acquaintance with the classical authors of his own tongue, and had accomplished himself in all the higher branches of an English education. His frequent and happy references to history, both ancient and modern, imply a minute knowledge of it, drawn from the best sources. It is evident also, that he was familiar with the philosophical doctrines of antiquity, and versed in the Latin language. His scholarship was not indeed, profound or critical; but he had, probably, more than is commonly imagined, and enough for his purposes. The absence of all declamation, paradox and fine-spun, metaphysical morality-of heroics of whatever kind, from his writings, accords with his consummate character as a citizen and philosopher, Though he took the lead in a mighty revolution, there was nothing revolutionary in his temper or doctrines; he has left no line that gives the least countenance to anarchy, disorder, or any species of licentiousness. Nothing sets out in stronger relief the superiority of his understanding and the firmness of his principles, than his total exemption from the follies and weaknesses of the sect of politicians and philosophers, by whom he was surrounded, during his residence in France. His social, his political, his religious creed, remained the opposite of all that was preached by the oracles of the day. He returned to America without having admitted into his mind a single ray of the newborn light.' He lived long enough to hear of the first movements of the French revolution, and, as we are credibly informed, often expressed in conversation, serious alarms for the issue.-His letter to M. Le Roy, at Paris, of November 13, 1789, contains phrases which give an insight into his feelings and opinions on this subject. "'Tis now more than a year since I have heard from my dear friend Le Roy. What can be the reason? Are you still living? or have the mob of Paris mistaken the head of a monopoliser of knowledge, for that of a monopoliser of corn, and paraded it about the streets on a pole? Great part of the news we have had from Paris, for near a year past, has been very afflicting. I sincerely wish and pray it may all end well and happily both for the king and the nation. The voice of philosophy, I apprehend, can hardly be heard among those tumults.' He who gives glory to his country,' says an English orator, Mr. Wyndham, gives it that which is far more valuable to it than any acquisition whatever. Glory alone is not to be taken away by time or accident. It is that fine extract, that pure essence which endures to all ages, while the grosser parts, the residuum, may pass away and be lost in the course of time.' In this point of view thus exalted, above all others, in importance, Franklin was, if we except Washington, the greatest benefactor of America. He has won for her more and brighter trophies than any other of her sons. Europe has acquiesced, almost unanimously, in the pre-eminence of his genius, and virtue, and usefulness. To desecrate his name, would therefore, be to despoil ་ his country of some of her most precious honours; and the American who should attempt it, under whatever pretence, would be guilty of a sort of treason and sacrilege. We appeal, yet, to the voice of Europe, respecting Franklin, as to that of the proper tribunal, upon a principle conveyed in a passage of one of his letters of 1780, to Washington, which, for its sensibility and dignity, we delight in repeating: Should peace arrive, after another campaign or two, and afford us a little leisure, I should be happy to see your excellency in Europe, and to accompany you, if my age and strength would permit, in visiting some of its most ancient and famous kingdoms. You would, on this side the sea, enjoy the great reputation you have acquired, pure and free from those little shades that the jealousy and envy of a man's countrymen and cotemporaries are ever endeavouring to cast over living merit.Here you would know and enjoy, what posterity will say of Washington. For a thousand leagues have nearly the same effect with a thousand years. The feeble voice of those grovelling passions cannot extend so far either in time or distance." ART. IV.-History, Literature, Arts, and Sciences of the Moors in Spain. 1. A Concise History of the Moors in Spain, from their Invasion of that Kingdom to their final Expulsion from it. By Thomas Bourke, Esq. 4to. London. 1811. 2. The History of the Empire of the Mussulmans in Spain and Portugal; from the first Invasion of the Moors to their ultimate Expulsion from the Peninsula. By George Power, Esq. 8vo. London. 1815. 3. The History of the Mahometan Empire in Spain: containing a General History of the Arabs, their Institution, Conquests, Literature, Arts, Sciences, and Manners, to the Expulsion of the Moors. Designed as an Introduction to the Arabian Antiquities of Spain, by James Cavanah Murphy, Architect. Royal 4to. London. 1816, 4. The Arabian Antiquities of Spain. By James Cavanah Murphy, Architect. Atlas folio. London. 1816. [From the British Review.] THE rapid success with which the Arabic empire was established in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and the expansive power of Mohammed and his successors, form one of the most surprising and interesting events in the history of mankind. But although the progress of their eastern conquests has been frequently recorded, and is consequently well known, their successes in the west have been involved in comparative obscurity. The effects, indeed, which were produced by the Arabians while they held the sovereignty of Spain, have been sufficiently felt through Europe, to render their history an object of great interest and research. Excepting the few scattered facts related by Marmol, concerning their African conquests, our information respecting them was very unsatisfactory, 4 until M. Cardonne filled up their vacant annals by his entertaining History of Africa and Spain under the Government of the Arabs, compiled from Arabic Manuscripts in the Royal Library at Paris, as well as from Spanish Historians;* and thus communicated to Europeans some idea of the conquests, power, literature, and arts, of that singular people. From this work, principally, it was, that Florian compiled the Precis Historique sur les Maures, prefixed to his romance of Gonsalve de Cordoue; an abridgment justly esteemed for its method, selection, and judgment. Such are the materials for a history of the Moors in Spain which have hitherto been accessible to Europeans unskilled in Arabian literature; and of these materials the authors of the first two works which stand at the head of this article have liberally availed themselves. Mr. Bourke intimates, in his preface, that he has consulted Cardonne (whom, however, he does not once name or cite) in his well-written sketch; but our confidence in his statements is necessarily weakened by the total absence of references to authorities. We are, indeed, strongly induced to suspect, from a careful comparison of his volume with Florian's Precis, that Mr. Bourke is often as largely indebted to the latter author as to Cardonne. Mr. Power's work, though designated by the high sounding appellation of a History of the Empire of the Mussulmans in Spain,' is in truth nothing more than a meagre, ill-digested, and indifferently written sketch avowedly compiled from the works of Cardonne, Florian, the Abbé de Marigny, and, some Spanish authors. In pursuing our inquiries into the Moorish empire in Spain, we took up the third article in our list, in the hope of obtaining some particulars more interesting and authentic respecting the dominion of the Moslem conquerors of that peninsula. The causes of the failures in preceding writers, who have attempted to illustrate this period of history, are perspicuously stated in the preface. 'Without the means of attaining to that primary and purest source of information which the records of the Arabs possess, they have, for the most part, successively followed each other in the same maze of fable and of error. The writings of the Arabs on this topic, it may be further remarked, are seldom to be met with, and the European readers of these writings are equally rare.' It might have been added, that the dryness and affectation of brevity peculiar to the historians of that nation, together with the peculiar nature of the oriental idiom, present obstacles which no common perseverance can overcome. For these reasons,' continues the author, it is hoped that the History of the Mahometan Empire in Spain,' which is either extracted immediately from the most approved Arabic historians, or is compiled, where these failed, 1 * Histoire de l'Afrique et de l'Espagne, sons la Domination des Arabes 12mo. 3 tomes. Paris. 1765. from other authorities best deserving of credit, will, on account of its authenticity, obtain a favourable reception.' Under these circumstances we must be severe critics indeed, if we were not to regard with some degree of complacency the work now under notice, even if it stood in need of our indulgence, which in truth it does not. It appears from the preface to this work, that the public are indebted for it to the researches of three individuals: the Introduction, which presents a concise account of the early history of the Arabs previously to their conquest of Spain, having been communicated by the acute and learned historian of ancient Greece. The first part, containing the political and military history of the Mahometan empire in Spain, together with a topographical account of Cordova, and the translation of the Arabic inscriptions in the Appendix, has been executed by professor Shakspear of the hon. East India Company's military seminary. The remainder of this part, comprising a topographical account of the principal seats of the Moorish empire in the peninsula, and the whole of the second part, which treats of the literature, sciences, arts, manufactures, and commerce, as well as of the civil and military institutions of the Arabs, were composed by Mr. Horne, sub-librarian of the Surry Institution. Of the authorities consulted by these authors it is but just to observe, that they have given ample and satisfactory accounts: and every page exhibits the reality and extent of their laborious inquiries. This volume is further illustrated by a neat and correctly engraved map, showing the principal conquests of the Arabs under the Khalifs or successors of Mohammed. Last in order come the splendidly executed Arabian Antiquities of Spain,' by Mr. Murphy, (to which the preceding work is designed as an introduction,) who is already advantageously known to the public as the author of a volume of Travels in Portugal,' and some very elegant and correct architectural Plans of the Church of Batalha,' in the same country, both of which were published many years before the commencement of our Review. As this work, from the interest of its subjects, as well as from the style of the engravings, has peculiar claims on the notice of our readers, we shall let the author speak for himself. The antiquities of the Spanish Arabs,' he observes, have for many ages continued unheeded or unknown. The annals of past centuries scarcely deign to mention them; and the descriptions of modern pens but imperfectly supply the place of the pencil.' Accurate delineations, so essential to render them intelligible, might have been expected from the enlightened natives of the peninsula, some of whose artists and antiquaries have vied with the most celebrated of other countries. After the lapse of many centuries, in consequence of the representations made by the learned Bayer and Casiri, the royal academy of St. Ferdinand was commissioned by * Dr. Gillies: the Spanish government to send two architects, under the direction of a captain of engineers, with instructions to make drawings of the Moorish palace of Alhamra and of the mosque of Cordova. In the year 1780, after they had been thus employed for many years, the joint labours of the three academicians were published in a thin folio volume, intitled Antiguedadas Arabes de Espana, containing about sixteen plates of Arabic designs, together with a few pages of letter-press. Some of the inscriptions in this publication were translated by the accurate Casiri. Such,' Mr. Murphy indignantly remarks, was the greatest progress made to the end of the eighteenth century, in exploring the antiquities of the polished and enlightened people who occupied the peninsula during a period of nearly eight hundred years!' The interesting but imperfect descriptions of Arabian art, exhibited in the volumes of some modern travellers as still existing in different parts of Spain, excited in Mr. Murphy an ardent desire to visit them. He accordingly embarked for that country and arrived at Cadiz in May, in the year 1802; whence he proceeded to Granada, through Lower Andalusia. The governor of the Alhamrā, desirous that the knowledge of its splendid architectural remains should be accurately transmitted to posterity, obligingly facilitated the author's access to that royal palace at all hours of the day, while he was employed in the agreeable task of measuring and delineating its interior works.' Equal facilities, it appears were offered at Cordova, the remains of whose celebrated mosque and bridge are delineated in the former part of Mr. Murphy's work. Seven years were unremittingly devoted to these delightful pursuits; and since the author's return to England in 1809, nearly seven years more have been wholly given to preparing for publication the present work.' The high expectations which this statement is calculated to raise, we feel ourselves warranted in saying, are fully gratified by the execution of the work itself; which, in addition to singular delicacy in the style of finishing the engravings, presents a rare combination of accuracy and beauty in the original drawings. That our readers may be enabled to form a correct idea of the achievements of the Spanish Arabs, as well as of their high attainments in literature, and the arts and sciences, we shall pass quickly through Dr. Gillies' able introductory sketch of their oriental conquests, as containing a summary of events frequently recorded, and consequently well known; and, having rapidly traced the principal epochs in the history of the Moorish empire in Spain, we shall offer to our readers some account of the arts, sciences, and literature of the Spanish Arabs, of which we have such splendid specimens before us. The Arabians having overrun Africa, and subjugated its inhabitants to the religion of Mohammed, with the exception of Ceuta a strong fortress belonging to the Gothic kings of Spain, extended their ambitious views to the conquest of that Peninsula, towards |