The estates, empires, & principallities of the world Represented by ye description of countries, maners of inhabitants, riches of prouinces, forces, gouernment, religion; and the princes that haue gouerned in euery estate. With the begin[n]ing of all militarie and religious orders. Translated out of French by Edw: Grimstone, sargeant at armes.

¶ The Manners of the auncient.

THe women of this countrie did in••old time weare vpon either thigh a hoope of [ F] brasse, which is obserued at this day in many places of Africke among the Moores, and they did weare their haire very long. They were in some places so vnciuile, or to speake more properly, so nastie, as they did kill the lice they tooke with their teeth, and afterwards cast them to the ground. These were called Andrimachides, who liued among the Po••nes, and these did send and prostitute their daughters being readie

to marrie, to their king, who defloured her that best pleased him, and tooke say before the [ A] came vnto her husband.

They which liued neere to the Marish Tritonides, did shaue the forepart of their head, and did weare their haire long behind: on the other side, the Auses did suffer their haire to grow before, like as time is described. The virgins of this countrie do euery yeare pre∣pare a combate on the day of Mineruas feast, in honour of that goddesse, and they did fight with stones and staues with great eagernesse. They that died in this combate were held for corrupted virgins, and she that had carried herselfe valiantly in the fight, was al∣waies honoured by other virgins, who arme her with all peeces, especiall, with a bour∣gognet made after the Corinthian manner, with a crest like vnto our morrions, and set∣ting [ B] her in a charriot, they did carrie her in triumph along the lake of Tritonides.

The people of this countrie did cohabite confusedly with women, and as for the chil∣dren which were borne of such coniunctions, whenas they come to age, they were brought to the assemblie of men, where they made choise of him they would remaine with, and he was held for their father•• and euery three moneths they meet vpon this oc∣casion. They were held treacherous and disloyall, yea in such sort as it grew to a prouerbe, That whenas any one had fasified his faith, and broken his oath, it was sufficient to say that he was a Poenian. They were alwaies subtile, whereof their captaine Hanniball hath giuen sufficient testimonie to the Romans: as for courage they wanted not any; but they were full of factions and enuie: and this diuision, with the effeminatnesse which they learned [ C] at Capoua, was the cause of Hanniballs totall ruine.

The king of Tremisen was not accustomed to speake to any but to the greatest per∣sons of his court, who were afterwards dispatched according to his fancie. He had for his officers a Lieutenant Generall, who in time of warre hath as great authoritie as the king: a chiefe Secretarie, who did write an aunswere in the kings name: a Treasurer, and another which did distribute the treasure according to the kings commanndement and pleasure: the fift was the Captain of the port, or rather the lord Steward, who comman∣ded the kings guard: and as for Chamberlaines, although he had some, yet they did no seruice but when the king gaue audience, for that in his chamber he was serued onely by slaues, and by his women and cunuches. [ D]