A geographical historie of Africa, written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie. Wherein he hath at large described, not onely the qualities, situations, and true distances of the regions, cities, townes, mountaines, riuers, and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa; but also the descents and families of their kings ... gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations, and partly out of the ancient records and chronicles of the Arabians and Mores. Before which, out of the best ancient and moderne writers, is prefixed a generall description of Africa, and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. ... Translated and collected by Iohn Pory, lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge

A description of the grammar-schooles in Fez.

OF schooles in Fez for the instructing of children, there are almost two hundred, euery one of which is in fashion like a great hall. The schoolemasters teach their children to write and read not out of a booke, but out of a certaine great table. Euery day they expound one sentence of the Alcoran: and hauing red quite through they begin it againe, repeating it so often, til they haue most firmely committed the same to memorie: which they doe right well in the space of 7. yeeres. Then read they vnto their scholers some part of orthographie: howbeit both this and the other parts of Grammar are far more exactly taught in the colleges, then in these triuiall schooles. The said schoolemasters are allowed a very small stipend; but when their boies haue learned some part of the Alcoran, they present certaine gifts vnto their ma∣ster, according to each ones abilitie. Afterward so soon as any boy hath per∣fectly learned the whole Alcaron, his father inuiteth all his sonnes schoole∣fellowes vnto a great banket: and his sonne in costly apparell rides through the street vpon a gallant horse, which horse and apparell the gouernour of the royall citadell is bound to lend him. The rest of his schoole-fellowes being mounted likewise on horse-backe accompany him to the banketing house, singing diuers songs to the praise of God and of Mahumet. Then are they brought to a most sumptuous banket, whereat all the kinsfolkes of the foresaid boyes father are vsually present: euery one of whom bestoweth on the schoolemaster some small gift, and the boyes father giues him a new sute of apparell. The said scholers likewise vse to celebrate a feast vpon the birth-day of Mahumet, and then their fathers are bound to send each man a torch vnto the schoole: whereupon euery boy carrieth a torch in his hand, some of which waigh thirty pound. These torches are most curiously made, being adorned round about with diuers fruits of waxe, which being lighted betimes in the morning doe burne till sun-rise, in the meane while certaine singers resound the praises of Mahumet, and so soone as the sunne is vp, all their solemnitie ceaseth: this day vseth to be very gainfull vnto the schoole∣masters, for they sell the remnant of the waxe vpon the torches for an hun∣dred

duckats, and sometimes for more. None of them paies any rent for his schoole: for all their schooles were built many yeeres agoe, and were freely bestowed for the training vp of youth. Whatsoeuer ornaments or toyes are vpon the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the schoolemasters diuide them among their scholers and among the singers. Both in these common schooles and also in the colleges they haue two daies of recreation euery weeke, wherein they neither teach nor studie.