faa] 
the earlieft ages the Arabians cultivated magic: they extolled 
their intimate acquaintance with the occult qualities of bodies, 
and their power of conferring them where wanting. Their {kill 
in metallurgy, in optics, in vitrification, in precious {tones and 
medicine, fupported their high claims, and aftonifhed and con- 
founded the incredulous. Nor were they lefs diftinguifhed for 
a vein of romantic fiction: here they difplayed an exuberance’ 
of fancy in the creation of ideal perfonages, in the wildnefs and 
variety of their adventures, and in the extravagance of their 
fables, all fpringing from original modes of thinking and from 
their peculiar philofophy. A brilliancy of imagination and pomp: 
of expreflion at once captivated and delighted the reader. 
Ovr weftern bards quickly caught the pleafing contagion: the 
genial warmth of oriental fiction enlivened their fongs: the mono~ 
tonous and difmal tales of blood and flaughter were fucceeded by 
more amufing and fprightly relations ; by the heroic atchievements 
of gallantry, or the bland occupations of love: all thefe wrought up 
with Arabian inventions, and fuftained by Arabian philofophy are 
- vifible, not only in our ancient hiftory and hagiography, but in 
thofe of every other country in the middle ages. I fhall now proceed 
te confirm what has been advanced, from our mythologic ftory and. - 
the lives of our faints. 
Spatn, the * centre of oriental fabling, foon after the Sara- 
cenic invafion, enjoyed a celebrity above that of any other Euro- 
pean nation. The Irifh bards in confequence efteemed it a mat- 
ter 
* Warton, fup. 
