Pilgrimage, Book 6 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of that part of Barbarie, now called the Kingdomes of Tunis and Tripolis.
ALl the Tract of Land, betweene Atlas and the Sea (stretching in length from Egypt to the Straits) is aLeo, l.1.called Barbaria, either of Barbar (which signifieth to murmure) because such seemed the speech of the inhabitants to the Arabians, or of the word Bar, which signifieth a Desart, doubled. It comprehendeth bMagin.both Mauritania's, Africa Minor, Libya Exterior, besides Cyrenaica and Marmarica, whereof we hauehave spoken. The inhabitants some fetch from Palestina, some from Arabia. It was conquered by the Romanes, and taken from the Greeke Emperours by the Vandals, and from them againe by the Saracens and Arabians, and is now partly subiect to the Turke, partly to the Xeriffe. It is vsually diuided into foure Kingdomes, Marocco, Fesse, Tremisen, and Tunis; for of Barca is said alreadie.
The Kingdome of Tunis containeth all that which the Ancients called Africa propria, or Minor, and Numidia Antiqua. The Soyle is fertile, especially the West part. The inhabitants are sound and healthfull, seldome vexed with any sicknesse. Hereof are reckoned fiue parts; Bugia, Constantina, Tunis, Tripolis, and Ezzab. This Ezzab is the most Easterly part, hauing many Townes and Regions, amongst which, some account Mesrata. From these parts vntounto Capes, is the Tripolitan Region. The chiefe Towne is Tripolis, wherein the Great Turke hath his Bassa, or Vice-roy, a Receptacle of the Pyrates, which roue and robbe in those Seas; Nic.Nic. was there present.in the yeare 1551 wonne from the Knights of Malta by Sinan Bassa. From Capes to Guadilbarbar is the Tunetane Territorie. From thence vntounto the Mountaine of Constantina is that Region, hereof bearing name: and from thence cLeo, l. 5.to the Riuer Maior, about a hundred and fiftie myles space, doth Bugia extend it selfe, so called of Bugia dBugia an Vniuersitie.the principall Citie, sometime adorned with Temples, Hospitals, Monasteries, and Colledges of Students in the Mahumetan Law. Here is also Necaus, a very pleasant Citie; and Chollo, very rich. Constantina is an auncient Citie, containing eight thousand families, and many sumptuous buildings, a great Temple, two Colleges, and three or foure Monasteries, much resorted to by Merchants: EueryEvery Trade hath their peculiar streets. A little from the Citie is a hot Bath, hauing in it abundance of Crab-fishes, or little Tortoises, which the women take for euill spirits, and ascribe vntounto them the cause of their sicknesse, or ague, if any befall: and therefore kill white Hennes, and set them on an earthen Vessell, with their feathers, enuironing the same with little Waxe-candles, and so leaue them neere to this Bath, or Fountaine. How euer it fare with their Feuer, their meat shall not stay long, but some or other that see the womens deuotion, will enuie the euill spirits so good cheare, and for that time will be the spirits themselues, to dresse and cat their prouision. Not farre hence is a Marble building, with Images grauen therein: the people hauehave a conceit, that it was sometime a Schoole, and those Statues the Schollers, by diuine iudgement so transformed for their wickednesse.
In this Region is situated Bona sometime called Hippo, famous through our Christian World for the most famous of the Fathers, that since the Apostles daies hauehave left vsus their writings, AVRELIVS AVGVSTINVS; a name fitting to him, which indeed was Aureus and Augustissimus, Bishop of this Sea, while he liued; and yet liuing (in his Workes) a Bishop, not of Hippo, but of the Westerne Church. Wittie, Learned, Wife, and Holy Father, that hast with thee carried these Titles from Hippo: where, after thee, the Arian Vandals, and since, the Saracens, hauehave liued and Lorded, and at this day is possessed of such as hauehave no possession of Wit, Learning, Wisedome, or Holinesse: but hauehave testified their banishment of all these, by ascribing them to fooles and madde men, whome they honour and admire as Saints. eNic. Nicolay, l. 1.This Bona (then brooking this name better) containeth now three hundred Herthes, and a sumptuous Mosque, to which is adioyned the house of the Cadi.
Tunis is now a great Citie, since the ruines of Carthage, neere vntounto which it standeth. Carthage fVrbs Carthago peninsule ad figuram accedens, binc mari, inde lacu maxime sui parte cingitur. …sthmus quo Africae iungitur patet stadia 25. … est in butus spaty latere, quod vergit ad mare, Vtic.… modico ab vrbe interuallo: in altero secundum lacum est Tunes. Polyb. Hist. l. 1. c. 73.(as the more auncient) deserueth first relation. It was built threescore and twelue yeares before Rome, as the common account goeth, by Dido and her gPoeni, quasi Phoeni.Phoenicians: an emulous competitor with Rome of the Empire of the World. It contained (sayth hP. Oros.l. 4.22.Orosius) in the circuit of the walls twentie miles; Livies Epitome saith, foure and twentie; all engirt with the Sea, except three myles space, which had a wall of squared stone, thirtie foot broad, and fortie cubits high. The Tower Byrsa enuironed aboue two myles, and had in it the Temples of Iuno, Aesculapius, and iThere were in Carthage the Temples of Iuno, Memoria, Apollo, Silius addeth of Elisa, and of Venus Coelestis, or Vrania, the Phoenician Astroarche & Syria Dea.Belus. Of the greatnesse of their name and power, those three Punike warres are witnesses; in the second of which, Annebal (whome his father Hamilear, then Generall in Spaine, had caused to sweare at the Altar of Iupiter, neuer to hold friendship with the Romans, he then being but nine yeares old, as Aemilius Probus, or as other will hauehave it, Cornelius Nepos reporteth:) he, I say, passed ouer the Pyrenaean Mountaines, through Fraunce, and ouer the Alpes, into Italie, with an Armie of a hundred thousand footmen, and thirtie thousand horse. The Riuers Ticinus and Trebia, the Lake Trasimenus (running with Roman bloud, by three ouerthrowes of Scipio, Sempronius, and Flaminius the Roman Consuls) witnessed the Punike might kOf the Punike warres and greatnesse the Roman Histories are full: so also Polybius and others among the Greekes. Erant tunc temporis Carthaginensium imperio subiecte …es Africae prouinciae ad mare nostrum sitae à Philaenorum ara, que est è regione maioris Syrtis, ad columnas va… Herculis: quod spatium vltra 16000 stadiorum patet. lidem freto ad columnas traiecto omnem oiram Hispanie subegerant usque ad Py…naeos, Polyb. Hist. l. 3. 39.. But the victorie at Cannae against Varro did pierce the breast, and had rent the heart of Rome, had Annibal knowne to hauehave vsed the victorie as well, as to hauehave gotten it. There did Rome seeme to breath her last: the Sunne, the Winde, the Dust helping the Carthagiman with Natures forces; yea, the Riuer Gellus, against Nature, stayed it selfe, whether with wonder, feare, or necessitie, accepting a Bridge or Damme rather or Roman bodies for a passage to the African Armie. These were golden dayes to Carthage, when three. Modij.bushels of Gold-Rings, taken from the fingers of the slaine, enemies, were sent hither as a present lPolyb. l.3. c.11. & seq. ex translatione Causaboni, & Romani historiei sere omnes, haec plene.. A swoune meane-while did Rome sustaine; and easily in fiue dayes might Hannibal hauehave dined in the Capitoll: and poore helpe could she finde when she reuiued, had not Capua, with feasting the Conquerour, detained Rome from Conquest, when they despoyled the Temples for Armour, armed their slaues, and bestowed their priuate state on the publike Treasurie: all which could not make Fabius mCunctator.fight with Annibal, but by not fighting learned to ouercome, knowing, that a shield was better weapon then a sword in that case. Scarce nStad. in Florum.in seuenteene yeres could Italie shake off this burthen, till Scipio by new policie warred against Hannibal, not in oHannibal in Italia semper superior: quòd nisi domi civium suarum invidiâ debilitatus esset, Romanos videtur superare potuisse. Aemil. Probus in Hannibale.Italie, where he was, but in Africke and Carthage, whence his force was; thereby procuring Annibals returne, as the outward members are forced to yeeld their bloud, to succour any sudden oppression of the heart.
But how is my heart oppressed with sudden passion, thus to transport the Reader, with my selfe, from Africke into Spaine, France, Italie, there to behold this Tragedie? Let the matter it selfe answere: and now we are returned to Carthage, and finde the Tragedie here. For in the third Punike warre the Romans (saith pLib.2.c. 15.Florus) rather fought with the Citie it selfe then with men. And alas, what could that Hermaphrodite-army doe, wherein were fiue and twentie thousand armed women qOros.l. 4.23.? Yet had women then the greater courage: Hasdrubal the King yeelded. His wife, with her two children, and much people, burned themselues in the Temple of Aesculapius, that could not cure this disease of his Citie and suppliants; the like fate befalling the first and last Queenes of Carthage. Seuenteene dayes rProsperitate ac securitate rerum corruptis moribus plus nocuisse monstretur. tàm cito. eversa, quam prius …ocucrat tam diu adversa Carthage. August. de Civ. Dei, l.3.c.21.together did Carthage burne, seuen hundred yeares after the first building.
In this last warre, after they had deliuered vp their Nauie and weapons, being commaunded to remoue tenne myles from thence, Anger kindled new forces, and taught them to supply the want of yron, with Siluer and Gold, in making weapons, with pulling downe their houses to build a Nauie, the Matrons giuing their haire (the feminine Ornament) to make bands for their manly and warlike Engins; their priuat glorie, for publike necessitie; all which serued but to augment the pompe of this funerall of Carthage. Caesar did after restore it with a Roman Colonie, neuer attaining the Tyrian glorie, sLeo, l. 5.afflicted with Vandales and Gothes, and by the Saracens made desolate; vntill the time of Elmahdt, in hereticall Caelipha; who procured the reinhabiting hereof. But not aboue the twentieth part was inhabited: The rest remaineth as scattered ruines, dispersed bones of the carkasse of old Carthage. Master Pountesse, a friend of mine, told me, That he hath beene rowed in his Boat ouer the walls of Carthage, or their ruines, the Sea hauing made the last conquest by eating into the Land. The condaits are whole (saith Leo) which bring water from a Hill thirtie miles from Carthage, twelue miles vnderunder the earth, the rest aboue. And now (saith he) are not aboue fiue and twentie shoppes and fiue hundred houses therein, one faire Temple, one College, but without schollers, the inhabitants poore, proud, and superstitious. Master tAp.Hak.Evesham saith, That this Citie is now ruinated and destroyed. He mentioneth these Arches, wherein water was hither conueyed, and one street three miles long.
As for the Sea-discoueries attempted by the Carthaginians, Hanno compassed all Africa, from the Spanish to the Arabian Straits, and committed his discoueries to writing; Himilco at the same time was employed in the search of Europe. Diodorus Sicubis uDiod. Sic.l.5.c.7.writeth a whole Chapter of their discouerie of a pleasant and fertile Island Westward, in the Ocean, which cannot fitly agree with any other Region then some part of the West Indies. And some xGen.Chron.thinke, that the Indians of America were a Colonie of the Carthaginians. Aristotle hath also the like relation in his booke De admirandis Auditionib. In the beginning of the Warre yDom.Nig.they had three hundred Cities in Libya, and seuen hundred thousand persons in their Citie.
Tunis was a small Towne, till after the destruction of Carthage it grew in some reckoning (as before is said.) It hath in it about tenne thousand households. Abdul Mumen ioyned it to his Kingdome of Marocco. And when that Kingdome declined zLeo, l. 5., the Vice-roy (which before was subiect to Marocco) now vsurped the State to himselfe, calling himselfe King of Africa. In our fathers aSleid.Com.l.5…. Fr. Sur. Com. Doglioni.dayes, Muleasses, sonne of Mabomet, King of Tunis (by murther of his elder brother Maimon, and either killing or putting out the eyes of twentie other his brethren) obtained the Crowne. But Rossette the only brother remaining, when with his Arabians he could not gaine the Kingdome, he went with Barbar…ssa to Solyman the Turke, who so vsed the matter, that Muleasses was chased out of his Kingdome, and Tunis subiected it selfe to Selyman. But Mulcasses craued and obtained aide of Charles the fist, who in the yeare 1535 passed bDe bac expeditione Diatrium ser…sit Ioan. Etrobius.with an Armie into Africke, and repossessed Muleasses of his Kingdome, who became the Emperours Vassall.
Our Histories tell of Edward the first his arriuall at Tunis, and Henry the fourth with English Arches; at both which times the Tunetanes were forced to composition. It was, before either of them were Kings; Fro…ssart, for Henry, hath his sonne Iohn de Beaufort.
Muleasses, about the yeare 1544, crossed ouer the Sea into Sicilie, leauing his sonne Amida in the gouernment. cSurius Comm.The costlinesse of his diet was admirable, and of his Perfumes. One Peacocke and two Phesants, dressed after his order, were obserued to amount to a hundred duckats, and more. He was a superstitious obseruer of his Religion, and of the Starres, which portended to him the losse of his Kingdome, and a miserable end. To auoid this, he departed out of Africa (for feare of Barbarussa) but so fell into the danger. A rumour was spread at Tunis, that he was dead; whereupon Amida possessed himselfe of the Kingdome. Muleasses hasted home to recouer it, and lost himselfe: for he was taken captiue, and after both his eyes put out with a burning knife, and of his two sonnes Nahasar and Abdalas he was committed to prison. But Abdamelech his brother got the Kingdome from Amida, & soono after died, to whome succeeded Mahomet his sonne, a child: whose Tutors were so tyrannicall, that Amida was againe sent for by the Tunetans, and Muleasses is brought to sanctuarie, whence by the Spaniards meanes he was conueyed to Guletta, and thence to Sicilia, where he was maintained at the Emperours charge Knolles, pag. 902.. He deriued his pedegree from the Chorean Familie, in right line from Homar, Mahomet disciple. Amida obtained the Kingdome, thus tossed betwixt Moores, Turkes, and Christians, but was after taken and sent prisoner to Sicilia. Mahomet (brother of Amida, now a slaue in Sicilia) was made King of Tunes, vnderunder the Spaniard, 1573, by Don Iohn of Austria: but the next yeare after, Selym the Turke tooke Guletta, holden by the Spaniards almost fortie yeares; and at last tooke Tunes also: Mahomet the new King was sent to Constantinople prisoner.
It hath (saith Leo, l.5.Leo) many Temples, especially one of singular beautie and greatnes, furnished with store of Priests and Reuenue: also, many Colleges of Schollers, and Monasteries of Religious persons, to which the people yeeld liberall almes. They are so befooled, that they esteeme fooles Saints: and while I was at Tunis, the King built a faire Monasterie for one Sidi el Dahi, that went vp and downe with his head and feet bare, hurling stones, and crying like a madde man, endowing the same with great reuenue for him and all his kindred.
Biserta is an auncient Citie, supposed dMaginus.by some to be Vtica, where Cato slew himselfe.
Cairaoan hath beene a Citie famous, built by Hucba, Generall of the warres of Ozmen, or Otman, the third Chalifa, 36. miles from the Sea, and from Tunis 100, to secure themselues from any suddaine inuasion, which the commoditie of the Sea might cause them. He built therein an admirable Temple, on Pillars of Marble. To Hucba in this gouernment succeeded Mucas.Muse, who from hence made an Expedition into Spaine, and ouerthrew the Spanish King and his Gottish forces, and tooke Toledo: Iezul his sonne, his brother, and nephew, succeeded each other in his gouernment, which Elagleb (that followed them) turned into an independent and free Seignorie, by occasion of the Chalifa's leauing Damasco, and remouing the Seat Royall, or Popedome, to Bagdat. This house here ruled 170 yeares, at which time Mahdi an hereticall Chalifa depriued them. These Saracens wanne Sicilia in those times to the Cairaoan dominion. About the 400. yeare of the Hegira, Elcain was Chalifa in Cairaoan, whose Captaine Gehoar conquered vntounto him Barbarie, Numidia, and as farre as Sus Westward: and after being employed in the East, subdued Aegypt and Syria. He, for securing himselfe and his armie, built Cairo. After this, he sent to his Lord Elcain to come thither in person, assuring him, That the Chalifa of Bagdat was not able to abide his presence and puissance. Elcain liftening to Gehoar, appointed a Lieutenant in Cairaoan, and went to Cairo. But his Lieutenant of Cairaoan rebelled & offered his obedience to the Chalifa of Bagdat, who therefore gaue him large priuiledges, and made him King of all Africa. Elcain in these Straits knew not which way to turne him, till by counsell of his Secretaire he tooke this course. The Arabians at that time were exceedingly multiplied, insomuch, that the Countrey, otherwise barren, could not sustaine them and their Cattell. To these he gaue leaue to passe into Africa, paying for eueryevery Poll a Duckat, and taking an oath of them to be enemies to his rebell. These in short time sacked Tripolis and Cabis, and, after eight moneths siege, Cairaoan also, and remained Lords of Africa, till Ioseph the first, King of Marocco, who gaue aide to the kinsmen of that rebell, wanne the Cities from the Arabians, which still kept possession of the Fields. The Lord of Cairaoan fled Westward, and reigned in Bugia and the parts adioyning, and others of his kindred ruled in Tunis, till the King of Marocco swallowed all; that Citie being built presently after the Arabians had destroyed this, in the yeare 424 of their Heg…ra, as Leo cLeo, l. 2.reckoneth. Cairaoan fSurius Cōment.hath in it an auncient Temple, and College of Priests: Hither the great men among the Moores and Numidians, are brought to be buried, hoping by the prayers of those Priests to clime to Heauen. For this cause (Boterus saith) they enter into this Citie vnshod, with great reuerence.
Concerning the Religion of these Africans: in auncient times, Leo saith, That they worshipped the Fire and the Sunne, as did the Persians, erecting in honour of each of these, faire and sumptuous Temples, in which the Fire was continually kept burning, as in the Temple of Vesta at Rome. The Numidians and Libyans sacrificed to the Planets. And some of the Negros worshipped Guighimo, which signifieth the LORD of Heauen. These afterward (he sayth) were of the Iewish Religion, and after that of the Christian, till the 268 yeare of the Hegira, that some Negro Kingdomes became Mahumetan, although there remaine some Christians to this day: but those which were Iewish, both by the Christians and Mahumetans, were vtterly destroyed. But those of Barbarie (whereof we especially entreat) remained (sayth he) Idolaters, till 250 yeares before Mahomets birth, when they became Christians. This must be interpreted of the vniuersall and publike profession about the time of Constantine: For otherwise Africke had in it Christians before. Dorothaeus in Synopsi saith, That Epaenetus, one of the 70 Disciples, was Bishop of Carthage; and that Simon the Apostle preached in Mauritania, and among the Africans, as Matthias also in Aethiopia. But the Gothes soone corrupted Christian Religion with Arrianisme, the fore-runner of Mahumetanisme, both here and elsewhere. The Moores (saith gAlex.ab. Alex.Gen.dier.l. 6.4.another) worshipped Iuba as a God; and the Poeni, Vranus; the Libyans, Psaphon. This Psaphon (otherwise a base fellow) had taught birds to sing, Psaphon is a great God, and then let them flie into the Woods, where chanting their Lesson, they inchanted the rude people with this superstition. Aelianus hAelian.l. 14. 25.telleth the like Historie of Annon a Carthaginian, whose birds, at libertie in the Woods, forgat this their Masters Lesson. The Poeni iDom.Niger.Perfidi Poeni prouerb.being (as is said) Phaeni, or Phaenicians, brought (in all likelyhood) the Phoenician Religion with them from thence. Silius reckoneth one of their damnable Rites like to come thence, of humane Sacrifices.
Mos fuit in populis quos condidit advena Dido,
Poscere caede Deos veniam, ac flagrantibus aric
(Infandum dictu) parvos imponere natos.
Carthage, t'appease th'offended Deities,
Was wont to offer humane Sacrifice:
And tender Babes (abhominable shame)
Were made the fewell of the Altars flame.
To Saturne (saith kSar.l. 3.Sardi…ss) were humane Sacrifices offered by the Rhodians, Phaenicians, Curetes, and Carthaginians: the Sardi, their Colonie lSuidos., offered the fairest of their captiues, and such as were aboue threescore and tenne yeares old, who to shew their courage, laughed; whence grew the Prouerbe, Sardoniusrisus: this was done also to Saturne. The Carthaginians, in time of plague, offered their children to Saturne, which Gelo caused them to leaue. Being ouercome by Agathocles, they sacrificed 200 of the chiefe mens children to Saturne. Ch…tarchus and others write, cited by Suidas, That in their solemne supplications at Carthage they put a child into the armes of Saturnes Brazen Image, vnderunder which was set a Furnace, or Ouen: which being kindled, the child being burned, seemed to laugh. This custome might happily be the occasion of that desperat act before spoken of in the destruction of Carthage by the Romans, so many perishing in Aesculapius Temple. Other their Rites are likely to be the same with those which we hauehave reported of the Phaenicians, somewhat perhaps in time inclining also to the Greekish superstition. Their deuotion to Venus, the Phaenician goddesse, Augustine mAugust. in Psal. 98.mentioneth in these words, Regnum Veneris quale er at Carthagini, vbi nunc est regnum Christi? The Punicke Tongue was, according to the same Author, very neere to the Hebrew in many words nContra lit. Petil.l. 3., yea almost in all: a surther testamonie either of their Canaanite or Phaenician off-spring, as wee may gather out of Precopius, the Punikes in Augustines daies calling themselues Chanam. Expos. inchoat. ad Rom. oSee Ortel… Parergo.Carthage was called Iustiniana, of Iustinian, Iunonia of Graeccbus. Hadrianopolis of Hadrian, and of Commodus. Alexandria Commodiana Togata. It was sacked the second time of Capellianus, President of Mauritania; thirdly, vnderunder Genserichus, of the Vandals; fourthly, of the Maurusians; fiftly, of the Persians; sixtly, of the Egyptians; lastly, of the Mahumetans.
Tripolis of Barbarie (for there is another of that pPlin.l. 5.c.20.name in Syria, so called, because the Arcadians, Tyrians, & Sidonians inhabited it) was so named of three Cities, whose Colonies planted it, Abrotonum, and Tophia, and Leptis magna: or, as qSolin.c. 36. Draudius. Martin.del Rio.others, Cesa, or Taphra, or Oea, Sabrada, and Leptis. It was built by the Romanes, conquered by the Gothes, and after by the Saracens. And after the destruction thereof, the Africans built a new Tripolis, wherein were many faire Temples, Colledges for Students, and Hospitals. Corne is alway deere, because their Fields are Sand. rIo. Lco.l. 5.It was subiect vntounto the King of Tunis, till the King of Fez carried away the King of Tunis prisoner. At which time the Genovese Fleet of twentie saile tooke Tripolis, and sold it to the Fezan for fiftie thousand duckats. But the Kings of Tunis recouered it after. Zacharias being King, played the Tyrant, and therefore was expelled, and a certaine Citizen was aduanced to the Throne; who at first gouerned modestly, but declining to tyrannie, was marthered: And a Courtier of Prince Abubacer, who had made himselfe an Heremite, was forced to be their King, who ruled Tripolis, till Ferdinando sent Peter Nauarre thither, who came thither in the euening, and the next day tooke it: and the King remained captiue, till Charles the fift freed him. Charles gaue the Citie to the Knights of Malta, whome the Turkes sNic. Nicolay l.1.c. 18. G. Bot.Ben. Of Tripolis read T. Sanders in Hak. …o. 2. part. 1.dispossessed by force, Anno 1551, and there hauehave their Beglerbeg or Vice-roy to this day. This was one and fortie yeares after Nauarre had taken it.
The Kings of Tunis liued in great delicacie among their women, Musicians, Players, and such like, committing the gouernment to the Munafid, or high Steward, and other Officers. When hee calls for a Musician, he is brought in hood-winked like a Hawke. The inhabitants are exceeding prodigall in perfumes. They hauehave a compound called tLhasis.Lhasis, one ounce whereof being eaten, causeth laughing dalliance, and makes one as it were drunken, and maruelously prouoketh to lust. In the Kingdome of Tunis is placed the Lake Tritonia, where Minerna is said to hauehave shewed her selfe the inuenter of Spinning and of Oyle, and therefore worshipped.
Ezzab is the most Easterly part of the Tunetan Kingdome, the chiefe Prouince whereof is Mesrata. The inhabitants are rich, and pay no tribute. There grow Dates and Oliues, and they traffique with the Numidians, to whom they carrie the wares which they buy of the Venetians. The Great Turke swayeth with his Ottoman Scepter, at this present, this Kingdome of Tunis, and all Africa, from Bellis de Gomera to the Redde Sea (except that little which the Spaniard hath.) At this day uLeo.l 1.they are Mahumetan, and hauehave beene about these nine hundred yeares past, from the time of Hucba. The inhabitants of the Cities differ much from the Mountainers & ruder Rustikes. For they are studious, especially in matters of their law, as in times past they were also in Philosophie and the Mathematickes. But these last fiue hundred yeares their Princes and Doctors hauehave prohibited many Sciences, as Astrologie & Philosophie: according to the Mahumetan custome they vse much washing and resorting to the temples. They are very faithfull in their promises: and exceeding ielous. They goe through the world as Merchants, and in many places are interteined as Readers and Maisters in divers sciences: and are well esteemed in Egypt, Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, India, Turky. The yonger sorte yield much reverence to their Elders and Parents: and will not hold discourse of love or sing love-songs in their presence. But these citizens are very proude and revengefull. The Lords esteeme more of their beastes, then of the common-people. The The Countrey-people in the fieldes and Mountaines live hardlie in labour and want. They are beastly, theevish, ignorant, vnfaithfull. Their women, before they be maried, may live as wantonly, as they list: yea, the father maketh (hatefull love to the daughter, & the brother is vnlovely loving to the sister. The Numidians are traitours, homicides, theeves, and, for rewarde, will doe any thing. Such also are the Libyans; without any kinde of letters, Faith, or Law, without Heaven or Earth; living (if that may be called a life) like Wilde beasts, for ignorance; like Devills, for wickednesse; like Dogs, for poverty. These things reporteth Leo of them, who lived among them: which may provoke vsus to thankfullness to that Great GOD, who hath given vsus such abundance for body and soule, in things present and future, temporall and eternall.