The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-01-16
MOORISH AND TOLEDO SWORDS.

devotion with which the warrior seems
to have regarded his sword-a devotion
which resembled rather u personal at
tachment than merely fondness for
the instrument by which enemies might
be overthrow, and his own reputation
for courage maintained. A writer in
Chambers Journal explains this in
some degree He has visited the Ar
meria at Madrid, where are collected all
the warlike weapons famous in Spanish
history-those welded by her own
great warriors, and those captured from
valiant foes.
History he says, "seems to start
into life as you gaze on that long pro-
cession of weapons, which brings you
down from the ninth century to the
present day, over cpochs rcplete with
disaster, defeat, or with victory and
glory. All the cherished names of
Spain all that flourish in chronicle, bal
lad, or romance, stand forth in grand
relief before you, as your eye sweeps
along the immense suite of brilliantly
lighted apartments which have been
appropriated to this matchless collec-
ton of arms. 80.
"Whcn the Moors were in the zenith
Of their civilization, the type of their
proves was the Damascus sword, the
brightest, the keencst, the most resist
less ever welded by man. Respecting
the arts by which it was produced, there
exists much variety of opinion. Some
think it owes its fame to the native SUI
periority of the steel, others to the
hardening qualities of the Syrian wa
tiers, others to the excellence of the
workmanship: while that opinion, per-
haps, approaches nearest to the truth
which attributes its admirable qualities
to the union of all these causes. Many
persons seem to entertain the notion
that the characteristic ornament of the
Damascus blade, called damaskecning,
is the inlaying of the steel with gold
and silver. But this is an error 1t is
quite true that the manufacturers of
Damascus do inlay swords with the
precious metals, and that they display
admirable skill and taste in this species
of ornamentation; but this is called in
laying. Damaskeening is a totally diff
ferent process, and consists in producing
upon the polished surface of the metal
a series of waves and clouds, radiations
suggesting ideas of the armament when
touched by the colors of the morning
To gaze upon blade thus beautifed is
like looking upon the surface of a pol
ished gem, in which Nature herself has
wrought her delicate miracles. 1t is
partly, perhaps, from this pleasure that
the Orientals set so much value on the
Damascus blade, upon which they gaze
as upon a picture; and, indeed, when
placed upon the golden sand in the daz-
ling sunlight of the Need or the Sahara,
its azure splendor appears almost like a
landscape in itself.
"On some of the old swords taken at
Lepanto, in the Morca, in Syria, or in
Africa, you behold, cngraven on the
brilliant metal, Il sentence from the Ko
ran, the profession of faith. or one of
the nincty-nine names of God, in the
exquisite hourishcs, harmonizing per-
fectly with the truly picturesque char
acters of the Arabic alphabet. The
Hebrew experienced strong emotions
when he heard the songs of Sion sung
in a strange land; but his feelings were
perhaps less deep and powerful than
those of the child of the Desert when
he bcholls in the far West, in his own
noble language, There is no God but
God, and Mohammcd is the Prophet of
Godn These words, sacred and sono-
rous, he murmurs over to himself, and
as he does so he seems, by the power
of association, to hear the rustic of
palm-trces in the breeze, or the voice of
the Muczzin calling him to prayer from
the lofty minaret.
"On inlaid plates of gold or silver in
the stocks of old Lcpanto muskets you
find similar inscriptions, and even on
the helmets which defended in years
gone by the heads of Eastern warriors.
There is no inconsiderable analogy
between theS taste of the old Spaniards
and that of the Orientals. Among
both prevailed the worship of the sword,
worship real, practical, springing
from the heart, which it filled with en-.
ergy. Hence, the skill, the labor, the
costliness with which the favorite in,
strument of death was adorned. Every
part which offered clear space to the
tool of the graver was covered, in one
case with the figures of the saints, OF
with those of Jesus and his mother; in
the other, with Arabic characters repre-.
senting the name of God. In both
the inspiration sprang from the same
sourcc-the wish to interest Heaven in
the cause for which the weapon was
welded; generally sacred one, since
it was that of country, of freedom, Of
independence The guard of the sword
is often beautifully ornamented, either
with figures in filigree, in gold enamel
or with golden effigies on black ground
This last especially has magnificent
effect, since it imparts depth and gray
ity to the ornaments which remind yor
that they belong to the bier and to the
sepulchrc"