A. D. 813. 251 



ting out veflels twice a year for Alexandria, to which no Chriflians, that 

 we know of, had failed, fmce it belonged to the Saracens. The fpiceries 

 of India and the perfumes of Arabia were conveyed by thofe nnerchants 

 up the Rhone and the Saone, and re-embarked on the Mofelle, which 

 carried them to the Rhine ; and by means of that river they were dif- 

 perfed through Germany and the northern countries. And thus the 

 French, while in the zenith of their military glory, appear to have alfo 

 taken the lead as the general merchants for the Chriftian nations in the 

 weftern part of Europe *. A Jewifh merchant, who was a favourite 

 with Charlemagne, alfo made frequent voyages to Paleftine, and return- 

 ed with pretious merchandize, hitherto unknown in the Weft. [Monncb. 

 Sangall. L. i, c. 18, ap. Muratori Antiq. V. i, col. 895.] 



823 — The Saracens, now the only maritime power in the Mediter- 

 ranean, after plundering mofk of the Grecian iflands, took pofTcffion of 

 Crete, which, from the town wherein they fixed their chief refidence, 

 thenceforth got the name of Candax, afterwards corrupted to Candia. 

 This illand, fo happily fituated for commerce, is equally well fituated 

 for prffidatory naval war ; and it was in that way that its new mafters 

 chiefly employed their talents, to the unfpeakable diftrefs of the wretch- 

 ed fubjeds of the Greek empire and the other Chriftian ftates border- 

 ing on the Mediterranean. 



813-833 — During the reign of the calif Almamon, who went beyond 

 all his predeceflbrs in the encouragement of learning and tlie fciences, 

 two menfurations of a degree were made, one on the plain of Sinaar, 

 and the other on that of Cufa. 



It is worthy of remark, that the light of literature and fcicnce fhone 

 out with the brighteft luftre among the Saracens, and particularly among 

 thofe of Spain, when all-over the Chriftian part of Europe the human 

 faculties were debafed by the moft; wretched fuperftition, the belief of 

 the moft prepofterous miracles, and the idolatrous worfliip of images. 

 Chymiftry, a fcience fo important in our modern manufadures, which 

 had been pradifed in Egypt from the earlieft ages with ftationary im- 

 perfedion, is indebted to the ingenuity of the Saracens for many of its 

 moft valuable improvements. The alembic for diftillation is believed 

 to be of their invention. The nature of acids and alkalis was afcertaiia- 

 ed by them. To them we are obliged for the introduction, or, as moft 

 people think, the invention, of the Ample and comprehenfive fet of fi- 

 gures now univerfally ufed in arithmetic, which is one of the moft im- 

 portant improvements that ever was made in any of the fciences con- 

 neded with commerce. In fliort, the very names of alembic, alkali, 

 almanack, algebra, alchymy, elixir, zenith, nadir, azimuth, cipher, &c. 

 remain perpetual monuments of the Arabic derivation, or conveyance 



* This curious and important notice reds on the authority of Poullin de Lumina, ^H'lfl. de Lyons, 

 />. 31] who has negleded to produce his vouchers. [See Mem. de litterature, V. xsxvli,/. 483.] 



I i 2 



