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

Of the king of Tunis his court, and of the rites and ceremonies there vsed.

SO soone as the king of Tunis hath by inheritance attained to his king∣dome, all his nobles, doctors, priestes, and iudges, binde themselues by solemne oth vnto him. Immediately after any kings death, his sonne and heire apparent succeedeth in the kingdome: then the chiefe officer of the court (called the Munafid, because he is the kings vice-roy or high de∣putie) presenteth himselfe foorthwith vnto the new king, and giueth vp an account of all things which he did while the olde king liued: and then at the kings appointment euerie of the nobles receiue offices from the Munafid according to their seuerall places of dignitie. Another principall officer there is, called the Mesuare, that is, the great commander and gouernour of the warlike forces: who hath authoritie to increase or diminish the number of soldiers, to giue them their pay, to leuie armies, and to conduct the same whither he thinketh good. The third officer in dignitie is the Castellan, who with his soldiers taketh charge of the castle, and looketh to the sauegarde of the kings owne person: and he allotteth punishments vnto such prisoners as are brought into the said castle, as if he were the king himselfe. The fourth officer is the gouernour of the citie, whose dutie is to administer iustice in the common wealth, aud to punish malefactors. The fift officer is the kings secretarie, who hath authoritie to write, and to giue answere in the kings name: he may open also and read any letters whatsoeuer, except such as are sent vnto the Castellan and gouernour of the citie. The sixt is the kings chiefe chamberlaine, who is to furnish the walles with hangings, to appoint vnto euery man his place, and by a messenger to assemble the kings coun∣sellours, and this man hath great familiaritie with the king, and hath accesse to speake with him, as often as he pleaseth. The seuenth in dignitie is the kings treasurer, who receiueth all customes, tributes, and yeerely reuenues, and paieth them, with the kings consent, vnto the Munafid. The eight offi∣cer is he that receiueth tribute for merchandize that are brought by land, who taketh custome also of forren merchants, which are constrained for the value of euery hundred duckats to pay two duckats and a halfe: this customer hath many spies and officers, who hauing intelligence of any merchants ar∣riuall, they bring him foorthwith before their master, in whose absence they keepe him so long in their custodie, till their said master be present, and till the merchant hath deliuered all such custome as is due, and then being bound with many othes, he is dismissed. The ninth officer receiueth tribute onely of such wares as are brought by sea, and dwelleth in a house by the ha∣uens side. The tenth is the steward of the kings houshold, who is to prouide bread, meate, and other necessarie victuals, and to apparell all the kings wiues, eunuches, and the Negro-slaues that attend vpon him. He also taketh charge of the kings sonnes and of their nurses, and allotteth busines vnto

the Christian captiues. These are the chiefe officers vnder the king of Tunis: the residue (least I should seeme tedious to the reader) I haue of purpose omitted to intreate of. The king of Tunis hath fifteene hundred most choise soldiers, the greatest part of whom are Renegadoes or backsliders from the Christian faith: and these haue liberall pay allowed them. They haue a cap∣taine ouer them also, who may increase or diminish their number as he pleaseth. Also there are an hundred and fiftie soldiers being Moores, who haue authoritie to remoue the tents of the kings armie from place to place. There are likewise a certaine number of crossebowes, which attend vpon the king whithersoeuer he rideth: but next of all to the kings person is his garde of Christians, which (as we signified before) dwell in the suburbs. Before the king marcheth a garde of footemen, being all of them Turkish archers, and gunners. Immediately before the king goe his lackies or footemen. One there is that rideth on the one side of the king, carrying his partizan, another on the other side beareth his target, and the third comming 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him carrieth his crossebowe. Others there are also that attend vpon the king, whom (for breuities sake) we omit here to speake of. These are the principall rites and ceremonies of the ancient kings of Tunis, being much different from them which are vsed by the king that now is. I could here make a large discourse of the kings vices that now raigneth (at whose hands I confesse my selfe to haue receiued great benefits) but that is not my purpose at this pre∣sent: this one thing I can affirme, that he is maruellous cunning to procure money out of his subiects purses. But he himselfe liueth sometimes in his palace, and sometimes in gardens, in the companie of his concubines, musi∣cians, stage-plaiers, and such like. When he calleth for any musician, he is brought in blindfold or hoodwinked in manner of a hawke. The golden coine of Tunis containeth fower and twenty charats apeece, that is to say, a duckat and one third part of the coine of Europe: there is a kinde of siluer∣money coined also being fower square in forme, which waieth sixe charats apeece: and thirtie or two and thirtie of these peeces are equall in value to one peece of their gold coine, and they are called Nasari: the Italians call the gold-coine of Tunis Doble. And thus much concerning the king of* 1.1 Tunis, and the customes of his court.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doble.