242 
traversed back the path in quest of his 
brother, whom he thad soon the satisfac- 
tion to meet. 
_“* Not caring to spend the rest of the 
night in this place, they returned to the 
camp; and being challenged by the guard, 
gave the soldiers to understand their 
success, who having apprized the general, 
they were immediately conducted to him, 
and the marquis highly commended their 
courage and diligence, and ordered re- 
freshments to be set before them. The 
Moor taken by James Cervantes was first 
led into his presence; but as he refused to 
Speak, the torture was applied, by an- 
nointing the soles of his feet with oil and 
exposing them to the fire, which being ex- 
ceedingly painful, the Moor soon exclaim- 
ed he would tell what he knew, and being 
unbound addressed his speech to the mar- 
quis in these words. 
* ¢T am, most noble marquis, a native 
of Andarax, myname is Alhondin. When 
the war commenced myself and my three 
brothers joined the Moorish king’s stand- 
ard, from the ardent desire of liberty, that 
moved the wholekingdom to arms. Upon 
the death of Alvaro de Flores, Aben- 
humeya,elated to the highest pitch of glory, 
in his own imagination, resolved to pour 
the whole strength of his army upon you; 
and, dividing it into three squadrons, he 
gave the first command to Derri, who leads 
eight thousand men: the second of like 
strength to Habaqui; and the third of six 
thousand, all Monfies, to the brave Al- 
bounuayle. They are now on the march 
to attack your camp in-three dilferent 
quarters; the first by Dallias, the next by 
Adara, and the last by the street of the 
water-course; but the chief attack wil! be 
where the women are confined, whoin 
they wish to liberate. This is all I know; 
but you have no time to lose; you will be 
attacked before morning, and the Moors 
come in camisade* the better to distin- 
guish one another.’ ” 
The marquis, surprized at the strength 
of the petty king’s army, ordered the 
Moor to be securely guarded, and the 
one taken by Francis Cervantes to be led 
in, to learn if their information corres- 
ponded; but this story being rather in- 
teresting, J design it for the poetical com- 
partment of your Magazine, trusting it 
will not be. disagreeable to your readers. 
The Marquis, well assured of the truth 
of this 1ateiligence, made praper disposi- 
tions for the approaching attack, making 
the square of Verja his corps de garde, 
and stationing his troops in the several] 
* With white shirts over their garments, 
Lost Books of Livy—Secret Tribunals, Ke. 
[Oct. 1, > 
streets where he had been warned to ex- 
pect the enemy, whom, as the sequel of 
the history informs us, he effectually re- 
pulsed. - 
Your's, &c. T. Ropp. — 
: EEE ‘ 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine 
SIR, 
E learn fromthe Travels of Count 
Stolberg, vol. 3, p. 494, that a 
very curious MS. has been discover- 
ed in Sicily, containing “ An History 
of the Arabs in Sicily, and of Sicily un- 
der the government of the Arabs,” which 
has been transiated intothe German and 
Italian languages. May Lask whether or 
not this history has appeared in the Eng- 
lish language ? 
this notice will lead to a translation. I 
hope, also, that the Arabic translation of 
seventeen of the lost Books of Livy, men- 
tioned by the same learned traveller 
(p. 435), may shortly assume an English 
dress. Amongst the critical remarks of 
-_ 
If it has not, L hope that — 
Count Stolberg, there is one in vol. 3, 
p. 449, on an Ode of Horace, which ap- 
pears to ine to be Inghly deserving the at- 
tention of future commentators on the 
bard of Venusia, — 
In p. 472 of the same volume, there is 
the following curious passage. “ In the 
time of the Emperor Charles the Fifth 
there was a secret community at Trapani 
in Sicily, which called itself La Conpa- 
terniid di San Paolo. These people, 
when assembled, passed sentence on their 
fellow-citizens ; and if any one was con- 
demned, the way-laying and putting him 
to death was allotted to one of the mem- 
bers, which dreadful office he was obliged, © 
without murmuring, to execute. This 
fraternity (continues the Count) will re- 
mind you of our German secret tribunal 
of the middle ages.” An instance in 
point of the power of this tribunal over — 
‘Its members, is given in the very curious 
and interesting Travels of La Brocquiere 
to and from Palestine in 1432 (p. 328), 
lately published by Mr. Johnes. 
The history of this dreadful tribunal — 
seemed, like its meetings, to be wrapped 
in darkness, till the delightfal romance of 
Herman of Unna appeared. The happy 
use of it made in that work turned the 
public atteition to it. Its history wasim= © 
mediately investigated, and its horrors) 
was soon after borrowed by dramatists 
and novelists, 
Having mentioned Herman of Unna, f 
shall take this occasion to observe, that 
y 
# 
<br 
Lan 
the English translation is net only very cs 
unworthy the oviginal, but imperfect, the 
episodic 
eg 
