FIrſt, the Right Honourable the Earle of Shrewſbury was in the Privy Chamber at White-Hall, at one of the Clocke in 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.

〈4 pages missing〉 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 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 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 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 〈2 pages missing〉 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.

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.

〈2 pages missing〉 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 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 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 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 〈4 pages missing〉 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 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 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 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 〈2 pages missing〉 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 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 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 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, 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.