and enti­ced to forsake their Faith, and turne Miscre­ants; or (at the best) to be ever debar'd the exercise of the Freedome of their Re­ligion and Conscience. Now the Learned doe say, That all kind of Servitude is mise­rable, but that especially is intollerable, when a Man is enforced to serve one that is disho­nest and vicious: And therefore (as a wise man saith) it is better to live free with a little feare, than to be in servitude with much and [Page 28] great aboundance; for Liberty is sweete, and worthy to be regarded.

These, and more than these were the insupportable calamities of our poore distressed Countrey-men, with 46. of o­ther Nations, who are now by Gods espe­ciall mercy and providence at liberty, some of them having endured 30. yeeres sla­very, and some fewer; but all too much, and too many.

In February last, 1635, Mr. Robert Blake being a Merchant, and trading to Mo­rocco, by his good conversation and carriage there, the Emperor cast an eye of Regard and Favour upon him, insomuch that he caused him to leave his Merchandise and Traffique in trust to his servants and Factors, and himselfe to be neere attendant to his Person in the Court, where his Maiesty taking especiall notice of his good diligence and Integrity, entertain'd a li­king to him and his Services every day more and more, so that in short space hee purchas'd the Office of Farmer of all his Ports and Customes, (which place hee still retaines.) There were then in the Emperors Court 33. English Captives, whom hee and his Father [Page 29] had formerly bought from Argeir and Tun­nis, and some of them had beene in Captivity 25. yeeres, some 20. yeeres, some 14, some fewer, but each of them thought that the time was too long.

And although these mens miseries were not altogether so great, nor their Captivity so heavy in the Court at Mo­rocco, as it was at Tunnis, Argeir, or Sally, yet was their Thraldome so irkesome to them, that they had a desire to see their owne Countries; their mindes ran upon their Parents, Kinred, Friends, and Ac­quaintance, from whom they had beene long unfortunately separated: so that their best mirth was but forc'd, and a kinde of mourning, and all their ioyes were too much mixed with care and sadnesse, which Mr. Blake (with great griefe of heart) did note in them dayly; and his most sorrow for them was, that he suppos'd hee could not helpe them, and therefore he did often see them with an eye of Christian compassion and pitty, and in his minde (like a true English-man) had a Sympathy or brotherly feeling of his [...] [Page 34] with houses for so large a circuite: It hath three Castles, two of them to the Land-ward, and one to the Sea-ward, with other strong Cassamats and Plat­formes, well furnished with great Artille­ry. From Sally to Saffee is neere fifty Leagues more to the Southward, and there the Embassador tooke shipping, as is before-said.

And although I have written before in this Relation, that I have no skill in Geography, or Description of Countries and Climates, yet for the satisfaction of ma­ny, such as will not, or cannot be at the charge to buy larger Relations, it is not impertinent that I write somewhat of Affrica, and consequently of Barbary, Mo­rocco, Fesse, Sus, and other of those Do­minions, with their Religions, manners, Rites, Lawes, and Cermonies.

For their Religion, they are strict obser­vers of the Law of Mahomet; they say Christ was a great Prophet, borne to bee a Saviour of the World, (but not incarnate) that hee was the Breath of God, that hee was borne of a Virgin, and that the Iewes should [Page 35] have beleev'd in him, but would not; and therefore because they went about to murder and crucifie him, he left them, and ascended from them into Heaven, and that then they put a­nother man to Death instead of him, whom they tormented, and cruelly Crucified. There­fore these Mahometans doe hold and e­steeme the Jewes as the worst of men, and very slaves to all Nations of the World.

The one and onely Booke of their Re­ligion is called their Alcaron, devised by their false Prophet Mahomet, who was of their Nation, (a Larbee:) They may not use any other Booke for Devotion, nor on paine of losse of life, no part of it doe they dare to examine or question; but if any be diffident, or any point or Sen­tence be intricate and hard to be under­stood by any of them, then it is lawful to aske the meaning of the Talby, which is a poore weake learned Priest: They are all Circumciz'd, and they use a kind of Baptisme, but not in their Churches, but at home in their houses.

Their Lent is much about the time as [Page 36] it is with us, which they doe hold but 30. dayes; and they neither eate nor drinke all that time on any of those dayes, betwixt the dawning and the twi-light, but when once the Starres doe shew themselves, then (for their Day Fast) they feed fast all Night. That Priest or Talby that cannot Read over the Booke of the Alcaron (or Mahomets Law) all over on their Good Friday at night, is held unworthy of his place and Function: they say their prayers six times every day and night, and they doe wash themselves all over very often: they have no Bells to toll them to Church, but he that is the Clarke, or Sexton, hath a deepe base great voyce, and goes to the top of the Steeple, and there roares out a warning for the people to come to their Devotions. No man doth enter their Churches with his shooes on; their Talbies or Priests each one of them are allowed a Wife, or Wives if they will: The Lay-men may have Captive women, but they must not lye with them in the night-time, for that be­longs [Page 37] to the Wives by turne, and if any wife be beguiled of her turne, she may com­plaine for satisfaction to the Magistrate: he that hath foure wives must be a Rich man; a poore man is allowed as many, but his meanes are too short to keepe them, there­fore one or two must serve his turne. The Bride and Bridegroome doe never see each other before the Wedding-night that they are going to bed, where if he finde her a Maid, all is well; if otherwise, hee may turne her away, and give her no part of the portion she brought him.

As concerning their Burials, if any one doth dye, they doe wash the Corps all over, and (by reason the Countrey is extreame hot, they cannot keep them above ground) with all speed they send for the Friends or Kinred of the party deceased, and carry the dead out of their Townes or Citties, to a place ap­pointed for that use, (for none are buried in their Churches, or Synagogues, or within their Townes) and there the Talby sayes a short Prayer, and then the Corps is interred. They have a custome to speake in praise of vertuous persons departed, to encourage and animate [...] [Page 40] taken with false weights or measures, doth lose all his Ware in his house to the use of the poore, and is a defamed person, and cruelly whipt. Their Execution for life and death is, that commonly the person adiud­ged to die, hath his throat cut by the Exe­cutioner. And these are part of the Religi­on, Lawes, and Manners of the people of Mo­rocco, Fesse, and Sus, and I doe wish they were all inspired with Holinesse from God; for I am sure they doe surpasse many Christians in Righteousnesse and iust dealing towards men.

In Affrica there are many Nations, Kingdoms, and Provinces, many parts whereof are inha­bited by Christians, as Spaniards and Portugalls. Aethiopia is a great tract of Land in the South part of Affricke, it hath many Kingdomes in it, over whom (as Chiefe Ruler) is Prester John: He is Emperor of Aethiopia, or of the A­bassines; he is a Christian, and so are his peo­ple, but withall they are all Circumcised: The Evnuch whom Philip the Evangelist conver­ted, was Governour of Aethiopia, and chiefe Treasurer under Candaces the Queene then Reigning there, Acts 8.

Egypt (now under the Turke) is another [Page 41] part of Affrica; in that Land the Israelites were in bondage, whom God delivered by the hand of Moses: it is bounded on the East with the Red Sea, wherein Pharaoh and all his Host were drown'd. Also the King­domes of Gaogan, Nubia, Dangaly, Doba, Gan­sila, Dasila, Barnagasso, Doara, Balli, Angola, Numidia, Guiney or Binney, Bizarchus, Trip­toletana, Mauritaunia Cesariensis, Mauritaunia Si­tiphensis, Tingitania, Congo, (far to the South) Carthage, neare where Tunis stands, (famous for Dido and Hanniball) Hippon more famous for being the the Bishops Sea of the renow­ned and blessed Lampe of light and Learning, Saint Augustine, and Utica, where the admi­red Roman Cato Uticensis did enrich them with his Venerable bones.

And in some parts of Affrica the people doe use to eate three whole daies together, and are in all things obedient to their Wives or Concubines: Moreover, they never suffer a­ny of their Daughters to be married, except she or they have first slaine with her owne hand by Policy one of their Enemies: this they doe observe from the Tartarians.

In other parts of this Countrey they doe [Page 42] honour their Women more than their men, and they take their Sur-names of their Mo­ther, and not of their Father: and they leave their Daughters to be their Heires and in­heritors of their Lands, and not their sons.

And in some places many have beene pu­nished, and some banished, because they have kissed their Wives in the presence of their Children or Daughters; but at the least they have beene fined to their Governour many Duckets for this offence.

Their Lawes command, that men accu­stomed to wickednesse and viciousnesse, should be cut off, without being spared or concealed: and that they which were attain­ted, and convinced as guilty of any crime, should never escape without some punish­ment or other.

Affrica is that part of the World that doth produce most Wonders, Monsters, strange Beasts, Fowles, and Serpents.

For Monsters, it is said that there are a people called Aramaspians, with one eye in the Fore-head; some with their Feete natu­rally growing backward, some with heads like Dogges, some with long tailes, some [Page 43] with but one legge, that doe hop very swift, and are called Sciopedi, who with the shad­dow of the foote (as they lye on their backs) doe defend their whole bodies from the violent heate of the Sunne; some with­out Heads, with Eyes in their shoulders; some Satyres, (halfe men and halfe Goates) some with no Noses, but flat-fac'd, with holes to breath at: some with legges as lim­ber and pliable as Lamparnes, (without bones) who doe creepe and crawle. Some with eares so great that they cover the whole body; and that in Aethiopia there are some men that are 8. Cubits, or 4. Yards high; let the Reader beleeve as much of this as he list: but I am perswaded, that ma­ny of these things are true, or else so many Grave and approved Authors would never have written of them, and divulg'd them to the World.

Also in Affrica are store of Elephants, Ti­gers, Lyons, Buffles, Panthers, Leopards, Cammells, Rhinoceros, Lynces, Musk kats, Onces, Elkes, Porcupines, Dragons, Serpents, Crocodiles, Ichneumons, the Hiena Vipers, the Basiliske, the Chamelion, the Sallamander, Ta­rentalaes, [Page 44] and Scollapendraes, Vultures, Eagles, Ostriches, Osprayes, the Bird of Paradise, (that is almost all tayle) with many other, too long to recite: so that those parts of the World doe breed and produce more vene­mous Beasts and vermine, and strange Rari­ties of Nature, than all Europe, Asia, and America.

And thus having briefly related the Reli­gions, Manners, Rites, Lawes, and Ceremo­nies of some of the Dominions of Affrica, as Barbary, Morocco, Fesse, and Sus, I hope it will satisfie any indifferent Reader: To name all were too tedious, and impossible; and therefore those that will have more ample Description, let them get the credit to borrow, or the Ability to buy larger Volumes.