New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS,
....., ,.oops iN SPAIN.

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,s xoe Iatflc. Brown Co. -
xiv.' .o .-osntion of a translation of Condos
s,.n;.h "IIistory of the Domination OF the Araos
=, cralu.r there is no important work wnich uoo'
- =. - English reader what Professor Coppee mas
asrtaken in the present contribution to hisoorcai
literature. Irving and Prescott treated cef'an
chapters of the long story. and other PORTIONS ra
he read in the pages of Gibbon ana eisewhe,e' 1u
a complete and detailed narrative Oh inc H'ooiiS
s.,n,sst Of Snain is now placed within our reach
Co.. the rst time It has occupied Professor Coppee
for many wears. The sources Of information on inc
.uh;sct are not very numerous the conflict OF au-
aho,;t,as and the mixture of truth and romance IN
Al, the early chronicles extremely perpiexing;
tha later of the period covered by the
ork ara In themselves confusing and intricate; ana
II must have been wearisome and dlmcuit TASK
70 construct from the chaos OF rough materials so
CLAIR and well considered account ss the one De-
fore us The author acknowledges his to
La Fuentes voluminous General History OF spaln'
and Masdeus Critical History OF Spain ana Oh
Spanish Culture" and especially to the admiraoie
work of Don Pascual de Gayangos, who enrched ms
TRANSLATION of the Arabic history of AL Makkari with
notes more extended and more valuable than the
original text. Condos history seems to have been
consulted with many reservations and precautions;
and freouent reference has been made to various
Spanish and Arabic writers who may be considered
the original sources of whatever knowledge the
world possesses Of an obscure and half legendary
period.
Professor Coppee introduces his narrative with
br;ss Init sufficient sketch of the rise of Mahome-
tauis,, the character of the new creed, the estab
Iisbment of the caphate at Damascus, and the con-
ouest and conversion of Northwestern AFRICA py
Musa Ibn Nosseyr. Musa united his Arab warriors
with the Berbers or Moors, who submitted to his
arms and accepted the faith of lslam aud with TINS
formidable combination. known In history as the
Arab he advanced to the straits OF Gibraitar
armed for the most daring conquests. Here our au-
thor pauses to trace the history aud condition OF the
yisigotbic kingdom of SPAIN and he lays stress upon
the fact, so often overlooked. that at the time
of the invasion the ruling power in the Peninsula
was an odious foreign tyranny entirely antpathetie
Ia the people whom it oppressed and pundered, and
eneryated by its luxuries and excuses. 1t was
crime committed by Don Roderck, the last OF the
Visgothic kings, upon the person OF Florlnda'
daughter of one OF his officers. Count Joilan' OF
Ilvan. which furnished the occasion Tor the ex-
pectant and ambitious Moors to cross the Strait.
Ilyan proposed the invasion to Musa, and MS
treason has always been painted by Spanish his
orians in the blacklist coors but Professor Coppee'
i'm consideration of the character OF the Vsigotnio
dominion, is inclined to much more lenient Judg-
ment upon Julian than has generally been meted
ont to him.
The Moslem commander chosen to lead the expe-
dtion into Spain under the orders of Musa and with
The sanction of the Khaif, AL Valid, was Tarik. a
soldier of considerable celebrity. whose appoint
ment ia said to have filled the whole army with ex-
IMITATION. His expedition consisted OF 1000 picked
men, most of them cavalry, and to transport them
large feet of boats assembled at Ceuta and IAN
giers. Julian accompanied the invaders. When all
was ready Musa fell upon his knees and In the pres
ence of the troops prayed for the help Of Allah until
the tears streamed from his eyes. Celestial omens
favored the voyage. Tarik, sleeping on bis SHIP
saw the spirits OF the Prophet and his companions
all armed with bright swords and bent bows point
ing toward Spain, and their words OF
encouragement, being repeated to the soldiers, In
famed them with new ardor. The exact spot
of the landing is unknown; it was at OF
near the famous promontory whose modern name
Gibraltar is q corruption of the Arabic D5chebel-
lark the rock of Tarik. For two months the Moors
occurred the neghboring country collecting supplies
and DESTROYING what they could not use, ana mean
while keeping open their communications with At
RIGA whence Musa speedily sent over reinforcement
of 5000 men. King Roderck was taken oy surprise,
and it was not without difficulty that he collected
motley and uuorganized force and marched toward
the south. The two armies met in July, I'll, on
great superiority in numbers, though many of them
were mperfectly armed, and many were disanected.
By an error which we cannot understand, Professor
Coppee places the traitor Julian and his renegade
contingent on both sides at the same time. Don
Roderck brought upon the field long trains OF
wagons and sumter animals, loaded with his treas
ures and his wardrobe and he rode to battle In an
ivory chariot lined with cloth of gold covered with
silken and jewelled canopy. and drawn by three
white mules harnessed abreast. He wore golden
crown and robe made of strings OF pearls nterwo-
ven with silk. From this gorgeous chariot and IN
this splendid apparel he harangued his troops
then he put on his helmet mounted bis war-horse
md rave the signal for the onset For two days the
fighting continued In q desutory manner WITHOUT
decisive result, but with some advantage upon the
whole to the Christians The inexperienced soldiers
of Don Roderick plucked up courage; the weight OF
Numbers began to tell. At this crisis the personal
Influence of Tarik turned the scale. He addressed
his men on the third morning In speech which las
Stunning that 1t was not invented afterward by the
historians) must have been well calculated to Ill
them with the valor of desperation, by showing that
an immediate aud successful assault was their only
hope OF safety:
II ia not difficult to conjure before the fancy the
tall form Of this dark ~ s ann ege bazns
with the light of battle, gallopng hither ana thtne
among his men. stopping for moment mere aH =
there, and Calculating. not in one place only, but u
many and repeating In detached utterances the sup
stance ii not the exact words OF this TRADITIONAL ad
iress Then let the imagination reproduce the effect
OF his burning words, the answering eyes OF the re
inspired soldiers the shrll cries OF asserting ardor
I'VE are ready to follow thee. o Tar.k We shall
all to one man. stand by thee and hight foI thee
ict0pv ia our only hope Of salvation p The address
and the response were the mot aordre. The Arab
Moors pressed forward to the attack. and their his
torians vie with each other In describing the shocl
Of battle Again are heard the blare of Gothic
ssumpets and the cangor Of atabas and tas; SO Ter
rible 10 the meeting that one lkens 1t to the day
Of Judgment, and another compares 1t to :. that O