AVING mentioned Latin Claftics, I beg leave to fubmit a conje&ture concerning the ftate and duration of the Latin tongue at Conftantinople.

βητε, Δόμηνι ἠμπεράτωρες ἐν μελτος ἄν voς. Δέος ὀμνήποτενς πρέσεθ -Ην γαυ δίῳ πρανδεῖτε, Δόμην,

"It may posibly for a moment furprife a learned reader, when he hears that the meaning of this strange jargon is-May God preferve your Empire-Live, imperial Lords, for many years; God Almighty fo grant― Dine, my Lords, in joy.

"But his doubts will foon vanili, when he finds this jargon to be Latin, and comes to read it exhibited according to a Latin alphabet

We

"We are told, that foon after the end of the fixth century Latin ceafed to be spoken at Rome. Yet was it in the beginning of that century that Juftinian publifhed his laws in Latin at Conftantinople: and that the celebrated Prifcian, in the fame city, taught the principles of the Latin grammar.

"If we defcend to a period ftill later, (fo late indeed as to the tenth and eleventh centuries) we fhall find, in the ceremonial of the Byzantine court, certain formularies preferved, evidently connected with this fubject.

"As often as the emperor gave an imperial banquet, 'twas. the custom for fome of his attendants, at peculiar times during the feaft, to repeat and chant the following wordsΚωνσέρβετ Δέες ἡμπίριαμ βέςρεμβής

CONSERVET DEVS IMPERIVM

VESTRVM-VIVITE,

DOMINI IMPERATORES, IN MVLTOS ANNOS; DEVS OMNIPOTENS PRAESTET

NI.

GAVDIO PRANDETE, DOMI

"'Tis evident from thefe inftan ces, that traces of Latin were itill remaining at Conftantinople, during thofe centuries. 'Twill be then per haps lefs wonderful, if Planudes upon the fame fpot fhould, in the fourteenth century, appear to have understood it. We may fuppate, that by degrees it changed from a common language to a learned one, and that, being thus confined to the learned few, its valuable works were by their labours again made known, and diffufed among their countrymen in Greek tranflations.

"This too will make it probable, that even to the lowest age of the Greek empire their great libraries contained many valuable Latin, manufcripts; perhaps had entire copies of Cicero, of Livy, of Tacitus, and many others. Where elfe did Planudes, when he tranflated, find his originals

K 4

SHORT

HE Arabians began ill. The fabians of their ca: liph Omar, when he commanded the Alexandrian library to be burnt was natural to any bigot, when in the plenitude of defpotifm. But they grew more rational, as they grew lefs big, tted, and by degrees began to think, that fcience was worth cultivating. They may be faid indeed to have recurred to their ancient character; that character, which they did not rest upon brutal force alone, but which they boafted to imply three capital things, Hofpitality, Valour, and Eloquence.

"When fuccefs in arms has defeated rivals, and empire becomes not only extended but established, then is it that nations begin to think of letters, and to cultivate philofophy, and liberal fpeculation. This happened to the Athenians, after they had triumphed over the Perfians; to the Romans, after they triumphed over Carthage; and to the Arabians, after the Caliphate was eftablifhed at Bagdad.

"And here perhaps it may not be improper to obferve, that after the four first caliphs, came the race of the Ommiade. These about thirty years after Mahomet, upon the deftruction of Ali, ufurped the fovereignty, and held it ninety years. They were confidered by the Arabic historians as a race of tyrants, and were in number fourteen. Having made themselves by their oppreffions to be much detefted, the laft of them, Merwin, was depofed by Al Suffah, from whom began another race, the race of Abbatida, who claimed to be related in blood to

Mahomet, by defcending from his uncle, Abbas.

"As many of thefe were far fuperior in character to their predeceffors, fo their dominion was of much lon ger duration, laiting for more than five centuries.

"The former part of this period may be called the era of the gran deur, and magnificence of the ca liphate.

Almanzur, who was among the first of them, removed the imperial feat from Damafcus to Bag, dad, a city which he himself founded upon the banks of the Tigris, and which foon after became one of the moft fplendid cities throughout the East.

"Almanzur was not only a great conqueror, but a lover of letters and learned men. 'Twas under him that Arabian literature, which had been at first chiefly confined to medi. cine and a few other branches, was extended to fciences of every de nomination.

"His grandfon Almamun (who reigned about fifty years after) giv. ing a full fcope to his love of learn. ing, fent to the Greek emperors for copies of their best books; employed the ablest scholars, that could be found, to tranflate them; and, when tranflated, encouraged men of genius in their perufal, taking a pleasure in being prefent at literary converfations. Then was it that learned men, in the lofty language of Eaftern eloquence, were called Luminaries, that difpel darkness ; Lords of human kind; of whom, when the world becomes deftitute, it becomes barbarous and favage.

"The rapid victories of thefe Eaftern

Eastern conquerors foon carried their empire from Alia even into the remote regions of Spain. Letters fol-, lowed them, as they went. Plato, Aristotle, and their best Greek commentators were foon tranflated into Arabic; fo were Euclid, Archimedes, Apollonious, Diophantus, and the other Greek mathematicians; fo Hippocrates, Galen, and the best profeffors of medicine; fo Ptolemy, and the noted writers on the fubject of aftronomy. The study of these Greeks produced others like them; produced others, who not only explained them in Arabic comments, but compofed themfelves original pieces upon the fame principles.

"Averroes was celebrated for his philofophy in Spain : Alpharabi and Avicenna were equally admired through Afia. Science (to speak a little in their own stile) may be faid to have extended a Gadibus ufque Auroram et Gangem.

"Nor, in this immenfe multitude, did they want hiftorians, fome of which, fuch as Abulfeda, Abulpharagius, Bohadin, and others) have been tranflated, and are perufed, even in their tranflations, both with pleasure and profit, as they give not only the outline of amazing enterprizes, but a fample of manners, and character, widely different from our own."

"T

HIS account is extracted from two fair folio volumes, to the firft of which volumes the title is conceived in the following words.

"Bibliothecæ Arabico Hifpanæ Efeuralienfis, five Librorum omnium MSS. quos Arabicè ab auctoribus magnam partem Arabo-Hifpanis compofitos Bibliotheca Cenobii Efcuralienfis complectitur, Recenfio et Explanatio: "Opera et Studio Michaelis Cafiri, SyroMaronita, Prefbyteri, S. Theologie Doctoris, Regis a Bibliotheca, Linguarumque Orientalium Interpretatione; Caroli III. Regis Opt. Max. auctoritate atque aufpiciis edita. Tomus Prior. Matriti. Antonius Perez de Soto imprimebat Anno MDCCLX.

"This catalogue is particularly valuable, because not only each manufcript is enumerated, but its age alfo

and author (when known) are given, together with large extracts upon occafion, both in the original Árą, bic, and in Latin.

"From the first volume it appears that the Arabians cultivated every fpecies of philofophy and philology, as alfo (according to their systems) jurifprudence and theology.

"They were peculiarly fond of poetry, and paid great honours to thofe, whom they esteemed good poets. Their earliest writers were of this fort, fome of whom (and those much admired) flourished many centuries before the time of Mahomet.

"The study of their poets led them to the art of criticifim, whence we find in the above catalogue, not only a multitude of poems, but many works upon compofition, metre, &c.

"We

"We find in the fame catalogue tranflations of Aristotle and Plato, together with their Lives; as alfo tranflations of their best Greek commentators, fuch as Alexander Aphrodifienfis, Philoponus, and others. We find alfo comments of their own, and original pieces, formed on the principles of the above philofophers. "There too may be found tranflations of Euclid, Archimedes, Apollonius Pergæus, and other ancient mathematicians, together with their Greek commentators, and many original pieces of their own upon the fame mathematical fubjects. In the arithmetical part they are faid to follow Diophantus, from whom they learnt that algebra, of which they are erroneously thought to have been the inventors.

"There we may find alfo the works of Ptolemy tranflated, and many original treatife s of their own upon the fubject of astronomy.

"It appears too, that they studied with care the important fubject of agriculture. One large work in particular is mentioned, compofed by a Spanish Arabian, where every mode of culture, and every fpecies of vegetable is treated; pasture, arable, trees, fhrubs, flowers, &c. By this work may be perceived (as the editor well obferves) how much better Spain was cultivated in those times; and that fome fpecies of vegetables were then found there, which are now loft.

"Here are many tracts on the various parts of jurifprudence; fome ancient copies of the Alcoran: innumerable commentaries on it; to gether with books of prayer, books of devotion, fermons, & c.

"Among their theological works, there are fome upon the principles of the myftic divinity; and among their philofophical, fome upon the

jubject of Talifmans, Divination, and judicial Aftrology.

"The first volume, of which we have been fpeaking, is elegantly printed, and has a learned preface prefixed by the editor, wherein he relates what he has done, together with the affiftance he has received, as well from the crown of Spain and its minifters, as from learned men.

"He mentions a fatal fire, which happened at the Efcurial, in the year 1670; when above three thoufand of thefe valuable manufcripts were deftroyed. He has in this volume given an account of about fourteen hundred.

"The fecond volume of this valuable work, which bears the fame title with the first, was published at Madrid, ten years after it, in the year 1770.

"It contains chiefly the Arabian chronologers, travellers, and hiltorians; and, though national partiality may be fometimes fufpected, yet, as these are accounts given by the Spanish Arabians themselves, there are many incidents preferved, which other writers could not know; incidents refpecting not only the fucceffions, and the characters of the Arabic-Spanish princes, but the country and its productions, together with the manners, and the literature of its then inhabitants.

"Nor are the incidents in these volumes confined to Spain only. Many of them relate to other countries, fuch as the growth of fugar in Egypt; the invention of paper there (of which material there are manufcripts in the Efcurial library of the year 1180); the ufe of gunpowder, carried not only to the beginning of the fourteenth century, but even fo far back (if we can be lieve it) as to the feventh century;

the

the defcription of Mecca; the antiquity of the Arabic language, and the practice of their most ancient authors, to write in verfe; their year, months, weeks, and method of computation; their love for poetry, and rhetoric, &c.

"Great heroes are recorded to have flourished among them, fuch as Abdelrahmans, and Abi Amer Almoapheri.

"Abdelrahmans lived in the beginning of the tenth century, and Abi Amer Almoapheri at its latter end. The first, having fubdued innumerable factions and feditions, reigned at Corduba with reputation for fifty years, famed for his love of letters, and his upright adminiftration of juftice. The fecond, undertaking the tuition of a young prince (who was a minor, named Hefcham) and having restored peace to a turbid kingdom, turned his arms fo fuccefsfully against its nu merous invaders, that he acquired the honourable name of Almanzor, that is, the defender. (See vol. 2d of this catalogue, pages 37, 49. 50.) "Arabian Spain had too its men of letters, and thofe in great numbers; fome, whofe fame was fo extenfive, that even Chriftians came to hear them from remote regions of Eu

"'Tis fomewhat ftrange, when we read thefe accounts, to hear it af ferted, that the religion of these people was hoftile to literature, and this affertion founded on no better reafon, than that the Turks, their fucceffors, by being barbarous and ignorant, had little value for accomplishments, of which they knew nothing.

"Thefe Spanish Arabians alfo, like their anceflors in the East, were great horfemen, and particularly fond of horfes. Accounts are preferved both of horfes and camels; alfo of their coin; of the two races of Caliphs, the Ommiada, and the Abbaffida; of the first conqueror of Spain, and the conditions of toleration granted to the Chriftians, whom he had conquered.

"It farther appears from these Arabic works, that not only fugar, but filk was known and cultivated in Spain. We read a beautiful defcription of Grenada, and its environs; as alfo epitaphs of different kinds; fome of them approaching to Attic elegance.

"When that pleafing liquor coffee was first introduced among them, a fcruple arofe among the devout (perhaps from feeling its exhilirating quality), whether it was not forbidden by the Alcoran, under the article of wine. A council of Mahometan divines was held upon the occafion, and the council luckily decreed for the legality of its ufe. (See vol. 2d of this catalogue, p. 172, 173.)

"The conceffions made by the Arabian conqueror of Spain to the Gothic prince, whom he fubdued, is a ftriking picture of his lenity and toleration. He neither depofed the Gothic prince, nor plundered his

people,