ON THE MIDDLE OR DARK AGES. 



Mahomet, a kind of poetical academy was established in this quarter^ 

 which used to assemble, at stated times, in a town named Ocadeh ; where 

 every tribe attended its favourite poet on his recital of the piece prepared 

 for the occasion, and supported his aspiring pretensions. Those declared 

 by the appointed judges most excellent, were transcribed in characters of 

 gold on Egyptian paper, and hung up in the temple of Mecca ; and the 

 seven which constitute the Moallakat, or suspended eclogues, best known 

 in Europe, are well worthy of the celebrity they have attained^ 



On the appearance of Mahomet, Arabia thronged with poets of this 

 description, and of high and justly distinguished characters ; most of whom, 

 moreover, to their honour, opposed his pretensions, and many of whom 

 ridiculed them with a severity which he never either forgave or forgot. As 

 he advanced, however, in success, poetry and eloquence, and scientific pur- 

 suits of every kind, became neglected and even despised, except so far as 

 they could contribute to the promotion of his interest ; the refined and 

 elevated contests at Ocadeh were dropped, and every other passion was 

 made to bend to the master-passion of the day. And iience, on the cap- 

 ture of Alexandria by the forces of Omar, the second in succession to 

 Mahomet, the whole of its magnificent library, which had been accumu- 

 lating from the time of its illustrious founder, was condemned to the flames, 

 and served as fuel to the hot-baths for a period of six months. Amrus, 

 the general of Omar's army was a lover of letters, and the esteem he had 

 contracted for Philoponus, one of the most learned Alexandrians of the 

 day, strongly inclined him to spare this invaluable treasure. He wrote, 

 therefore, to the Cahph in its behalf, and the answer received from him is 

 well known from Abulpharagius's history : As to the books of which 

 you make mention, if there be contained in them what accords with the 

 Book of God, (meaning the Alcoran,) the Book of God is all-suflicient 

 without them : but if there be any thing repugnant to that book, we can 

 have no need of them. Order them, therefore, to be all destroyed." 



The wild-fire of Asia, enkindled an equal wild-fire throughout Europe. 

 Of the purity of the motive upon which the crusades were first founded 

 there can be no doubt ; but the unfortunate course they took, and the mis- 

 taken views and ferocious passions to which they gave birth, rendered them, 

 on the part of the Christians, as hostile to the cause of science and litera- 

 ture, to say nothing of higher objects, as the fury of the Saracens. Every 

 thing was forsaken and forgotten in the accomplishment of the only object 

 with which Christendom was now pregnant ; every knee bowed down 

 before the standard of the cross ; the religion of love was converted into a 

 religion of vengeance ; the motto of Mecca became that of the Vatican ; 

 to fight for the faith was here also declared to be an act of obedience to 

 God,^ and every pulse beat high with an unconquerable determination to 

 rescue the Holy Land, and trample upon its defilers. 



Hence the origin of the various military orders which form so promi- 

 nent a feature in the history of this period of the world ; of the Knights 



*The following is a part of the famous bull of Pope Gregory IX., published in 1234, in 

 \yhich he exhorts and commands all good Christians to assume the cross and join the expedi- 

 tion at that time preparing against the Holy Land. " The service to which mankind are now 

 invited is an eflfectual atonement for the miscarriages of a negligent life. The discipline of a 

 regular penance would have discouraged many offenders so much that they would have had 

 no heart to venture upon it : but the holt war is a compendious method of discharging men 

 from guilt, and restoring them to the divine favour. Even if they die on their march, the 

 intention will be taken tor the deed : and many in this way may be crowned without figbtine." 

 —Collier's Eccl. vol. i. , . j j 



