THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. 263 



The great event of these intermediate ages was un- 

 doubtedly the vast and sudden growth of the Arabian power. 

 This extraordinary empire, the joint creation of the Koran 

 and sword, though not limited to the shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean, yet brought into permanent subjection its whole 

 southern coast from Egypt to Morocco, and for some cen- 

 turies the largest and richest part of Spain ; carrying terror 

 meanwhile to all other coasts of this sea, and once to the very 

 gates of Eome itself. The decay of the eastern Caliphate 

 was hastened by the ruder invasion of the Turkish tribes, 

 who, adopting the religion, succeeded to the conquests and 

 power of the Arabian races. The Mediterranean, in its 

 coasts and islands, was still the chief scene of this struggle 

 of races and religions ; lasting even beyond the conquest of 

 Constantinople by the Turks, and including the history of 

 those romantic expeditions, which, under the name of 

 Crusades, brought successive armies of warriors and zealots 

 from the west of Europe to the deliverance of the Holy 

 Land. During the 175 years which elapsed between the 

 first preaching of Peter the Hermit and the fatal crusade of 

 St. Louis, the Mediterranean furnished the road to these 

 fierce and fitful conflicts, which the unchristian passions and 

 mutual jealousies of the Crusaders rendered so utterly una- 

 vailing in their issue. A striking episode in this portion of 

 history is that furnished by the Norman race ; winning for 

 itself sovereignties in this southern sea by the same impe- 

 tuous valour which signalised their enterprises in Northern 

 Europe. Though any active struggle against Islamism has 

 ceased during the last three or four centuries, yet the Medi- 

 terranean, in its whole extent from the Straits of Gibraltar 

 to the foot of the Caucasus chain, still forms a line o parti- 

 tion between Christian nations and those of the Mohametan 

 faith ; and the outrages of Barbary corsairs and pirates were 

 continued even to the close of the great continental war. 



