LITERATURE OF THE ARABS. 79 



metaphysics to theology ; and Alkendi, a native of 

 Bussora, who flourished in the caliphate of Alma- 

 moun, was so celebrated among his contemporaries, 

 that he was called, by way of eminence, the Arabian 

 Philosopher, the Great Astrologer, the Phcenix of 

 his age. Notwithstanding the extravagant enco- 

 miums of his friends, he was unquestionably en- 

 dowed with rare talents ; the 200 different works 

 which he composed show him to have been deeply 

 versed in all the learning of the Greeks, Persians, 

 and Indians. 



But, however enthusiastically the Arabs pursued 

 these ingenious studies, their progress was more spe- 

 cious than real. Their ardour was ill-regulated, pre- 

 ferring the subtleties to the more important and 

 practical lessons of the science. The system of 

 Aristotle was well fitted to this prevailing taste of 

 the Saracens. Though they were neither unac- 

 quainted with Plato, nor insensible to the merits of 

 his works, the Stag}Tite became their exclusive 

 favourite, and received from them an intellectual 

 homage that was almost divine. All parties ac- 

 knowledged his authority and appealed to his assist- 

 ance, whether in attack or defence ; and the most 

 solid arguments both of Jews and Christians against 

 the truth of the Koran were laid prostrate before 

 the resistless artillery of his syllogisms. An accu- 

 rate translation, or a learned commentary on his 

 works, appeared to them the highest pitch of ex- 

 cellence to which the genius of man could attain. 

 At the head of all these subtle expounders stood 

 Averroes, who, in the felicitous obscurity of his 

 opinions, was by some reckoned superior to his 

 master. The library of the Escurial comprises 

 many authors on ascetic and mystic divinity ; but 

 for a detail of their lives and writings the curious 

 reader is referred to the elaborate pages of D'Her- 

 belot and Casiri.* 



* For the state of literature among the Arabs the authorities 

 are numerous : — Middeldorpf (De Instit. Lit. Arab, in Hisp.), 



