of these two nations, extending in opposite directions, that of the Visigoths to the east, that of Clovis to the west, at length met; and the Loire constituted the common boundary. A war ensued, in which Clovis was victorious, who pushed his conquests till he had subdued the greater part of their country. Long before the Romans were finally expelled from Spain, another kingdom had been founded in the western parts of that country by the Suevi; which kingdom however was entirely subverted by Theodoric, king of the Goths; and the Suevi pent up in a small district of Lusitania and Galicia. In process of time they again erected themselves into an independent state, which was a second time destroyed by the 584. Goths, who now subjected all Spain, except a small part that paid obedience to Constantinople. But this part also they afterwards wrested from the emperors, as well as 623. their possessions in Africa, three years

A. D.

A. D.

before.

TENTH PERIOD,

From the Flight of Mohammed to the first Crusade.

A. D. THE

HE tenth period commences with the 622. flight of Mohammed, called by his followers the Hegira. The seat of preeminent power in the world is again to be changed, and another revolution about to take place, destined to extend its influence over the most considerable part of the known earth. All things seem to conspire to assist this great revolution.

The

The Persian and Constantinopolitan empires are weakened by intestine divisions and mutual wars; the eastern nations, by their pacific unwarlike habits, exposed to the rapacious ambition of the first invader; the inhabitants of Southern Europe barbarous and divided among themselves: while the Arabs, who are to be the instruments of this important change, from their origin lived by plunder, and were inured to war. There was now superadded to this habitual and courageous savagism a new and powerful superstition, which inspired the highest martial enthusiasm, and enabled them to achieve deeds of most amazing valour.

It would be impossible to develope the causes of the events which are to follow, without saying a few words of the character of the Mohammedan religion, and of its founder.-The religion of Arabia had degenerated from Sabeism into a barbarous idolatry. There were, however, many Jews and numerous sects of Christians scattered over the country, most ignorant as individuals, and of the most corrupted faith. Mahomet was born in 569, of a noble family, at Mecca. After the death of his parents, the oppression of his uncles deprived him of his inheritance. He entered into the service of Cadijah, a rich and noble widow, whom he soon afterwards married. With her he lived in peace and obscurity till the fortieth year of his age, at which time he assumed the title of a prophet, and proclaimed the religion of the Koran. Throughout the Koran the unity of God is every where inculcated; and the inspiration of Abraham, Moses, and Christ, is allowed by Mahomet; but he declared himself to be the promised comforter-the last and greatest of the YOL. I. prophets.

I

prophets. The belief which, under the name of Islam, he preached, is short and simple- God is God, and Mahomet is his prophet. Everlasting torments were to be the lot of all infidels, however their infidelity might have been excused by ignorance, or elevated by virtue; but the paradise of the Arabian prophet is full of pearls and diamonds, costly banquets, rtch wines and blackeyed houris-but saints and martyrs will despise the sensual delights, and be absorbed in the joys of theopathy.

The success of Mahomet was wonderful; and though obliged to fly from Mecca, the progress he made by his arms and doctrines was great. After his death, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Africa, and Spain, were rapidly overrun by his devoted and enthusiastic followers, the Saracens. The Saracens began ill. Omar, their third caliph, destroyed the library of Alexandria, sagaciously remarking, with the insolent logic of a bigot in the plenitude of despotism," that if what was contained in the books accorded with the Koran, it was superflu.ous; if opposite to the Koran, impious."

This

Prosperity, however, introduced a love of the arts and moderation. After the first four caliphs came the race of the Ommiada: they reigned ninety years, and have been stigmatized as tyrants. These were succeeded by the Abassassida, whose dominion continued five centuries. was the æra of the grandeur and magnificence of the caliphate; and the Arabian character cleansed itself from the spots which it had received from the rage of superstition, and became known by the three distinctions of their forefathers-hospi tality, valour, and eloquence.

The destruction of the Alexandrian library (a

fact

fact which some have questioned) was amply compensated by the seventy libraries which the Arabians founded in Spain. The most excellent of the Latin and Greek writers were translated into Arabic, and in the manuscripts of that language we have been encouraged to hope for the contents of the lost decades of Livy, and the annals of Tacitus. Nor were the Arabians deficient in men of original genius. Alpharabi and Avicenna have deserved the thanks of Asia for their medical and philosophical studies; and Averroes in Spain became deservedly famous by his elucidations of the civil law. Among the historians we find Abulfeda and Abulpharagius, whose works have been severally translated into the Latin language. They resemble the writings of Plutarch, by the number and minuteness of the anecdotes which they record, and are próportionally interesting by thus introducing us to a nearer acquaintance with the manners of their countrymen. The most profuse munificence, terrible severity to their opponents, and a generous clemency to fallen enemies, appear to distinguish them. The desperate valour of the Saracens was, in part, owing to their steady belief in predestination.

This is a slight sketch of the manners, the successes, and the tenets of the Saracens. They however experienced the usual fate of empires: rapid in their progress, magnificent in their zenith, and gradually sinking into effeminacy. The Turks, a tribe of fierce barbarians from the mountains of Persia, overpowered the Saracens, and had conquered Syria, about the middle of the eleventh century; but as these had embraced the same religious tenets, and were inspired with the same martial enthusiasm, this conquest induced no sa

I 2

lutary

lutary alteration in regard to the other parts of the world.

While the Saracens in the East, urged onward by a furious religious fanaticism, were grasping at universal empire, a different but no less baleful superstition, grafted on the pure doctrines of Christ, was equally active in brutalizing and enslaving the barbarians of the West. From the establishment of Christianity by Constantine, the bishops of Rome, amidst the perpetual fluctuations in the fortune of surrounding governments, were still increasing in power, and attempting to stretch their authority over the emperors themselves. Their influence even enlarged after the destruction of the Constantinopolitan empire; for by their insolence and intrigues, aided by the barbarous ignorance of the Italian sovereigns, they became the judges of those princes, who patiently submitted to their decisions. The bishop of Rome had seized upon the principal authority in the city, and which appertained of right to the duke appointed by the exarch of Ravenna. He had however an ambitious and dangerous enemy to oppose in the Lombards, who projected the conquest of A.D. Italy, and had already, under the conduct 726. of Luitprand their king, taken Ravenna

and expelled the exarch. The Pope resolved to reinstate him in his authority, by the assistance of the Venetians, who are now first mentioned as a state of any consequence; and this accordingly was accomplished.

Some time before a violent dispute happened between the Pope, Gregory the Second, and Leo, emperor of the East, respecting the worship of images. The propriety of this absurd worship was warmly defended by Gregory, and as warmly

reprobated