New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-27

march OF the M05enS across tue fyrenees, uhtii
they were confronted by Charles Marte near Tours,
in 732. The battle which ended i'll the utter rout
of the invaders and the death of their leader and
ruler, Abdu-r-Iahman, has generally been recog-
nzed as the deliverance of ChristendOm from the
menacing advance of Mahometapism, and is reek-
oned by Greasy among The Fifteen Decisive Bat
ties OF the World Professor Coppee earnestly dis
sents from the prevailing opinion of the Importance
of the Frankish victory. His argument that IL
should not be called the rescue of Christianity from
lsamism because it " was principally not contest
of creeds but one for territorial possession" is OBJ
yiously fallacious; history judges the bearing OF
such events by their consequences and not by the
motives of the actors In them Our author Is better
worthy of attention when he reasons that
there were causes, In the internal condition Oh
the Moslems in Spain as well as the vitality
of the people of Northern Europe which must soon
have prevented the further advance OF the crescent
even had the Army of Charles Martel been beaten al
Tours But it is not often profitable to dispute
about what might have happened, ifs and
in this case Professor Coppee closes his somewhat
proljx depression by citing, with approval an e1-
tract from Guzot that fatty contradicts the propo-
stion which the whole chapter attempts 10 SUSTAIN
The Weakness of the dynasty Of the Ommeyades
NJ Damascus intensified the intestine dissensions Oh
tbe snanish Moors and relaxed still more the falling
and nominal allegiance Of the Amirs of Cordova 10
the Kbalifate, Overthrow, however. In the East
the Ommeyades sent forth vigorous shoot to repre-
sentthe parent stem In the Peninsula. Anotner
Abdu-r.rahmen, Prince OF the deposed ianliy'
escaping from the disasters OF his house. landed III
Spain after series of extraordinary adventures anu'
easily collecting an army OF the dsaifected, over
powered the ruling Amir, took possession OF tne gov
4ha NJ n
wholly INDEPENDENT of the Arabian Khalifs. With
this event r5e, the conquest of Spain must be con-
adhered complete. There were seventeen Spanish
Khalifs of the line of Abdu-r-rahman. For two cen
turies after this succession was broken 1031 Spain
was divided into number of petty Kingdoms. &C.
knowledging no common head, and from 1898 the
Moorish power gradually dwindled away until the
reconouest was completed by Ferdinand and Isa-
bella with the overthrow Of the Kingdom of Ora
NADIA in 1902 Professor Coppee passes rapidly over
the stretch of nearly seven and half centuries be-
tween the establishment Of the Khalifate Of Cor
doya and the conquest of Granada, the events of
this disturbed period not belonging properly to the
scope of his work; and he finishes with survey Oh
the Influence of Arabian civilization upon the or to-
learning language, political institutions and man
ners of the West-a branch Of the subject to which
be devotes more than third part OF his Sec
ond volume. To this division; of his task
he has brought Just and appreciativc
spirit and an ample slo'e Of, varied KNOWLEDGE
With all his qualifications, Professor Coppee lacks,
however, one important gift OF tho historian. and
that Is an animated and agreeable STYLE His MARIA
tive is encountered by the needless discussion OF I'M
important questions, and the tiresome comparison
of authorities. He shows US too much OF the cum
brous machinery of historical composition; he ex-
% II, han ha nT1lylt
To he content with setting forth the result and rele
eating TO short footnotes the proper citation of wit
nesses. Brief as the work Is In proportion to the
magnitude of the subject. the story moves slowly,
and the thread OF interest Is often broken to admit
of supernuous reflections But his style Is not only
ineegant IL is careless obscure and incorrect, dis
figured frequently by confused metaphors, Grant
pronouns far out Of sight Of their relatives COLO
ouiasms, and even positive faults OF syntax. The
following sentence stands at the head of paragraph
in the opening chapter. The first pronoun. its"
refers either to Arabia az whole, or to Arabia
Felix. we cannot tell whichj by strict gram
NAUTICAL construction Il should refer TO some-
thing quito different mentioned In the pre-
cedine sentence: Its peninsular form, Us
desert expnnses in the central portion. and its stony
barriers ut the north, largely protected IL against
the incursons Of the later Greeks and the Romans
portions of Hcjaz, of which Yeman was the most
fruitful, produced enough for their subsistence
Vol. l. p 81 Whom the author intends TO designate
nv "theirs We find nothing whatever to show.
Still moro curious is tho following: Their pres
tpe was equal to their energy; they were feared by
all. The infantry. compact and tireless; large
contingent of cavalry, all clothed in skins and par
TALLY protected by defensive armor; their weapons
of offence were javelns swords, and battle-axes.'
If Iar u n
peril but Musa prudeutly awaited the mandate OF
the Khalif before proceeding to that extremity
Vol. T., D. $3.50. BY proceeding to that extremity
the author means cuttinglt off. " Thus the party
which accepted Abu Bckr and his tive
SUCCESSORS Omar and Gilman. aud Cho claimed tc
be orthodox, was opposed by the people who re
jected the first three Khalifs. and were the
champions of Ali" Vol. l., PIP. 47-S) "Ths brie
inquiry will involve consideration OF the Peninsula
before the Gothic PERIOD the circumstances of he'
coming the motive and purpose of their settlement,
etc. Vol. l., D. 63.) 1t was Charles Martel " who
gave practical establishment to the fenda system a.
powerful instrument OF organization and firmly e
establish the now order" VOL j., PIP. 447-SD Italy
In the eIghth century, was seething ealdron, con
tanning many nationaltes and many interests, arc
presenting even as late as our cent9ry the
palities which long resisted the yearnnR and the
efforts Of the people for united Italy so happily
effected In our day" tNOl. l., p 43o.l lnat ID
tumble which will repay some study.
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