60 LITERATURE OF THE ARABS. 



cn his son. The Saracens were protected in th& 

 enjoyment of their property and religion ; but tli© 

 island was restored to the jurisdiction of the Roniari 

 pontiff, who planted the principal cities with new 

 bishops, and gratified the clergy by a liberal endow- 

 ment of the churches and monasteries. 



CHAPTER IIL 



LITERATURE OP THE ARABS. 



The Arabs turn their Attention to Learning— Their rapid Pro- 

 gress—Literary Ardour and Patronage of the Caliphs— Haroui? 

 al Raschid—Almamoun—Vathek— College of Mostanser at 

 Bagdad— Academies and Libraries founded in Persia, Syria 

 Egypt, Africa, and Spain— Course of Study in the Saracex 

 Schools — Grammar — Rhetoric — Poetry — Tales — Arabian 

 Nights' Entertamments— Story-tellers— History— Biography— 

 N umismatics— Geography— Statistics— Metaphysics — Medl 

 cine and Medical Authors— Rhazes—Avicenna— Pharmacy-- 

 Anatomy and Surgery— Botany— Chymistry— Astrology— As 

 tronomy— Optics — Mathematics— Trigonometry— Algebra- 

 Arithmetic— Architecture— The Fme Arts— Painting— Cal 

 ligraphy— Music— Agriculture— Manufactures in Steel, Por 

 celain, and Leather— Claims of the Arabs as the Restorers 

 of Letters and the Importers of useful Arts and Inventions in 

 Europe. 



It was at a period when ignorance and barbarism 

 overspread every part of the Western AVorld, that 

 literature and philosophy found an asylum in the 

 schools of the Saracens. Unlike the Goths and 

 Huns, they became the instructers and enlighteners 

 of the countries they had conquered. Their stern 

 fanaticism yielded to the 'mild influence of letters; 

 and, by a singular anomaly in the history of nations, 

 Europe became indebted to the implacable enemies 

 of her religion and her liberties for her most valu- 



