OR, PLAIN 



geography, algebra, medicine and surgery, with 

 all that was then known of natural philosophy, 

 were here taught ; and it was here, too, that 

 that magnificent library was collected, which 

 was the wonder of the time, and the admiration 

 of all succeeding ages. This astounding col- 

 lection of the literature of the early world, 

 embracing works in all languages, characters, 

 and symbols, and on all subjects, occult and 

 open, that employed the faculties or excited the 

 curiosity of mankind, were here collected by the 

 labour and industry of Ptolemy Soter, who, in 

 accumulating this library of 700,000 volumes, 

 accumulated a treasure of wisdom and learning 

 for all times, nations, and peoples. But of this 

 magnificent collection, 500,000 volumes perished 

 when Csesar was besieged in the Greek quarter 

 of the city, and the remainder used to heat the 

 baths for the sensual Moslem, when, in a.d. 640, 

 the Saracens poured their enthusiastic and 

 ignorant myriads over the country. 



What Tyre, Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra, and 

 Balbec had severally been, Alexandria collec- 

 tively became, receiving by the Red Sea in 

 constant streams the produce of the East, and 

 discharging it again to the remotest parts of 

 Europe ; collecting again, as by a thousand 

 petty streams, all that was rich, beautiful, and 

 rare, to again distribute over the East and 

 South, in exchange for the affluence given. 

 But this state of regal opulence and dignit}' 

 perished, like its library, before the frosty touch 

 of intolerant bigotry ; and Mahomet, worse than 

 Goth or Vandal, trod out that prosperity which 

 had been the amazement of the universe. I 



Of the ancient Alexandria, the 

 city of the Ptolemies, of Cleo- 

 patra, and of Caesar, little now, 

 beyond its hoary name, and a few 

 monuments too massive for fana- 

 tical destruction, remains to us 

 as phantoms of departed gene-' 

 rations ; among these, the most 

 curious are Pompey's, or, rather, 

 Diocletian's pillar, and the obelisk 

 known as Cleopatra's needle. 

 The modern city, under the set- 

 tled government of the present 

 dynasty, presents many worthy 

 evidences of architectural taste 

 and beauty ; and all that modern 

 art, science, and refinement can 

 do to adorn and civilize is being 

 effected, to make Alexandria a 

 model city of the East. There 

 are here some minarets, 13, of 

 remarkably elegant structure. 



What Alexandria was in the seventh century, 

 wi:tn the Saracen Omer conquered it for the- 

 Sultan, may be judged from his letter to his 



TEACHING. 2 59 



master ; 4000 palaces, as many baths, 40,000 

 Jews who paid an annual tribute, 400 circuses, 

 and 12,000 gardens to supply the capital win 

 herbs and flowers. From this some idea may 

 be formed of what the city was in those days. 

 Two years before the close of the last century, 

 Alexandria was stormed and carried by the 

 French, under Napoleon ; and three years after, 

 1801, Sir Ralph Abercomby lost his lite in tin 

 last battle of Alexandria, when the French arm) 

 capitulated. The chief object of admiration in 

 the Turkish Alexandria is the Grand Mosque oi 

 a thousand and one pillars. The city is now 

 reduced to a population of 66,000 inhabitants, 

 who export much of the produce of the country, 

 such as rice, beans, wheat, barley, cotton, drugs, 

 hides, feathers, mother-of-pearl, saltpetre, ivory, 

 coffee, opium, and dates, and import all kinds 

 of European manufactured goods, especially 

 jewellery, hardware, and cutlery. 



13 



484. 



The Mediterranean Sea, 226, 

 lies between lat. 30" 20' and 

 45° 50' N. ; and long. 5° W. and 

 35° E. ; and is about 2200 miles 

 long ; its greatest width 1200 

 miles. It washes the shores of 



