A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 24
Of Mauritaniā Tingitania.
THE other part of Barbary that lyeth along the Mediterranean, farthest into the West, was called in old time Mauritana Tingitana. The people of which Country were those which almost in all the old histories were called by the name of Mauri; Those of the other Mauritania being rather termed Numidia.
Into the Northwest part thereof did Hercules come, and there set up one of his Pillars, which answereth to the other in Spain, they both being at the straits of Gilbralter, in times past called Fretum Herculeum On the South part thereof, lay the Kingdome of Bocchus, which in theThe Kingdome of Bocchus. tia… of Marius had so much to do with the Romans. In the west part of this Mauritania standeth on the hill called Atlas minor; and on theAtlas minor Atlas major. South part is the great hill called Atlas major; whereof the maine Ocean which lyeth between Mauritania and America is called Mare Atlantum. This hill is so high, that unto those who stood on the bottome of it, it seemed to touch heaven with his shoulders.
This Country hath been long inhabited by the Saracens; who from thence finding it to be but a short passage into Spaine, did goe over (now seven hundred yeares ago) and possessed there the kingdome of Granado, on the South side of Spain, till they were thence expelled by Ferdinandus, and Elizabeth, or Izabell, King and Queen of Castile. In this Countrey since that time, have the Spaniards taken some Cities and Holds; and so also have the Portugals: which by the divers event of victory, have often been lost and won by them.
Here it was that the Emperour Charles the fifth, had divers of his great warres against the Moores, as well as in the Kingdome of Tunis: For the assistance of one who claimed to be King of a part of this Country, did Sebastian the King of Portugall, go with all his power into Africa, in the year 1578. where unadvisedly bearing himself, he was slain, together with two other the same day, who claimed to be Kings; so that there it was that true battell was fought, whereof it was said, that three Kings died in one day: which battel is called the battell of Alcazar, and was the ruine of the Kingdome of Portugall, and the cau…e of the uniting it to the Crowne of Spaine Astrologers did purpose, that the blazing Starre which appeared the …eare before, did signifie that i…l e…ent.
This whole Countrey doth mais…aine in it, besides some Imperia… government, two absolute Kingdomes: the one of Fezza or Fez, which lyeth on the North part toward the Mediterranean and Spain: the other is the Kingdome of Morocco, which lyeth from aboveThe Kingdome of Morocco. the hill Atlas minor▪ to the South and West part of Mauritania. These are both Saracens, as be also their people; holding true league with the Turke, and with some other Christian Princes; a league onelyonly for Trafficke and Merchandize.
It may be doubted whether it was in this Mauritana Tingitana, or rather but near unto it, in Mauritania Caesoriens…, that which Saint Augustine in his book De doctrina Christiana, doth of his own knowledge report, that in a City of that Countrey was this brutish custome,A brutish custom…uled in this coun…. that once in the year (for certaine dayes) the Inhabitants of the place did assemble themselves into wide and large fields, and there divided themselves each from other, so that perhaps the Fathers were on one side, and the children or brother on the other; and did throw stones with such violence that many were hurt, and divers killed with the fury of that assault.
But S. Augustine relleth, that he de…esting the brutishnesse thereof, d…d make a most eloquent and elaborate O…ation, or Sermon unto them; whereby he did prevaile with those of the City where he was, that the… give over that foolish and rude exercise: Yet Leo Ass…icanus, who lived about a hundred yeares since, and in his owne person travelled over the greate part of Africke, doth write in his description of Africke, that in one place of the Kingdome of Fez, this barba …us custome is yet retained.