cousin Abdallah Ben Alhakem, in the moon of Dylhagia of the year 430, when Aben Hud was proclaimed. But at a later period the people of Zarcusta, which is Saragossa, rose up against him, when he took refuge in Rot-Alyud, an inaccessible castle, to which he had removed his treasures. The despoiled Alcazar* of Zarcusta was thus left desolate during two years, seeing that Aben Hud had carried off even to the marble incrustations which had decorated the walls; nay, the whole edifice would have heen ruined, had not the rapid succession of Zuleiman Ben Hud, which took place in Muharram of the next year, interposed to prevent that misfortune.†

Now about this time, Muhamad Ben Yahye, Wali of Huesca, repaired to Valencia, where he was received with much distinction by Abdelaziz Abul Hasan Ben Abi Amer, who was lord of that city and its territory; nay, Abdelaziz gave two daughters of his own in marriage to two of the sons of the Wali of Huesca, one of whom was called Abulhuas Man, the other Samida Abu Otba. The festivities and rejoicings for these marriages being concluded, the Wali Muhamad Aben Yahye departed for the east; but he had not long embarked, before there came intelligence of his death, he having been drowned in the sea.

About the same period it was that the Sclavonian Zohair Alameri, lord of Almeria and of a large district in the south of Spain, fell sick unto death, and of that malady he did in fact expire in the 432. Now Zohair had declared the year lord of Valencia, even Abdelaziz Abul Hasan, who was called Almanzor, the successor to all his land and lordships, and that prince appointed his son-in-law, Man Abulhuas, to be his Prefect and Naib in Almeria, where he governed the state with much prudence; being greatly beloved by his people: Abulhuas Maur soon established himself in an independent sovereignty, which he held during his whole life

* Alcazar-the royal palace.

In this passage we have an instance of the change of orthography in names which occasionally results from the various MSS. of Arabian writers used by our author in the course of his work: the number of the authorities consulted has also led him once or twice into the repetition of an event previously related, an inadvertence of which the reader will perceive an instance in line eleven of the page before us.-Trans.

time, ruliug his domains with infinite wisdom and with much consideration for all parties.

The lord of Seville, meanwhile, perceiving that his enemies had dissolved their alliance against him, no longer cared to avail himself of the false relation which he had invented as respected the pretended discovery of King Hixem the Second; but still determining to profit by his fable, he now published an intimation to the effect that the king had died, but had left certain letters, which he produced, wherein he, Muhamad Aben Ismail, was himself declared the successor of that sovereign, and the avenger of his wrongs.

These inventions availed but little with the great and powerful, who gave them no credence; but among the people they were not without their effect, and secured Muhamad Ben Ismail Aben Abed much importance among the Alameries, with whom even the traditions and shadows of that power and authority so long held by the Omeyas were still sacred and beloved: thus almost all the people dwelling in the southern parts of Spain declared themselves the partizans of Aben Abed, lord of Seville, with whom they maintained intelligence, either secret or avowed.

In the year 432 there was born to Aben Abed a grandson who was the offspring of his son the Prince Muhamad and the Princess of Denia, the daughter of the Ameer Mugiahid Abul Gaix, lord of Majorca and Denia. This birth was observed by the astrologers acting under the orders of the infant's grandfather, and they reported that the planetary positions announced much greatness and prosperity; but that, towards the end of his days, the full moon of that newly-born child's fortune would not only decrease, but must suffer a notable eclipse.

A year after the birth of his grandson, the King Muhamad Ben Ismail Aben Abed was about to set forth against his enemies with a large body of cavalry, when the all-powerful hand of Allah impeded his steps by means of a great sickness, from the severity of which he died during the last night of the moon of Giumada Primera, in the year 433,* when he was transported from the Alcazars of Seville to

those of Paradise.* The death of this Ameer was deeply deplored in all his territories, seeing that he was endowed with many qualities which are excellent in kings. His son Muhamad Aben Abed, who was called Almoateded, was proclaimed on the second day of Giumada Postrera.

This prince was of singularly beautiful person, but was the slave of his passions, and as cruel as he was voluptuous: even in the time of his father he maintained a precious harem of seventy slaves, exquisite in beauty, selected from different countries, and obtained at immense cost: these were supported with extraordinary profusion and prodigality. Aben Hayan relates that Muhamad Ben Muhamad Aben Ismail Aben Abed no sooner saw himself exalted to be absolute king, than he extended his harem to the number of eight hundred damsels, all entertained for his own delight. Yet he doated on the daughter of Mugehaid Alameri with a never-failing love. Her father was the lord of Castillon, and she was sister to Aly Ben Mugihaid, Prince of Denia, the prudent Muhamad Ben Ismail having sought that alliance for his son, in the hope of assuring to him the devotion of the Alameries, which he did in part much increase by his connection with the Princess of Denia.

Muhamad Ben Muhamad Ben Ismail, called Almoateded, wrote elegant verses, which were gathered into a collection by the son of his brother Ismail, which last named prince died in battle, as before related. He was somewhat tainted with impiety, or at the least had obtained the reputation of being but slightly attached to his religion, and in all the five-and-twenty fortresses of his lordship, he caused but one Aljama, with one sole Alminbar, to be erected; but, on the other hand, he gave command that a most beautiful palace of pleasure should be constructed in Ronda, and placed therein such a train of servauts as sufficed to maintain it in perpetual readiness for his use.

In the Alcazar of Seville this prince assembled, within a magnificent recess, a rich treasure of singular and beautifully decorated cups, garnished with gold and jacinth, emeralds and rubies; the bowls of these cups were made from the

* Adel Halim affirms, on the contrary, that Muhamad Ben Ismail Aben Abed, whom he calls Cadi of Seville, died in the year of the Hegira 431.-Condé,

skulls of such great personages, his enemies, as he had destroyed with his own hand and sword, or of such among the foes of their house as had been decapitated by his father. In this strangely furnished cabinet was the skull of the Ameer Yahye Ben Aly, with that of the Hagib Aben Hasoun, and that of Aben Choug; to say nothing of the many others which the cruelty of Muhamad Ben Muhamad Almoatahed was continually adding to the number.

At the end of the year 434 died the Wali of Santamaria, of Oksonoba, in the Algarve: he was called Said Ben Haroun, and his office was inherited by his son, Muhamad Ben Said.

CHAP. III.-OF THE DEATH OF GEHWAR, KING OF CORDOVA, AND SUCCESSION OF HIS SON, MUHAMAD BEN GEHWAR, AND OF THE CONTINUANCE OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE MOSLEMAH CHIEFTAINS.

ALTHOUGH the events of the contest into which the King of Cordova had entered with the Lord of Azahila, and his protector, Ismail Ben Dylnoun, King of Toledo, were not very prosperous, yet the people of Cordova made every possible effort in the service of their lord, offering themselves cheerfully to the perils of that sanguinary and infelicitous war, in consideration of the benefits which they had enjoyed under his wise and beneficent government, and from a conviction of the perfect justice of all his intentions. They felt, moreover, that if by the hard necessities of warfare they were exposed to a needful and honourable danger on their frontiers, yet in their homes they now lived in the highest security and quietude, every man reposing in the midst of the most perfect abundance and good order when he had once returned from the field to the happiness of his abode, as if in times of absolute peace. They did not cease to bless the name of their excellent ruler therefore, calling him the father of his people and the defender of the state. At a word, he was beloved and respected by all; but when in the whole land there was no fear more pressing than the fear of his death, the event thus dreaded happened, and

he was recalled to the mercies of Allah. Some say that Gehwar's death took place in the night of Giuma,* the 6th day of the moon Muharram, others in the moon of Safer, in the year 435.

The funeral solemnities of King Gehwar were accompanied by the tears of all who dwelt in Cordova, and even the damsels who had retired into solitude accompanied his bier with the precious drops of a sincere grief falling from their eyes. These mournful ceremonies concluded, the son of their lamented sovereign, even Muhamad Ben Gehwar Abul Walid, was proclaimed king by the still grieving people. He was a quiet and good man, the worthy son of so good a father, but of infirm condition and very weak health. He received the oath of obedience readily proffered by the Aljama and Mexuar of Cordova, and the sorrow felt for the loss of his father was at length somewhat tempered by the hopes justly founded on the excellencies of the son; but the times were grievously trying, and altogether adverse to the pacific virtues which shone so resplendently in those good kings.

No sooner had Muhamad Ben Gehwar mounted the throne than he proposed a truce to the King of Toledo and the Lord of Azahila; not hoping for any very prosperous result from a struggle with enemies so potent: but as those rulers replied with a contemptuous haughtiness, the King of Cordova committed the continuation of the war to his son Walid and to the General Hariz Ben Alhakem Ben Alcasha. The latter was then serving on the frontier near Calatrava, but he hastened to assemble his forces, and made numerous incursions on the dominions of his opponents, to whose land he carried the extremity of desolation.

In this year of 436, there died, in his city of Denia, the Ameer Mugiahid, Lord of Majorca, father-in-law of Muhamad Ben Muhamad Aben Abed, King of Seville.

Zuleyman Ben Almondar Aben Hud, King of Zaragoza, was meanwhile engaged in a conflict with the Christians on the eastern froutier of Spain, and towards the country of France. This warfare he maintained with infinite constancy, performing deeds of indescribable valour, and causing heavy

* Or Juma, the Mahomedan Sabbath, answering to our Friday.