peror of the east. Genseric delivered up his son Hunneric by way of hostage; but so great was the confidence which the Romans placed in this barbarian, that they sent back his son. Of this they had soon reason to repent; for in 439, the Romans being engaged in a war with the Goths, Genseric embraced the opportunity to seize upon the city of Carthage; by which he considerably enlarged his African dominions. Genseric now made Carthage the seat of his empire; and in 440 he attacked the island of Sicily, where he ravaged the open country, and laid siege to Palermo. But, not being able to reduce that place, he returned to Africa with an immense booty, and a vast number of captives. Being now become formidable to both empires, Theodosius, emperor of the East, resolved to assist Valentinian, emperor of Rome, against so powerful an enemy. Accordingly, he fitted out a large fleet of ships; and putting on on board the flower of his army, under the conduct of Arcovindas, Ansilus, and Germanus, he ordered them to land in Africa, and, joining the western forces there, to drive Genseric out of the countries he had seized. But Genseric in the meantime pretending a desire to be reconciled with both empires, he amused the Roman general with proposals of peace, till the season for action was over; and, next year, Theodosius being obliged to recal his forces to oppose the Huns, Valen. tinian was obliged to conclude a peace with the Vandals; and this he could obtain on no other terms than yielding to them the quiet possession of the countries they had seized.

So powerful was Genseric now become, or rather so reduced was the Roman empire, that in 455 he took and plundered the city of Rome; and, after his return to Africa, he made himself master of the remaining countries held by the Romans in that part of the world Afterwards Avitus, who had succeeded Valentinian, dispatched ambassadors to Genseric, putting him in mind of the treaty he had concluded with the Roman empire in 442; and threatening, if he did not observe the articles at that time agreed upon, to make war upon him not only with his own forces, but with those of his allies the Visigoths, who were ready to pass over into Africa. To this Genseric was so far from paying any regard, that

he immediately put to sea with a fleet of sixty ships; but, being attacked by the Roman fleet under Ricimer, he was utterly defeated, and forced to fly back into Africa; he returned, however, soon after, with a more powerful fleet, committing great ravages on the coast of Italy: but in a second expedition he was not attended with so much success; the Romans falling unexpectedly upon his men, while busied in plundering the country, put great numbers of them to the sword, and among the rest the brother-in-law of Genseric. Genseric. Majorianus, at that time emperor, now resolved to pass over into Africa, and attempt the recovery of that country. For this purpose he made preparations; but his fleet being surprised and defeated by the Vandals, through the treachery, it is said, of some of his commanders, the enterprise miscarried. Majorianus, however, persisted in his resolution; and would probably have succeeded, had he not been murdered by Ricimer. After his death, Genseric committed what ravages he pleased, and even made descents on Peloponnesus and the islands belonging to the emperor of Constantinople. To revenge this affront, Leo made vast preparations for the invasion of Barbary, insomuch that, according to Procopius, he laid laid out 130,000 pounds weight of gold in the equipment of his army and navy. The forces employed were sufficient for expelling the Vandals, had they been much more powerful than they were; but the command being given to Basiliscus, a covetous and ambitious man, the fleet was utterly defeated through his treachery, and all these vast preparations came to nothing. By this defeat the power of the Vandals in Africa became fully established, and Genseric made himself master of Sicily, and of all the other islands between Italy and Africa, without opposition from the western emperors, whose power was enentirely abolished in the year 476. Thus was the Vandalic monarchy in Barbary founded by Genseric, between the years 428 and 468. If we contemplate that prince's government in his new dominions, it presents no very agreeable aspect. Being himself an absolute barbarian, and an utter stranger to every useful art, he did not fail to destroy all the monuments of Roman greatness which were so

numerous in the country he had conquered. Whatever noble structure the Romans had been at such an immense expence to erect, in order to eternize their glory in this country, the Vandals were now at no less pains to reduce into heaps of ruins. Besides this devastation, Genseric made his dominions a scene of blood and slaughter, by persecuting the orthodox Christians; being himself a zealous Arian. He died in 477, after a reign of sixty years; and was succeeded by his son Hunneric.

The new king proved a greater tyrant than his father, persecuting the orthodox Christians with the utmost fury; and, during his short reign of seven years and an half, destroyed more than Geneserie had done in all his life-time. He is said to have died in the same manner as the heresiarch ARIUS; prior to which his flesh had been rotting upon his bones, and crawling with worths, so that he looked more like a dead carcase than a living man. Concerning his successors, Gutamund, Thrasimund, and Hilderic, we find nothing remarkable, except that they sometimes persecuted, and sometimes were favourable to, the orthodox; and by his favour for them the last king was deposed.. For, having published, in the beginning of his reign, a manifesto, wherein he repealed all the acts of his predecessors against the orthodox, a rebellion was the consequence. At the head of the malcontents was Gilmer, or Gildemar, a prince of the blood-royal, who became so powerful as to depose Hilderic in the seventh year of his reign; after which he caused the unhappy monarch with all his family to be closely confined, and was himself crowned king of the Vandals at Carthage.

Gilimer proved a greater tyrant than any that had gone before him; insomuch that he was held in universal abhorrence, when the Greek emperor Justinian projected an invasion of Barbary. Notwithstanding he was at that time engaged in a war with Persia, he sent a powerful fleet and army to Africa, under the command of the celebrated general Belisarins,, who was for that reason recailed from Persia. So much was Giliser taken up with his own pleasures, that he knew little or nothing of the formidable preparations that were making against him. On the ar

rival of Belisarius, however, he was constrained to put himself in a posture of defence. The management of his army he committed to his two brothers Gundimerand Gelamund, who attacked the Romans, at the head of a numerous army. The engagement was long and bloody; but the Vandals were defeated, and the two princes slain. Gilimer grown desperate at this news, sallied out at the head of his corps de reserve, resolving, to renew the attack with the utmost vigour; but by his own indiscretion he lost a fair opportunity of defeating the Romans. For no sooner did they perceive Gilimer hastening after them. at the head of a fresh army, than they betook themselves to flight; and the greatest. part were dispersed in such a manner, that had the king pursued them, they must have. been totally cut off. Instead of this, however, meeting with the body of one of his slain brothers, he spent his time in idle lamen tations, and in burying the corpse with pomp and dignity. By this means Belisarius had an opportunity of rallying his men, which he did so effectually, that, coming unexpectedly upon Gilimer, he gained a new and complete victory over him. This de-, feat was followed by the loss of Carthage, which the barbarians had been at no pains to put into a state of defence. Gilimer haying in vain endeavoured to obtain assistance from the Moors and Goths, was now obliged to recal his brother Tzason from Sardinia. The meeting between them was very mournful; but they soon came to a resolution of making one desperate attempt to regain the lost kingdom, This brought on another engagement, in which Tzason was killed with. 800 of his choicest men, while the Romans lost no more than fifty; after which Belisarius moving suddenly forward at the head of his, army, fell upon the camp of the Vandals. Gilmer, without staying to give any orders to his army, fled towards Numidia in the utmost consternation.. His flight was not immediately known among his troops; but, when it was, they abandoned their camp to. the Romans, who plundered it, and massacred all they found in it, except the women, whom they carried away captives.

Thus a total end was put to the power

of the Vandals in Barbary, and the Romans once more became masters of this country, The Vandal inhabitants were permitted to remain, on condition of exchanging the heresy of Arius for the orthodox faith. As for Gilimer, he took shelter at Medamus, a town situated on the top of the Pappuan mountain, and almost inaccessible by reason of its height and ruggedness. The siege of this place was committed to one Pharas, an officer of great experience, who having shut up all avenues to the town, the unhappy Gilimer was reduced to the greatest distress. Pharas being apprised of the state he was in, wrote him a friendly and pathetic letter, earnestly exhorting him to surrender. This Gilimer positively declined; and concluded his answer with a request, that Pharas would send him a loaf of bread, a sponge, and a lute. This strange request surprised Pharas; but it was explained by the messenger, who told him that the king had not tasted bread since his arrival on that mountain, and earnestly longed to eat a morsel before he died; the sponge he wanted to allay a tumour on one of his eyes; and the lute, on which he had learned to play, was to assist him in setting some elegiac verses he had composed on the subject of his misfortunes, to a suitable tune. Pharas could not refrain from tears, and immediately dispatched the messenger with the things he wanted. Gilimer had spent near three winter months on the summit of this inhospitable mountain, his misery hardening him still more against the thoughts of surrender ing, when a melancholy scene in his own family at once resolved him to it. This was a violent struggle between two boys, one of them his sister's son, about a piece of dough laid on the coals; which the one seized upon, burning hot as it was, and clapped it into his mouth; but the other by dint of blows forced it out and ate it from him. This quarrel, which would have ended fatally had not Gilimer interposed, made so deep an impression upon him, that he dispatched a messenger to Fharas, acquainting him that he was willing to surrender with all his effects, upon the conditions offered, as soon as he was assured that they were accepted by Belisarius. Pharas lost no time to get them ratified and sent back to him; after

which Gilimer was conducted to Belisarius, who gave him a very kind reception. Gili. mer was afterwards brought before Justinian in golden chains, whom he besought in the most submissive manner to spare his life.--This was generously granted by the emperor; who also allowed him a pension to live upon as a private gentleman. But his spirits and heart were too much broken to enjoy the sweets of private life; insomuch that he died in the year 534, the first of his captivity, and five years after he had been raised to the throne.

Barbary being thus reduced by the arms of Justinian, it continued a province of the eastern Roman empire, and received its laws from Constantinople, until it was taken by the Saracen army, in the khalifat of Omar. It continued subject to the khalifs of Arabia and Bagdad till the reign of Harun al Rashid, who having appointed Ibrahim Ebn Aglab governor of the western parts of his empire, that prefect took the opportunity, first of assuming greater powers to himself than had been granted by the khalif, and then erecting a principality altogether independent of him. The race of Aglab continued to enjoy this new principality peaceably, till the year of the Hegira 297, during which time they made several descents on the island of Sicily, and conquered part of it. About this time Obeidallah rebelled against the house of Aglab, and assumed the title of khalif of Kairwan (the ancient Cyrene, and residence of the Aglabite princes). To give the greater weight to his pretensions, he took the surnaine of Al Mondi, or Al Mahedi, the director. According to some, also, he pretended to be descended from Ali Ebn Abu Taleb, and Fatema the daughter of Mahomet: for which reason, say they, the Arabs called him and his descendants Fatemites.He likewise encouraged himself and his followers by a traditional prophecy of Mahomet, that at the end of three hundred years the sun should rise out of the west. Having at length driven the Aglabites into Egypt, where they became known by the name of Magrebians, he extended his dominions in Afiica and Sicily, making Kairwan the place of his residence.

In the three hundredth year of the Hegira,.

Habbasah, one of Al Mohdi's generals, overthrew the khalif Al Mokhtader's forces in the neighbourhood of Barca, and made himself master of that city. After which he reduced Alexandria, and was making great progress in the conquest of the whole country, when Al Mokhtader dispatched against him his two generals Takin and Al Kasem, with an army of 100,000 men. Habbasah, being informed that the khalif's troops were in motion, advanced at the head of his army to give them battle, and at last came up with them in an island called by the Arabs Ard al Kamsin. Here he attacked them with incredible bravery, notwithstanding their forces were much superior to his own, but the approach of night obliged both generals to retreat. The action was by no means decisive, though extremely bloody, the khalif's generals having lost 20,000 men, and Habbasah 10,000. The latter, however, durst not renew the fight, but stole off in the night, so that Al Mokhtader in effect gained a victory. In the 302d year of the Hegira, Habbasah returned, possessed himself of Alexandria a second time, defeated a body of the khalif's forces, and killed 7000 of them upon the spot. the spot. What farther progress he made at that time we are not certainly told; but in the 307th year of the Hegira, Abul Kasem, son to the Fatemite khaliff Al Mohdi, again entered Egypt with an army of 100,000 men. At first he met with extraordinary success, and over-ran a considerable part of that fine country. He made himself master of Alexandria, Al Tayum, Al Banasa, and the isle of Al Ashmaryin, penetrating even to Al Jizah, where the khalif's army, under the command of Munes, was posted to oppose him. In this country he found means to maintain himself till the 308th year of the Hegira, when he was entirely defeated by Munes, who became master of all his baggage, as well as of the plunder he had acquired; and this obliged him to fly to Kairwan with the shattered remains of his army, where he remained without making any farther attempt on Egypt.

Al Mohdi reigned twenty-four years, and was succeeded by his son Abul Casem abovementioned, who then took the surname of

Al Kayem Mohdi. During his reign we read of nothing remarkable, except the revolt of Yezid Ebn Condat, a man of mean extraction, but who, having been elevated to the dignity of chancellor, found means to raise such a strong party, that the khalif was obliged to shut himself up in the castle of Mohedia. Yezid, at the head of a powerful army, soon reduced the capital of Kairwan, the cities of Al Rakkada and Tunis, and several other fortresses. veral other fortresses. He was no less successful in defeating a considerable number of troops which Al Kayem had sent against him; after which he closely besieged the khaliff in the castle where he had shut himself up. The siege continued seven months; during which time the place was reduced to such straits, that the khalif must either have surrendered or been starved, when death put an end to his anxiety, in the 12th year of his reign, and 334th of the Hegira.

Al Kayem was succeeded by his son Ishmael, who took the title of Al Mansur.— This khalif thought proper to conceal the death of his father, till he had made the preparations necessary for reducing the rebels. In this he was so successful, that he obliged Yezid to raise the siege of Mohedia the same year; and in the following gave him two signal overthrows, obliging him to shut himself up in the fortress of Kothama, or Cutama, where he besieged him in his turn. Yezid defended the place with desperate bravery ; but, finding the garrison at last obliged to capitulate, he escaped privately. Al Mansur dispatched a body of forces in pursuit of him; who overtook, and brought him back in fetters; but not till after a vigorous defence, in which Yezid received several wounds, of which he died in prison. After his death, Al Mansur caused his body to be flayed, and his skin stuffed and exposed to public view. Al Mansur died after a reign of seven years and sixteen days, in the 341st of the Hegira.

Al Mansur was succeeded by his son Abu Zammin Moad, who assumed the surname of Al Moaz Ledinillah. He was a warlike prince, and maintained a bloody contest with Abdalrahman, khalif of Andalusia. In the 347th year of the Hegira, beginning March 25th, 958, Al Moaz sent a powerful army to

the western extremity of Africa, under the command of Abul Hasan Jawhar, one of his slaves, whom he had advanced to the dig. nity of vizier. Jawhar first advanced to Tahart, which he besieged ineffectually. From thence he marched to Fez, and made the proper disposition for attacking that eity. But finding that Ahmed Ebn Beer, the emir of the place, was resolved to defend it to the last, he thought proper to abandon the enterprise. However, having traversed all the tract between that capital and the Atlantic ocean, he again sat down before Fez, and took it by storm the following year. But the greatest achievement of this khalif was his conquest of Egypt, and the removal of the khalifat to that country.This conquest, though long projected, he did not attempt till the year of the Hegira 358. Having then made all necessary preparations, he committed the care of that expedition to a faithful and experienced general, called Giafar, or Jaafar; but, in the meantime, this enterprise did not divert Al Moez from the care of his other conquests, particularly those of Sicily and Sardinia: to the last of which he sailed in the year of the Hegira 361, continuing a whole year in it, and leaving the care of his African dominions to an experienced officer named Yusef Ben Zeiri. He sailed the following year for Tripoli, where he received the agreeable news that his general had made himself master of Alexandria. He immediately embarked for that city, leaving the government of his African dominions in the hands of his trusty servant Yusef above-mentioned, and arriving safely at that port, was received with every demonstration of joy. Here he began to lay the foundation of his new Egyptian dynasty, which was to put a final end to the old one of Kairwan, after it had continued about sixty five years.

From the era of the departure of Al Moez, we may date the commencement of the present abject and degenerated policy in the government of Barbary. Al Moez, indeed, for a time, preserved his dominions of Kairwain, or Africa Proper: but the ambition or avarice of the governors he appointed suffered them to run quickly to decay. And these governors in a short time shaking off

all controul, they soon began to set up for themselves, licensing and abetting every kind of lawless depredation, until the desert became filled with banditti, and the whole maritime coast, from the Egyptian confines to the pillars of Hercules, now named Gibraltar, swarmed with pirates, insomuch that they have since been distinguished by the title of the Piratical States.

The ancestors of the Saracens made a conquest of the greater part of Spain; but after the loss of Grenada, about the year 1492, they were dispossessed of that country, and compelled, by Ferdinand and Isabella, to renounce their religion, or transport themselves to the coast of Africa. The exiles confederated with the Mahometan princes on the coast of Barbary, and fitted out little fleets of cruizers, which made depredations on Spain, which we shall record hereafter, brought away many of its inhabitants, and made slaves of them. The Spaniards assembled a fleet of men of war, invaded Barbary, took Oran and other places on the coast of Algiers, and were proceeding to make an entire conquest of the country. In this distress, the African prince besought the assistance of the famous Turkish rover Barbarossa, whose singular talents, exploits, and vicissitudes of fortune, we shall enumerate at large in a future chapter. When he had repulsed their enemies he assumed the government of Algiers, and treated the people who called him to their succour as slaves. His brother, Hayradin, pursued the same measures with regard to the people of Tunis; and a third, by similar means, obtained the government of Tripoli. In these usurpations they were supported by the Grand Seignor, who claimed the sovereignty of the whole coast, and for some time the people were considered as the subjects of Turkey, and governed by Turkish bashaws and viceroys: but each of these states, under the auspices of military men, at length erected a sovereign out of their own body, and rendered themselves independent of the Turkish empire. The Grand Seignor has not at the present time a single bashiaw, or officer, at Algiers. The dey acts as an absolute prince, and is only liable to be deposed by the soldiery that advanced him. At Tunis and Tripoli he has still bashaws,