Octavo. xvi, 88pp. Frontispiece portrait from an engraving by Antonio Arghinenti; engraved armorial on title page by Antonio Maria Stagnon. Muley Xeque was the son of the Sultan of Morocco, Abu Abdallah Mohammed II. After being deposed by his uncle in 1576, Abu Abdallah sought assistance from king Sebastian of Portugal, which the latter viewed as an opportunity to embark upon a crusade to regain lost territory in the region. This plan came to grief on 15 August, 1578 in Alcazarquivir, also known as the "Battle of Three Kings," so named because it claimed the lives of Sebastian, Abu Abdallah, and his uncle. Muley Xeque, therefore, lived in exile - first in Spain, where he converted to Christianity and befriended the writer, Lope de Vega, who wrote a comedy about and dedicated a poem to the exiled prince. During the expulsion of converted Muslims in the early 17th century, Muley Xeque relocated to Vigevano, Italy, where he lived out the remainder of his life. Bound in contemporary mottled calf, gilt, which is rubbed and shows a split to the outer front hinge. A.e.g. Contemporary ink ownership inscription on frontispiece verso. Overall a very good copy of a scarce work.