Africa being an accurate description of the regions of Ægypt, Barbary, Lybia, and Billedulgerid, the land of Negroes, Guinee, Æthiopia and the Abyssines : with all the adjacent islands, either in the Mediterranean, Atlantick, Southern or Oriental Sea, belonging thereunto : with the several denominations fo their coasts, harbors, creeks, rivers, lakes, cities, towns, castles, and villages, their customs, modes and manners, languages, religions and inexhaustible treasure : with their governments and policy, variety of trade and barter : and also of their wonderful plants, beasts, birds and serpents : collected and translated from most authentick authors and augmented with later observations : illustrated with notes and adorn'd with peculiar maps and proper sculptures / by John Ogilby, Esq. ...

To the High and Mighty MONARCH, CHARLES II. Of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith, &c.

SIR,

SInce it pleased Divine Providence, by Your Ma∣jesties sole Conduct and Direction, to Compose all Foreign Differences, setling at last Your weary People, Harrased with Fire and Pestilence, under a Necessary and Honourable Peace.

The Effects of which, soon Chearing up Your Loyal Subjects, they, laying Arms aside, straight betook themselves to the several Improvements of Arts and Sciences, each stri∣ving to outvie the other, in what seemed most Conducible to the Restaura∣tion of the former Wealth, Splendor, and Reputation of these Your Ma∣jesties Kingdoms, Renown'd and Famous through the World.

But amongst these Busie Preparations, no Work appears more Per∣spicuous than that Stupendious Miracle! the Raising from a Confused Heap of Ruines (sooner than some believ'd they could remove the Rub∣bish) Your Imperial City, already looking down, though Private Houses,

upon former Publick Structures, hereafter to be the Business of Foreign Nations to See and Wonder at.

I also, Dread Soveraign, feeling a Spring of Youthful Vigour, warming my Veins with fresh Hopes of better Times, have under∣taken, according to my Mean Abilities, no small Business, a Work of Time, requiring some Years to Publish, being, May it please Your Majesty, a New Model of the Ʋniverse, an English Atlas, or the setting forth, in our Native Dress, and Modern Language, an Accurate Description of all the Kingdoms and Dominions in the Four Regions thereof.

Since such, and so great an Off-spring cannot be Born in a day, nor see the light of Publication at once, being several and distinct Volumns, this my first Issue, Most Gracious Sir, being Africa Compleat, in the Name of the Rest yet Ʋnfinish'd, I humbly Dedi∣cate and Tender to Your most Serene Majesty, as an Earnest and Re∣presentative of the whole Work.

In which, Dread Sir, You may behold amidst a Gallaxy of Southern Constellations, or the numerous Flourishing Cities and Seats of that famous Region, Your own Bright Star, none of the smallest Mag∣nitude, Your Metropolis, Your Royal City Tangier, which Seated on the Skirts of the Atlantick, keeps the Keys both of the Ocean and In-Land Sea, whose unparallell'd Scituation, Temperature of Air, and Fertility of Soil, may well make the Story True, if Romance, that an antient Emperor resolv'd to fix there his Imperial Seat, to be his Terrestrial Paradice, Invironing with Walls of Brass, a Gold and Sil∣ver City.

Thus Prostrating at Your Sacred Feet, that which if Your Majesty be pleased to receive with a Smile, Your Subjects through Your Brittish Monarchy, not onely Ambitious in obeying Your Commands, but ready to follow, in what they may, Your Royal Example, will give the Work also a Civil Reception.

Whilest I, Dread Soveraign, to clear all difficulties, am busie ex∣ploding Old Tales, Fictions, and Hear-says of the Antients, Collect∣ing and Translating better and more Modern Authority, especially Eye∣witnesses, our late Sea Voyagers, that I might not weary Your Sacred Ears with any thing, if possible, but undoubted Truth, May Your Majesty, though Your Claim be Just, and Your Sword able to Intitle You Emperor of the Ʋniverse, Your Thundring Soverdigns already

Commanding the Sea, and Royal Standards by Land, fixt in Possessi∣on in the four Regions thereof, rather by Your Example at Home, and Mediation abroad, Reconcile those Ruffling Princes that delight in War, setling them in Leagues of Amity; for which so great a Blessing, may they, You being the best of Gods Vicegerents on Earth, Crown also the King of Peace, a second Augustus, whose Piety and Prudence hath once more shut up the Temple of Janus, binding in Per∣durable Fetters, Bloody and All-destroying War for ever.

Your Sacred Majesties Most humble, Most obedient Servant, and loyal Subject, JOHN OGILBY.