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Art. X.—Account of an Embassy from Marocco to Spain in 1690 and 1691

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

The following notes are taken from an account of his journey to Spain, written by an Ambassador of Muley Ismail, a copy of which is preserved in a library at Lisbon: the MS. ends abruptly, and does not contain the author's name. From the narrative it appears that the Ambassador came to treat of the exchange of prisoners, and to ask for some of the Arabic works preserved at the Escurial: he appears, however, to have imagined that these were remnants of the libraries of Cordoba, whereas they proceeded from the library of a former Emperor of Marocco, which was captured at sea whilst being transported from one port to another. The Ambassador was told that the books had been destroyed by the fire which took place about twenty years before in the Escurial, where, in fact, the greater part of the Sultan's library was burned; but about two thousand were saved, of which nothing was said to the Ambassador, and these form the actual collection of Arabic works preserved in the Escurial. M. Chenier, in his Histoire du Maroc (Paris, 1787), states that Muley Ismail took L'Arrash from the Spaniards in 1689, and that the Spanish garrison of that place was exchanged at the rate of ten Moors for each Christian: he also states that, in 1681, Hajy Themim, Governor of Tetuan, and Cassem Menino, brother of the Governor of Sallee, went to Paris in the end of December as Ambassadors, so that it is possible one of these was also employed in this Embassy ten years later.

Type
Original Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1868

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References

page 361 note 1 Al-Makkari says she is also named Hamdunah, the daughter of Zeyad:

page 361 note 2 Al-Makkari, Leyden edition, ii.

page 361 note 3 Ibid.

page 361 note 4 Ibid.

page 361 note 5 Ibid.

page 361 note 6 Another line is given by Al-Makkari:

page 362 note 1 added, not in the text.

page 362 note 2 Al-Makkari.

page 362 note 3

page 362 note 4 The text of these lines appears not to be entirely correct.

page 365 note 1 “The French Ambassador has demanded to have his Hospedage, that is, to be treated nine days in a house designed for that purpose at the King's charge. This is a custom that has been many years antiquated here except with Turks, Moors, and Muscovites.” Mr. Stanhope, Madrid, September 3, 1698.

page 366 note 1 Mr. Stanhope wrote to the Earl of Nottingham, January 10, 1691: “Our Marocco Ambassador is at last fallen to an envoy. I saw him go to audience, where was an extraordinary concourse of people to see him, for the rarity of the thing and the oddness of the dress, as little known here as with us. His business is only to treat about the redemption of the prisoners taken at Larache. It is adjusted he is to have ten Moors a-piece for a hundred officers, and the common men to be exchanged man for man.”

page 373 note 1 Declaration of Indulgence, April 4, 1687.

page 374 note 1 The Parisians could talk of nothing but what was passing in London. National and religious feeling impelled them to take the part of James,” etc. etc. Macaulay, vol. ii. p. 594.

page 376 note 1 This is still the practice at the present day.