learning, well knit together by her men of science; and the masters of every art and industry are the hem of her garments.' In verity her bridges, her public buildings, her private mansions, her mosques 700 in number, dazzle the imagination and fill the mind with astonishment and wonder, while her 900 public baths were a reproach to the medieval Christians, with whom in those days, and indeed up to the time of Philip II., the husband of our Queen Mary, dirt was typical of sanctity, and cleanliness the mark of infidelity. Yet with all this dazzling splendour, if native historians are to be believed, a paper was found in the handwriting of the Khalifa title assumed in A.D. 929-in which he had enumerated the days of happiness and freedom from care; the total during a reign of forty-nine years was no more than fourteen! Well may the Arab annalist have moralised in these touching words, “O man of understanding! wonder and observe how small a portion of unclouded happiness the world can give even to the most fortunate."

His son and successor Hakam II. (A.D. 961), was peaceful and scholarly, and cared naught for the responsibilities of empire. The one dream of his life was to collect rare manuscripts, and truly may it be said, his efforts made the Library of Cordova one of the marvels of the world. At a time when printing was unknown, he amassed no less than 400,000 volumes, all of which, it is said, though it may be doubted, Hakam himself had read.

Thus passed fourteen years during which the Royal Book Collector sat upon the throne of Empire. On his death in A.D. 976, his son Hisham IÎ., a

stripling of tender years, succeeded to the heritage of sovereignty. He followed in the footsteps of his father, but it soon became apparent that monarchy has its duties as well as its pleasures and privileges. It often happens in Eastern lands that when the strong hand of power is lacking, intrigues are fomented amongst the ladies of the Imperial harem. Cordova formed no exception to the rule, and Sultana Aurora, the mother of the young Khalif, by degrees acquired an amount of influence second to no one in the empire. She was seconded by a young man whose rise to fame and power was largely due to her support and patronage. It chanced that a humble student at the University of Cordova-a youth of great capacity and promise-succeeded in securing a trifling post at Court as professional letter writer to the royal servants: while in this position he managed to attract the notice of the Grand Chamberlain, who after a while appointed the lad to an office at Court, which afforded him the opportunity of flattering the ladies with whom he came in contact-amongst the number, Aurora, the royal mother of the Khalif. Aided by the influence and support of the ladies of the Court his advancement was rapid, and his resources soon became plentiful. By this means he ere long contrived by graciousness of manner and prodigality of promise, to make himself the centre of a wealthy and important following. From this time onwards he was a power in the State, till at length in A.D. 978, Ibn Abyamir- such was the name of this extraordinary personage became Prime Minister, and assumed the title of Al manzur, “The Victorious"-by which he is known in history. His

administration was stern and unscrupulous. Nothing escaped his notice, and no means were ever neglected to further his ends. One example will suffice: a local leader of the army became so popular with his troops as to become a danger in the State. The remedy was simple in the extreme-he was invited by the minister to a banquet, and having drunk "not wisely but too well," he was assassinated as he staggered home in a state of intoxication. The end of this powerful controller of the destinies of the Muslim Empire in Spain, is quaintly narrated in a single sentence of the Monkish historian, "In 1002, died Al manzur, and was buried in hell."

With the death of Al manzur tumbled to pieces the edifice he had raised. It is true that his son Muzaffar for a while kept rebellion in check; but like the Israelites of old the people sought a king to rule over them. Accordingly, after thirty years of enforced seclusion as nominal Khalif, the unhappy Hisham II. was dragged from the harem, and charged with the government of the empire (A.D. 1010). Utterly unfitted for rule he was soon forced to abdicate. Then followed a succession of Khalifs for a period of nearly twenty years, not one of whom possessed real power. Hisham III. was, like his predecessor, dethroned and taken from the palace to a dungeon, where, with his little daughter and his tattered wives, he dragged out a miserable existence. From this time (A.D. 1027) the Omaiyad dynasty may be said to have passed away. A reign of anarchy, plunder, and destruction now ensued-palace and public buildings were razed to the ground-men, women, and children were ruthlessly slaughtered, and the Andalu