a city of Barbary, seated about two leagues from Larache, in Asga, a province of the kingdom of Fez. It was of great note, and the seat of the governor of this part of the kingdom. It was built by Jacob Almanzor, king of Fez, about the year 1180, and designed for a magazine and place of rendezvous for the great preparations he was making to enter Granada in Spain, and to make good the footing which Joseph Almanzor had got some time before. It is said his father first invaded Spain with 300,000 men, most of whom he was obliged to bring back to Africa to quell a rebellion that had broken out in Morocco. This done, he returned to Spain again with an army, as is said, of 200,000 horse and 300,000 foot. The city is now fallen greatly to decay, so that of fifteen mosques, two only are used, probably in consequence of the bad situation of the town; for it stands so low, that it is excessively hot in summer, and in winter almost overflowed with water. Population about 5000. Near this city there is a high ridge of mountains running towards Tetuan, whose inhabitants were never brought entirely under subjection. Not far from this is the river Elmahassen, famous for the battle fought between Don Sebastian, king of Portugal, and the Moors, in which the Portuguese were defeated, and their king slain. Long. 12. 35. W. Lat. 35. 15. N.

ALCAZAR, Luis de, a learned Spanish Jesuit, born at Seville in 1554. His ingenuity was chiefly directed to the interpretation of the Apocalypse, on which subject he wrote various treatises. He was greatly beloved in his native city, where he died in 1613.