64 LITERATURE OF THE ARABS. 



Sohal. Abu Masher, an eminent astrologer, flour- 

 ished in the reign of Mostain; but his talents re- 

 ceived sorry encouragement, for that prince ordered 

 him to be severely whipped, because an event which 

 he had foretold actually came to pass. 



Long after the power of the Abbassides had 

 dwindled into a mere pageant of state, they affected 

 to patronise and cultivate learning. Many distin- 

 guished men in almost every science illustrated this 

 period of Saracen history ; but the capital of the 

 muses in the East had seen innumerable rivals 

 spring up in other parts of the empire. The last 

 prince that shed a ray of departing glory on his race 

 was the Caliph Mostanser, who adorned Bagdad by 

 the celebrated college that bore his name. Accord- 

 ing to oriental historians, this edifice had no equal 

 in the Moslem world, w^hether Ave consider the 

 beauty and elegance of the building, the number of 

 students it contained, or the splendid revenues as- 

 signed it by its founder. Each of the four chief sects 

 of the Sonnees had its appointed professor, with a 

 monthly salary and a maintenance from the royal 

 exchequer. Every student had daily a very hand- 

 some allowance of provisions of all kinds. There 

 were baths set apart for their use, and a physician 

 employed to attend them at the caliph's expense. 



The example of the sovereign was sometimes fol- 

 lowed by viziers and governors. Achmed ibn Tolun, 

 viceroy of Egypt, distributed every month among 

 the most distinguished ecclesiastics in that country 

 1000 dinars of gold (46-2Z. 10s.) ; and sent to Bagdad 

 not less than 2,200,000 dinars (1,017,500/.) for the 

 benefit of the poor and learned in that city. An- 

 other vizier founded a college there at the expense 

 of 200,000 (92,500/.), and endowed it with an annual 

 revenue of 15,000 dinars (6937/. 10.?.). The benefits 

 of public instruction in that capital were communi- 

 cated, perhaps at different times, to 6000 students 

 of every degree, from the son of the noble to that 



