LITERATURE OF THE ARABS. 103 



which is preserved in its original state. There are 

 walks paved with marble, and so contrived that 

 they can be turned into continuous fountains, by 

 forcing up small jets of water from minute pipes 

 inserted between the joining of the slabs. 



In metallurgy, or the working of mines and me- 

 tals, there is evidence that the Arabs had arrived at 

 considerable perfection. Their skill in the different 

 manufactures of hardware was remarkable, and 

 kno^vn to every civilized nation in the world. The 

 blades of Mushraf and Damascus were not more 

 renowned in the East than the swords of Granada 

 and Toledo in the West. The temper of the Spa- 

 nish arms was held in the highest repute ; that coun- 

 try being the arsenal which supplied Europe and 

 Africa with cuirasses, bucklers, casques, sciniitars, 

 and daggers. The celebrated Alkendi, among his 

 numerous works, produced a treatise on the differ- 

 ent kinds of swords, in which the perfections of the 

 metal are particularly discussed ; and another, on 

 the art of preparing steel in such a manner that the 

 edge of the weapon could neither be broken nor 

 blunted. Of the skill of the Saracens in the forma- 

 tion of porcelain, some exquisite proofs remain in 

 the superb vases still preserved in the Alhambra, 

 and in the glazed tiles which formed a distinguished 

 ornament of their palaces. One species of manu- 

 facture in which they pre-eminently excelled was 

 that of tanning, currying, and dying leather ; which, 

 though almost lost in Spain by the expulsion of the 

 Moors, was transferred to Fez, where great numbers 

 of them settled. The skins were stained with green, 

 blue, or scarlet, of the liveliest tints, for which a 

 peculiar sort of woad was used, and then finished 

 with such a degree of brilliancy as to resemble var- 

 nish. The art was afterward carried to England, 

 where the terms Morocco and Cordovan are still ap- 

 phed to leather prepared after their mode. 



Such then, was the state of perfection to which 



