66 CALIPHS OF SPAIN. 



economists. But the fact is certain, and perhaps not 

 of very difficult solution. Her population, notwith- 

 standing all the devastations of civil war, was on the 

 same grand scale with her palaces and her produc- 

 tions both natural and artificial. Under the Sara- 

 cens she boasted of eighty great cities ; 300 of the 

 second and third order ; besides smaller towns and 

 villages innumerable. Most of these were planted 

 with nurseries of art and industry, which gave an 

 unexampled activity to trade and manufactures. 

 There was scarcely a country in the civilized world 

 to which their traffic did not extend. Throughout 

 Africa, arms and accoutrements, silks and woollen 

 cloths of various colours, were in great demand. 

 With Egypt and the Grecian states they bartered 

 their different exports, to a still greater amount, for 

 such commodities as were in popular request in 

 Spain. Their drugs and dyes were exchanged for 

 Oriental perfumes ; and the luxuries of India were 

 brought from Alexandria to Malaga to supply the 

 wants of the court. The manufactories of Spain 

 were the arsenals from which France and England 

 drew their best military accoutrements, such as hel- 

 mets, lances, swordblades, and coats of mail, which 

 had reached a perfection in that country unknown to 

 the rest of Europe. The profits derived from these 

 successful speculations must have been incalculable ; 

 and, while abundantly remunerating the merchant, 

 they afforded a prodigious source of revenue to the 

 sovereign. 



In the fourteenth century, the Arabs had an im- 

 mense marine ; the woods and forests of Spain fur*, 

 nished them with timber, and they are said to have 

 possessed a fleet of more than 1000 merchant vessels. 



