faire words they entered into Marocco, & there poisoned the King, causing Amet Serisso
to be proclaimed in his steede, King of Marocco. The Arabians of Ducala and Xarqu••a,
about this time trying their quarrels by dint of sword in mutuall conflicts, presented as
it occasion to the Seriffs, to prey vpon them both; their strength hauing made them
weake, and their weakenes making the other strong. And now did they begin to vsurpe
souereinty, presenting their Fessan King, with six Horses, and six Camels, and those but
simple, whom before they had acknowledged their Soueraigne, with paiment of the
if fifths of their spoile. The King of Fesse before applauding his owne victories in theirs,
began now to distast, and to distrust: he sends to them to demaund his fifths, and the tri∣bute
also formerly paid him by the King of Marocco. Death, the cōmon enemy of man∣kinde,
here interposed her selfe on the Seriffian part, and tooke the King of Fez out of
the world; the Scepter descending to his son Amet, the scholler of the yong Seriff: who
not onely proceeded not in his fathers demaunds, but confirmed Amet in the Signio∣rie
of Marocco, so that in some small matters he would acknowledge the souereintie of
Fez. But now the Seriffs, whose harts continually encreased with their fortunes, sent
him word; that being lawfull successors to Mahomet, they owed no man tribute, & had
more right in Africa then he: if hee would respect them as his Friends and Allies, so it
were, it otherwise, they which had power to offend the Christian, should not be desti∣tute
in defending themselues. The sword; the vnequallest arbiter of equity, is now made
vmpire; the Fess in proclaimeth warres, besiegeth Marocco, is dislodged, and in his re∣turne
vanquished. Thus haue the Seriffs acquited themselues of that yoke, and now in∣tend
new conquests on the other side of Atlas, and in Numidia, and in the mountaines,
which happily they archieued. Yea, the Portugales wearied with the warres, which they
were forced to maintaine in defence of those places they held in Africa (the expences so
much ••u•• mounting the reuenue) abandoned them to the Seriffs. And now the want of
enemies procured enmitie betwixt the brethren, who trying that valour against each o∣ther,
which before they had exercised iointly against their enemies, the issue was, that the
yonger, in two battels hauing ouercome the elder, and at the second, which was Anno
1544, hauing taken him prisoner, confined him to Tafilete. Hee now sole Monarch of
Marocco, conuerts his forces against the King of Fez, to try if he could be his Mr. in the
field, as he sometimes had been in the schoole, and failed not of his attempt, but hauing
once taken and freed him, the second time because he had broken promise, he depriued
him and his sonnes of estate
and life. He also by meanes of his sonnes tooke Tremizen,
which soone after was recouered from them by Sal Araes Vice-roy of Algier, and Fez
also added, by an ouerthrow of the Seriff, to the Turks conquest, who gaue the gouern∣ment:
of Fez to Buasson, Prince of Veles. But he in an vnfortunate battel with the Seriff,
lost his life & state. Mahomet going after to Taradant, was by the way slaine in his Paui∣lion,
by the Treason of some Turkes suborned therunto by the King of Algier, of whom
all (but fiue) in their returne were slaine by the people: Anno 1559. Mulley Abdala, the
the Seriffs sonne, was proclaimed King.
Some
write that by occasion of a rebellion in Sus, he sent to the bordering Turks for
aide, who first helped, after murthered him, and hauing sacked Taradant, and ouerrunne
the countrey two monethes together, were in their returne by the Mountainers cut off.
Mully Abdala hauing reigned fifteene yeares died, leauing behinde him thirteene
sonnes; the eldest, Abdela, commanded the rest to be killed: but Abdelmelech the se∣cond
brother escaped into
Turkie, and Muley Hamet, the third brother, esteemed of
a simple and quiet spirit, not any way dangerous to the state, was spared. The other ten
were put to death in one day at Taradant, where they had been brought vp. This Ab∣dela
dying, left behinde him three sonnes; Muley Mahomet, Muley Sheck, Muley
Nassar: the two yonger escaped into Spaine, where Sheck is yet liuing, & turned Chri∣stian.
Nassar returned in the fourteenth yeare of Muley Hamets raigne, and had al∣most
driuen Muley Sheck, then Gouernour of Fez vnder his Father, to his heeles, had
not superstition more preuailed with Nassars followers, then Allegeance. For when
Lent came, his Souldiours would needes home to keepe their Easter at their owne hou∣ses:
for feare wherof Nassar hastily giuing battell, was there slaine. Abdelmelech before