P. III.

ALMANZUR, who was among the first of them, removed the imperial Seat from Damafcus to Bagdad, a City which he himself founded upon the banks of the Tigris, and which foon after became one of the most splendid Cities throughout the Eaft.

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 Medicine and a few other branches, was extended to Sciences of every denomination*.

His Grandfon ALMAMUN (who reigned about fifty years after) giving a full Scope to his love of Learning, fent to the Greek Emperors for Copies of their best Books;

* See Abulfeda, p. 144. Abulpharag, p. 139. 141.

160.

em

f

employed the ableft Scholars, that could Ch.VI. 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 Conquerors foon carried their Empire from Afia even into the remote regions of Spain. ́ Letters followed them, as they went. Plato, Ariftotle, and their best Greek Commen

* See Abulfeda, p. 181. Abulpharag. p. 160, 161. The lofty Language alluded to ftands thus in the Latin Verfion of the page laft quoted. Docti tenebrarum lumina funt, et generis humani domini, quibus deftitutus ferus evadit mundus.

P. III. tators were foon tranflated into Arabic

fo were Euclid, Archimedes, Apollonius, Diophantus, and the other Greek Mathematicians; fo Hippocrates, Galen, and the beft profeffors of Medicine; fo Ptolemy, and the noted Writers on the fubject of Aftronomy. The ftudy of thefe Greeks produced others like them; produced others, who not only explained them in Arabic Comments, but composed themfelves original pieces upon the fame Principles.

AVERROES was celebrated for his Philofophy in Spain; ALPHARABI and AVICENNA were equally admired thro' Afia*. Science (to speak a little in their own file) may be faid to have extended

1

—a Gadibus ufque

Auroram et Gangem

* See Herbelot, under the feveral Names here quoted.

NOR,

NOR, in this immenfe multitude, did Ch.VI. they want Hiftorians, fome of which, (fuch aş ABULFEDA, ABULPHARAGIUS, BoHADIN*, and others) have been tranflated,

* ABULFEDA was an Oriental Prince, defcended from the fame Family with the great Saladin. He died in the year 1345, and published a General Hiftory, in which however he is most particular and diffufe in the Narrative of Mahomet, and his Succeffors.

Learned Men have published different parts of this curious Author. Gagnier gave us in Arabic and Latin as much of him, as related to Mahomet. This was printed in a thin Folio at Oxford, in the year 1723.

The largest Portion, and from which most of the facts here related are taken, was published by Reifke, or Reifkius (a very able Scholar) in Latin only, and includes the History of the Arabians and their Caliphs, from the first year of the Mahometan Era, An. Dom, 622, to their 406th year, An. Dom. 1015. This Book, a moderate or thin Quarto, was printed at Lipfic, in the year 1754.

We have another Portion of a period later fill than this, published by Schultens in Arabic and Latin; a Portion relative to the Life of Saladin, and fubjoined by Schultens to the Life of that great Prince by Bo

P. III. lated, and are perufed, even in their Translations, both with pleasure aud pro

fit,

badin, which he (Schultens) published. But more of this hereafter.

ABULPHARAGIUS gave likewife a general Hiftory, divided into nine Dynafties, but is far more minute and diffufe (as well as Abulfeda) in his History of Mahomet and the Caliphs.

He was a Chriftian, and the Son of a Christian Physician was an Afiatic by birth, and wrote in Arabic, as did Abulfeda. He brought down his History a little below the time of the celebrated fingez Chan, that is to the middle of the thirteenth Century, the time when he lived. A fine Edition of this Author was given in Arabic and Latin, by the learned Pococke, in two fmall Quartos, at Oxford, 1663.

BOHADIN wrote the Life of the celebrated Saladin, but more particularly that part of it, which refpects the Crufades, and Saladin's taking of Jerufalem. Bobadin has many things to render his History highly valuable he was a Contemporary Writer; was an Eyewitness of almost every Transaction; and what is more, instead of being an obscure Man, was high in office, a favourite of Saladin's, and confiantly about his person. This author flourished in the twelfth Century', that is