The true Effigies of the Alkaid, (or Lord) Jaurar Ben Abdella, Ambassador from the high and mighty Mulai Mahamed Shegue, Emperourr of Morocco, King of Fess and Suss, etc.  
G: Glover fe:   

THE Arrival and Entertainments of the Ambassador, Alkaid Jaurar Ben Abdella, with his Associate, Mr. Robert Blake. From the High and Mighty Prince, muley Mahamed Sheque, Emperor of Morocco, King of Fez, and Suss.  
With the Ambassadors good and applauded commendations of his royal and noble entertainments in the Court and the City. Also a Description of some Rites, Customs, and Laws of those African Nations.  
Likewise Gods exceeding Mercy, and our Kings especial grace and favour manifested in the happy Redemption of three hundred and two of his Majesty's poor subjects, who had been long in miserable slavery at Salley in Barbary.  
LONDON: Printed by I. Okes dwelling in little Saint Bartholomew's. 1637.   

with the commodities of another: For though every Country doth not yield every commodity, yet by the means of Merchandise and transportation, almost every Country in particular, enjoys the fruition of all things needful in general. Thirdly, it conserveses, and makes peace, love, and amity with Princes, and Potentates, though they are far remote from each other in Religions, Realms, Regions, and Territories; yet they are conjoined in leagues and friendship together, and by the means of Negotiation, may, and do send Letters, Ambassadors, Messages, and rich gifts, Magnificent presents, Aides of Armies, and Navies, by Land and Sea, for the expression of their greatness and supportation of peace and unity one with another. Fourthly, it is the strength of Kings & Kingdoms, in the increase of Shipping and Mariners, whereby either in peace or war they are furnished upon all occasions: And what thing is there more in the World so great, or so to be esteemed, whereunto love will not stir, and animate the minds of mortal men. Lastly, it acquaints each Nation with the Language, Manners, Behaviour, Customs, and carriage of one another; so that by these means men are made capable of understanding and knowledge; and therefore prefer knowledge before wealth and riches, for the one soon fadeth, the other abideth for ever: for amongst all Natural and Terrestrial things, only wisdom is immortalll; and for that main reason knowledge and understanding ought to be embraced before ignorance; and especially for that in all other things which are odious, yet there is some profit to be found: but ignorance only is ever noisome and hurtful to the ignorant, and doth make them bore the pain of those offences which they commit, by their imbecility and want of knowledge. Therefore study for knowledge whilst thou hast time and leisure to learn, & and be diligent to give care to those that are wise and learned; for by this means thou shalt easily obtain understanding and knowledge of that, which others have invented with great labour and difficulty.  
But to the matter in hand, concerning this Alkaid (or Lord) Ambassador; for the word Alkaid, is Lord in the language of the Morocco, the Larbies', or Barbary. I only mean to relate his arrival in England, his abode and entertainment, with his coming up from Gravesend to London, the manner of his receiving into the City, and how he was conducted to his house, his manner of riding to the Court at White-Hall, where he had royal entertainment and audience; his magnificent and rich Presents, his return from the Court, his estate and condition, and lastly a short description of the Emperor of Morocco and his Empire, with his Kingdom of Fez, or Fez, and his Kingdom of Sus, and other his Dominions, with something of old and new Salla, or sally, with the late proceedings there.  
The Ambassador is by birth a Portugal, a Gentleman borne in a Town called Mondego, who was taken Captive in his Childhood at the age of almost eight years; he was (as the misery and fortune of Captives is) bought and sold, and by command (as the manner of those barbarous Nations is) he distesticled, or Eunuched, and as he grew in years he by his acceptable services, was daily more and more in favour with the Emperor of Morocco, insomuch, that his Majesty was pleased to take him into his especial grace, making him his chiefest favourite, and trusty councillor of State, dignified him with the high style or title of Alkaid, or Lord, than which, there is not a degree higher under the Emperor; endowed with Lands and revenues fit and correspondent for so eminent a calling, gave him the two most honourable places of Lord great Chamberlain, and Lord Privy Seal, and to his prudent care and honourable mature wisdom was committed the main charge and management of the most important affairs of his whole Empire, and in suffering him to make Laws and Edicts: And he which is in an Office or place of command, and maketh Laws for other men, ought appointment, Sir John Finnet Knight, Master of the Ceremonies, was sent down to Gravesend, to conduct the Ambassadors to London.  
They had no sooner taken their Barges, and were launched, but an expression of Love and Welcome flew in thundering manner out of the mouths of the great Ordnance, from both the Blockhouses of Gravesend, and on Essex side, and the Tide being reasonable calm, they pleasantly passed to Woolwich, where they saw his Majesty's new great Ship (the Eighth Wonder of the World) with pleasing and much contenting Admiration. After which they passed to Greenwich, where they landed, and stayed at the Rose and Crown four Hours, because the King's Barge with the Lord Kenwell, and 12. Gentlemen of his Majesty's Privy Chamber, and other were appointed to come to Greenwich, to bring them to the Tower-wharf in State as was fitting and honourable.  
So they took Barges at Greenwich, almost an hour before Night, with their Trumpets sounding before them all the way: And after an Hours Rowing they landed at the Tower, where they were attended by Thousands, and ten Thousands of Spectators, and welcomed and conveyed with his Majesty's Coach, and at the least 100 Coaches more, and the chiefest of the Citizens, and Barbary-Merchants bravely mounted on Horseback, all richly apparelled, every man having a Chain of Gold about him; with the Sheriffs and Aldermen of London in their Scarlet Gowns, with such abundance of Torches and Links, that though it were Night, yet the Streets were almost as light as Day. And in this brave and noble way the Ambassador with his Associate Mr. Blake, were accompanied from the Tower-wharf to their Lodgings in Woodstreet, at the House that was Sir Martin Lumley's, Knight, and Alderman of the City of London, and where he kept his Honourable Office of Mayoralty in the year 1623.  
The Alkaid, having reasonable, well recovered him of his Health, after he had taken rest fifteen or sixteen days, till Sunday the fifth Day of November, our King's Majesty's Physicians all this while (by his Majesty's Command) attending, and using their approved best skill, whose pains and industrious Knowledge took such good effect for his Health, that on the said forenamed Sunday, his Majesty was graciously pleased to give them Audience, at his Palace or Manor of White-Hall, and to that intent these preparations following were ordered for the Accommodation of so Royal and Honourable a Design.  

The Orders that were observed upon Sunday, the 5. of November, 1637. by such Honourable and Worshipful persons, and others that were appointed to conduct the Ambassadors to their Audience.  
FIrst, the Right Honourable the Earl of Shrewsbury was in the Privy Chamber at White-Hall, at one of the Clock in the Afternoon, and twelve Gentlemen of his Majesty's Privy Chamber were there at the same Hour, 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 Courtgate, to carry his Lordship and the Gentlemen privately to the Ambassadors Lodging, or House in Woodstreet.  
Thirdly, the Four Horses which were sent as Presents from the Emperor of Morocco, to the King of Great Britain, did stand ready at the Ambassadors House at the Hour aforesaid, and all the Horses of those that came from the Court for the same Service, were ready at the said House the same hour.  
Fourthly, a good Guard of Officers, and other men with Halberds, Bills, and lavelins, were at Woodstreet end in Cheapside, and the like was in Woodstreet below the Ambassadors House, to keep the passage clear from the press of people.  
now it follows, that I relate somewhat of the greatness of the Emperor of Morocco that sent tham, and some Causes why they were sent, with some just and true Remembrances of the good services that Mr. Robert Blake (Associate with the Alkaid) hath done for his captive and distressed Countrymen, our King's Subjects, English, Scottish, Irish, and of the Isles of Garnsey, and Jarsey, and of other places of his Majesty's Dominions: besides his goodness in relieving and helping of many Christians of sundry Nations, both with his Word and Purse, when they were in miserable thraldom and slavery; he never ceased to do his best to comfort them.  
This Mighty and Potent Prince muley Mahamed Sheque, is Emperor of Morocco, King of Fez, or Fez, or Sus, or Susa, with many other Dominions of large extent; some part of his Territories butting Northward upon the Midland or Mediterranean Sea, over against part of Spain, and some large bounds of hundreds of League's South and West upon the Atlantic Ocean: as also his Empire extends itself many hundred Miles upland Southward into Africa.  
The City of Morocco, (which is the Metropolis of his Empire) as Atlas relates in his History of Africa, hath been one of the greatest Cities in the world, being once of that huge circuit, that it had 100000. houses within it, most strong and defencibly walled, with 24 Gates to issue diverse ways out and in at, but within these 100 years past, what with foreign Wars and domestical seditions, the City is much ruined, and abated of its ancient greatness; yet by the Majestic Valour and Prudency of this Emperor it begins to re-flourish, and may reassume the former Magnitude which once it had.  
The Kingdoms of Fez and Sus are vast in extension, and rich in diverse Commodities, as Chamelots', Grograines, and many other Stuffs made of the hair of Camels, and other Beasts: beside, the best Gold is found there in plenty, with Oils, Sugars, and many other sorts of Merchandise, for which our Barbary Merchants do traffic into those parts, with our Iron, Tin, Led, 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 look in Pliny his Natural History, or in Mr. Purchase his Pilgrimage, or in Atlas, (a compendious Work, well Translated lately) or in Lithgows Travails, and there they may have more ample and satisfactory Relations; there shall they find that in these Dominions of Mauritania, the great Battle of Alcazer was fought in the year of our Lord 1578. on the fourth Day of August, when Don Sebastian, King of Portugal, came into Barbary with a great Army, in a wrong quarrel to aid an usurping Rebel against the true Heir to the Empire of Morocco, for the which Aid the Rebel had promised to Sebastian, to give him the Kingdom of Fez: But in that fatal Battle King Sebastian seeking after the shadow, lost the substance; and instead of obtaining Fez, he was slain that Day, and there lost both his Life, and Kingdom of Portugal; by which means the King of Spain got it, and holds it; and in the same Fight was slain the lawful King of Fez, and the Usurper, with our Countryman Thomas Stukley, to whom the Pope had largely promised the Kingdom of Ireland; so that 3. Kings fell in that one Battle.  
This Emperor now Reigning, is the Son of Xeriffe muley Cidan, (deceased) who was a valiant and victorious Prince, and his Grandfather was Xeriffe muley Hamet, a Prince that held good League and Amity with Queen Elizabeth, (of blessed and most famous memory) and this Emperor as soon as he came to the Crown, he most lovingly desired the Friendship and Royal Amity of our Gracious King Charles: He is a white man, of a goodly proportion, and a Majestical Aspect; he is not above 18. years of age, and yet of such surpassing strength, that he hath taken a new Horse-shoe, and with both his hands hath writhed and enforced▪ through extremity and want to retire the Army, without any design accomplished: And indeed it proved no otherwise, but still Laishi held Friendship with our General, and made many shot out of the Town of old Sally into new Sally, so that they were sore distressed in the Town, with Famine, and the battering of our great Ordnance from our Ships by Sea, which did sink and tear their Shipping, and beat their houses about their ears; as also Laishi beat upon them on the Landside, that by Sea and Land they had lost so many men, that they began to talk of yielding.  
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 Town, and deliver the Captives that were the King of Great Britain's Subjects.  
But before the Alkaid and Mr. Blake came, the Town, being unable to hold out longer against the force of our English Ships, that they were in a manner near yielded before the Ambassador came thither: so that (under God) our Ships were the means to reduce Sally to the obedience of the Emperor, the right Lord and owner thereof, and also to redeem all the poor Captives that were there, Christians. So on the 28. day of July the Alkaid, with Master Blake, went into the Town, and in the Emperor's name did place there their old Governor, and all the Captives were sent a board the King of England's ships: those that list to have a more ample Relation of the surrendering of this Town, with the other passages that happened there, they may read a Journal written by Master John Duntons' Direction, who was the Master of the Admirall-ship the Leopard, who, as it is thought, hath described it truly; but he is here and there wronged by the Writer, in misplacing some things unorderly.  
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. Dutchmen, and 11. Spaniards: all these great Mercies of God to these poor captived Christians, ought never (by them) to be forgotten, but with praise, Thanksgiving, and amendment of life to be had in perpetual Remembrance: and we and they are all bound to love, honour, and obey Our most Gracious King, whose piety and pity was so great, as to take the Affliction of his poor Subjects so far 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 Almighty's Mercy, in that he stirred up and ordained 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 Egyptian 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 Infidel, in the most base and contemptible drudgeries; to eat the Bread of sorrow, and drink the water of affliction; to have the Head shaved, the body pined and beaten, to grind in Mills, to dig and dress Vineyards, to draw Ploughs, to be labourers daily, and all their wages to be hard fare, hard blows, 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 turn Miscreants; or (at the best) to be ever debarred the exercise of the Freedom of their Religion and Conscience. Now the Learned do say, That all kind of Servitude is miserable, but that especially is intolerable, 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 fear, than to be in servitude with much and great abundance; for Liberty is sweet, and worthy to be regarded.  
These, and more than these were the insupportable calamities of our poor distressed Countrymen, with 46. of other Nations, who are now by God's especial mercy and providence at liberty, some of them having endured 30. years' 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 Traffic in trust to his servants and Factors, and himself to be near attendant to his Person in the Court, where his Majesty taking especial notice of his good diligence and Integrity, entertained a liking to him and his Services every day more and more, so that in short space he purchased the Office of Farmer of all his Ports and Customs, (which place he still retains.) There were then in the Emperor's Court 33. English Captives, whom he and his Father had formerly bought from Argeir and Tunnis, and some of them had been in Captivity 25. years, some 20. years, some 14, some fewer, but each of them thought that the time was too long.  
And although these men's 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 Thraldom so irksome to them, that they had a desire to see their own Countries; their minds ran upon their Parents, Kindred, Friends, and Acquaintance, from whom they had been long unfortunately separated: so that their best mirth was but forced, and a kind of mourning, and all their joys were too much mixed with care and sadness, which Mr. Blake (with great grief of heart) did note in them daily; and his most sorrow for them was, that he supposed he could not help them, and therefore he did often see them with an eye of Christian compassion and pity, and in his mind (like a true Englishman) had a Sympathy or brotherly feeling of his with houses for so large a circuit: It hath three Castles, two of them to the Land-ward, and one to the Seaward, with other strong Cassamats and Platforms, well furnished with great Artillery. From Sally to Saffee is near fifty Leagues more to the Southward, and there the Ambassador took 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 Africa, and consequently of Barbary, Morocco, Fez, Sus, and other of those Dominions, with their Religions, manners, Rites, Laws, and Cermonies.  
For their Religion, they are strict observers of the Law of Mahomet; they say Christ was a great Prophet, borne to be a Saviour of the World, (but not incarnate) that he was the Breath of God, that he was borne of a Virgin, and that the jews should have believed in him, but would not; and therefore because they went about to murder and crucify 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 do hold and esteem the Jews as the worst of men, and very slaves to all Nations of the World.  
The one and only Book of their Religion is called their Koran, devised by their false Prophet Mahomet, who was of their Nation, (a Larbee:) They may not use any other Book for Devotion, nor on pain of loss of life, no part of it do 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, than it is lawful to ask the meaning of the Talby, which is a poor weak learned Priest: They are all Circumcised, and they use a kind of Baptism, 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 do hold but 30. days; and they neither eat nor drink all that time on any of those days, betwixt the dawning and the twilight, but when once the Stars do show themselves, than (for their Day Fast) they feed fast all Night. That Priest or Talby that cannot Read over the Book of the Koran (or Mahomet's 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 do wash themselves all over very often: they have no Bells to toll them to Church, but he that is the Clerk, or Sexton, hath a deep base great voice, and goes to the top of the Steeple, and there roars out a warning for the people to come to their Devotions. No man doth enter their Churches with his shoes on; their Talbies or Priests each one of them are allowed a Wife, or Wives if they will: The Laymen may have Captive women, but they must not lie with them in the nighttime, for that belongs to the Wives by turn, and if any wife be beguiled of her turn, she may complain for satisfaction to the Magistrate: he that hath four wives must be a Rich man; a poor man is allowed as many, but his means are too short to keep them, therefore one or two must serve his turn. The Bride and Bridegroom do never see each other before the Wedding-night that they are going to bed, where if he find her a Maid, all is well; if otherwise, he may turn her away, and give her no part of the portion she brought him.  
As concerning their Burials, if any one doth dye, they do wash the Corpse all over, and (by reason the Country is extreme hot, they cannot keep them above ground) with all speed they send for the Friends or Kindred of the party deceased, and carry the dead out of their Towns or Cities, to a place appointed for that use, (for none are buried in their Churches, or Synagogues, or within their Towns) and there the Talby says a short Prayer, and then the Corpse is interred. They have a custom to speak in praise of virtuous persons departed, to encourage and animate taken with false weights or measures, doth lose all his Ware in his house to the use of the poor, and is a defamed person, and cruelly whipped. Their Execution for life and death is, that commonly the person adjudged to die, hath his throat cut by the Executioner. And these are part of the Religion, Laws, and Manners of the people of Morocco, Fez, and Sus, and I do wish they were all inspired with Holiness from God; for I am sure they do surpass many Christians in Righteousness and just dealing towards men.  
In Africa there are many Nations, Kingdoms, and Provinces, many parts whereof are inhabited by Christians, as Spaniards and portugals. Aethiopia is a great tract of Land in the South part of Africa, it hath many Kingdoms in it, over whom (as Chief Ruler) is Prester John: He is Emperor of Aethiopia, or of the Abassines; he is a Christian, and so are his people, but withal they are all Circumcised: The Eunuch whom Philip the Evangelist converted, was Governor of Aethiopia, and chief Treasurer under Candaces the Queen then Reigning there, Acts 8.  
Egypt (now under the Turk) is another part of Africa; 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 drowned. Also the Kingdoms 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, near where Tunis stands, (famous for Dido and Hannibal) Hippon more famous for being the the Bishop's Sea of the renowned and blessed Lamp 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 Africa the people do use to eat three whole days 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 slain with her own hand by Policy one of their Enemies: this they do observe from the Tartarians.  
In other parts of this Country they do 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 Heirs and inheritors of their Lands, and not their sons.  
And in some places many have been punished, and some banished, because they have kissed their Wives in the presence of their Children or Daughters; but at the least they have been fined to their Governor many Ducats for this offence.  
Their Law's command, that men accustomed to wickedness and viciousness, 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.  
Africa is that part of the World that doth produce most Wonders, Monsters, strange Beasts, Fowls, and Serpents.  
For Monsters, it is said that there are a people called Aramaspians, with one eye in the Forehead; some with their Feet naturally growing backward, some with heads like Dogs, some with long tails, some with but one leg, that do hop very swift, and are called Sciopedi, who with the shadow of the foot (as they lie on their backs) do defend their whole bodies from the violent heat of the Sun; some without Heads, with Eyes in their shoulders; some Satyrs, (half men and half Goats) some with no Noses, but flat-faced, with holes to breath at: some with legs as limber and pliable as Lamparnes, (without bones) who do creep and crawl. Some with ears 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 believe as much of this as he list: but I am persuaded, that many of these things are true, or else so many Grave and approved Authors would never have written of them, and divulged them to the World.  
Also in Africa are store of Elephants, Tigers, Lions, Buffles, Panthers, Leopards, Camels, Rhinoceros, Lynxes, Musk kats, Onces, Elkes, Porcupines, Dragons, Serpents, Crocodiles, Ichneumons, the Hyena Vipers, the Basilisk, the Chameleon, the Salamader, Tarentalaes, and Scollapendraes', Vultures, Eagles, Ostriches, Osprayes, the Bird of Paradise, (that is almost all tail) with many other, too long to recite: so that those parts of the World do breed and produce more venomous Beasts and vermin, and strange Rarities of Nature, than all Europe, Asia, and America.  
And thus having briefly related the Religions, Manners, Rites, Laws, and Ceremonies of some of the Dominions of Africa, as Barbary, Morocco, Fez, and Sus, I hope it will satisfy 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.    

Imprimatur  
Sa. Baker, Novemb. 27. 1637.  
FINIS.