The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12

mist of legends, but shall contine ourselves
to the authors sketch OF Hispano-M Moorish his;
tory, and especially to the changes witnessed
In the eleventh century after the downfall of the
caliphate Of Cordova.
The Sarncen conquest of Spain began A. I.
I'll. 1t ended in 1892. In on Introductory
chapter Mr.. Clarke well remarks that tho story
of the lawless love of Rodcrick, tho last Gothic
King, of the treachery of Count Julian and
Bishop Oppas, and Of the seven days battle on
the banks of the Guadelate, after which no
sturdy attempt was made to save the country.
represents only the popular and superficial
view of events that really had much deeper
causes and a fat wider Significance. AS a mat
ter of fact, tho .Moslem invaders were brought
IN INT the eh Kingdom y Which cflG snpported tho claim Of
certain prctendors to the throne. What turned
out, to be the hclpiessness OF the Gothic
mobiles, unnervcd by n long period OF peace,
spirit, and especially by the discomfort
pie, weighed down by the privileges OF a con.
quering race which had become a species of
land 30 quickly as tho chroniclers would have
us believe. and II, they ultimately overran near
Y dn the SD w b Ier 81 the heb penlns ,a fb tne nat gIeG msle was
tents. and particularly to the jews. Too much
stress can hardly po laid upon the Israclite fac
from a date anterior to the Christian era, had
long been in communication with their Semitic
any lot in preference to that which had been
imposed upon. them by the naughty and rapa'
r rsiRnin s'Ifi ss@iIs from A ria a iGnI to Catholicism i m
Nevertheless, the Saracens we're hardly less
surprised sur isSdt than van the nr, sRa mia ist themselves m n q . TO 3d ind
rapid. We think that MIR, Clarke somewhat
is certain that at the end of a fow years-he says
three y~cars-the whole of the Iberian Peninsula
the exception of the. wild and barren north
ern strip between the mountains and the Bay
and also the region around 0riquela and Carta-
gens known as Todmir. which a~fterward CON
stituted a part Of M4 1,THodiaa;,This The name Of To %anir
of a more hardy stamp than the rest. who by q
timely peace had saved himself from the general
ject to the Saracen. The conquerors at once set
to work to organize the peninsula as a province
as their rule extended, was known as Andalus.
and formed part of the vast, province of Africa
Of Kairwan,s southeast of ancient Carthag2.
Notwithstanding the narrow space at his com.
mand. Mr.. Clarke does not follow the custom Of
Spanish historians, who concentrate their atten-
tion from the outset upon the little band Of their
fellow countrymen who. within a few years after
hopeless task of the reconauest of the land by
small and intermittent successes against the
infdels. These historians like to forget the
much larger and more important body OF Span.
iards who continued to dwell in the south and
seatFe to of ex ths S%Ssn1sF isir onS 'a ir sa sae%it;
masters. Tho masses Of the inhahitants of
the peninsula Internationally found the con-
under the former lords. AS Islam had become
a ruling power, possessing a mighty. EN-,
animated its adherents in their early con-
quests, had to a large extent disappeared,
were no longer put Immediately to the sword.
They were allowed to remain in peaceable pos
session of their land. subject only to a higher
sca1e of taxation than that aDDOinted nv the
law for true believers. They were. however. ex.
Guided from all political privileges. Peculiar.
habftants Of the lands ruled by, the Saracens
stubbornly resisted the first conquering rush OF
the invaders or had subsequently revolted, Ger.
Toledo. were sacked, but their fate served as q
warning to their neighbors, who. for the most
pert, obtained by timely submission the favor
a ers'r sA'f These s% were " aRYlEo%ed to 81 elect eHo @ eas
ter tslFin laws between snet Christian and Christian aa% undeI
the supervision of the higher Moslem courts
p PERI eHeed,'S and We actually i hear Of Nj len
princes who took part in the election of Chris
tian Bishops within their doninions. thus giving
q proof OF liberation astonishing at the time. ant
among the people by which 1t was practiced. anc
P pISsn to t6e : stT1nS ge see1F%s5 to w 1hs tr seven n
eight centuries, later. they fell under the sway
of the Spaniards.
" iiO thO Diooiohh - NhNASio VI ~ pom
sessed none who poaceably submitted, they re
ceiyed as their rewards the lands of those wht
had fallen in battle against them or who had fec
northward; Quickly they settled down to thu
plough and the loom amid their Christian sub
jects. A strong and just Government succeeded
n weak and jealous one. and the benefits oh
tanned were at once apparent. Agricultur'
and fourished, and it was only whei
aroused by the, approach of the Christian
OF the north that the southern Spaniard
came T to regard the Moslems as soppres
and Visigoths had broken, among the mixet
spirit for which the genuine Iberians had ono
been famous. Along the coast where the Car
thaginians had long held sway a certain amour
the Jews. who even before the spread of Chris
tianity were become n power in the peninsula
had familiarizcd the Inhabitants with tn
Semitic races. to which the majority of the cor
querors belonged. The circumstance. of course
facilitated intercourse and subsequently helpe
to weld the two peoples into one nation. Even n
first hostile collisions were rare. and tho earle
recorded Christian martyrs in Sraln wer
usually those fervid spirits who, not conten
:. With ', r r ot INIT, toler"tion, openly VINE mocked at tn
no direct constraint was employed. the Undue,
ments to embrace Islam were numerous an
tho privileges it entailed considerable. Tn
, came the equal of his Moslem nciehbor. A nun
, Der of the Muzarabes gladly availed themselve
r badge Of inferiority;. Tho higher a pc
/ more kcenly would he feel his exclusio
g from State affairs, and many are the ii
{ stances of descendants of Gothic mobiles who, a
good Moslems. occu pied positions of trust Q
( court. Eastern manners and dress, as well q
| until even those Muzarabes. who chung to III
: religion of their fathers. were scarcely distil
I guishable from tho body of the people. Althoug
: wealth. they played no part in the history
their country, and, when Overtaken by tho 7
! conquest. they were regarded with contempt (
1 | h "A Gn.RnlInI NTn pI4Isg