The Hagib himself was meanwhile invading Castile and Gallicia; he destroyed Oxma, burnt Alcoba to the ground, and, returning by Atincia, demolished the walls of that city.

In these campaigns Muhamad Almanzor was accompanied by the two most eminent men of genius at that time in Spain, these were Abu Amer Ahmed Ben Derag El Castali of Cazalla, who was Alchatib of the Divan to the Ata, or treasury of war; and Abu Meruan Abdelmelic Ben Edris, who was known as Aben Harizi.

In the year 378, Abderahman Almudafar, the son of Almanzor, repaired to the frontiers of eastern Spain, and attacking the people of Afranc, who had descended from their mountains in great numbers, he defeated them with heavy loss on their side. Having assured the tranquillity of the frontier, he then returned to Cordova, loaded with riches, seeing that the spoil made had been enormous. that march the general was accompanied by Muhamad Ben Abi Husam of Tadmir, a virtuous man of austere life, who had travelled long and extensively in Asia, Africa, and other parts.

On

In the year following, the Hagib Almanzor once more directed his arms against the frontier of Gallicia, and occupied Medina Colimbria. He then proceeded to Santyac, which he also took, and razed the walls thereof to their foundations. Many captives and much spoil were taken on that occasion also; and Muhamad returned to Cordova in triumph, paying visits to the cities of Talavera and Toledo on his way thither.

Nor had Zeiri Ben Atia remained idle in Africa. With his troops of the Zenete Cabilas, and other tribes from Barbary, he joined the Andalusian forces, and proceeded to march against Abulbehar Ben Zeiri; but the latter did not venture to wait his approach, and constantly flying before him, took shelter at length with his nephew, Mansur Ben Balkin, with whom but a short time before he had been waging a war of extermination, but to whose hands he now abandoned all his rights, and resigned the defence of his

states.

Aben Atia was meanwhile so fortunate in that campaign as to gain early possession of Medina Telencen and all its

dependencies; after which, he soon made himself master of the territories which had been the lordship of Abulbehar, thus extending his states from Sas Alacsa to Zaub, and beyond the confines of Almagreb. He then despatched Forenicos or couriers with intelligence of these events to the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor; and soon after this news of victory, he likewise sent Muhamad very costly presents, which arrived in Spain towards the close of the year. Among other objects composing that magnificent gift, were a hundred generous* horses of noble race; fifty large camels for the transport of baggage: a thousand lances of the fabric of Lamta, a great quantity of beautifully made bows, with an equally large supply of handsome quivers, filled with carefully pointed arrows, scimitars, and other weapons of the finest temper, likewise made part of that rich present. To these things were added several giraffes, with other wild beasts and rare birds from Lybia, the deserts of Lamta, and other regions, as were many sumpter mules laden with bales of delicate cloths, woven of the finest wool and exquisitely embroidered, and a thousand loads of dried fruits, all of different kinds and the most carefully selected qualities.

All these things gratified Almanzor very highly; and the Hagib wrote to Zeiri Ben Atia, thanking him on his own part and in the name of the King Hixem Ben Alhakem. He also renewed the compact of protection previously made with Zeiri Ben Atia, attaching no other conditions thereto save only those of obedience and respect. These presents did not reach Cordova from the coast until the commencement of the year 381, the day of their arrival happening to be one when there was a great festival held in the city.

During this year, one of the principal cavaliers of Andalusia, Abu Abdallah Ben Abed, departed from Seville and repaired to the East, taking in his company Said Ben Raxic of Cordova, called Abu Othman, a very learned and religious man, whose object it was to perform this pilgrimage to the holy houses, and who in the course of that peregri

* Let the English reader accept the original expression of the Arabic writer in this case, and the rather as he will admit that the epithet is often less appropriately bestowed.

nation held intercourse with all the most erudite masters of the East. Both these cavaliers were constant frequenters of those academical conferences which were held in the house of the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor, and the president of which was the accomplished Ibrahim Ben Nazor, El Saracusti, or, as we should say, of Saragossa. It was he who proposed the various subjects to be discussed in those assemblies, and held the principal part therein. His contemporaries and those of that age called him Malic Ben Anas. He was one of the most learned Mufties of the Aljama of Cordova.

On a certain Saturday in that same year, and it was the twelfth day of the moon Ramazan, Said Ben Othman Ben Meruan El Coraixi, known as Aben Bolita, presented to the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor, a Casida, or long composition of very elegant verses, written in his praise, the subject being the past campaigns and brilliant victories of that leader. The members of the Academy read it that day in one of those assemblies before alluded to, with great applause from all present. The poem contained a hundred verses; and the following day Almanzor presented Said Ben Othman with three hundred doubloons of gold, which were sent to his house in purses wrapped in cloth of silver.

The fame enjoyed by the learned men of Spain, and more particularly those of Cordova, having extended into other countries, many travellers from all lands were attracted thereby, and came not only from Egypt, Africa, Syria, the Iraks and Persia, but from the country of Roum, from Afranc, and from Gallicia. In the year preceding 380, there came to Cordova Said Ben Hassan El Rebai, known as Abulola, a man distinguished for his knowledge of languages, and learned in all other sciences. He was a native of Diar Musul, had studied in Bagdad, and was considered to be one of the best poets of his time. Charitable and humane, Said Ben Hassan was remarked for the grace of his demeanour and his affability of manners; the Hagib Almanzor honoured him greatly, and loaded him with benefits, assigning him his appointments from the fund destined to the service of the learned. But this income did not suffice him, because the disposition of Said Ben Hassan was to give freely, and he was of expensive

habits. It is even said that this Abulola proved himself not a little eager for gifts, and sufficiently astute in the practice of obtaining such by his verse and the graces of his manner; nor did he ever lose an occasion for procuring favours and rewards.

One day the crafty Rebai entered the Maglisa of Almanzor clothed in a worn-out mantle, so thin and dilapidated that it permitted the vestments beneath to be seen, although the day was one of more than common importance, when a large concourse of the learned and distinguished persons composing those assemblies was expected. "How is this, Abulola ?" enquired the Hagib, perceiving him to present himself in that unseemly plight. "This garment that thou seest," replied Said Ben Hassan, in a plaintive and humble tone, was the gift of our sovereign, whom God preserve; and as I have no gala dress more valuable than this-may God reward the giver,-so I have put it on." "Thou hast done well," replied Almanzor. "But, to the end that a mantle so precious may not be worn out by too frequent service, to-morrow I will take care to send thee other vestments for festal occasions, and thou canst then preserve this as it merits."

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This learned man dedicated many books to the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor; as, for example, the Kiteb Fusûs, or book of topazes; the Nueder Welgarib, an exposition of the work of Abu Aly El Cali, the "Book of the Proverbs and Fables," one called "A Treatise on the Deeps," and another on Military Tactics, which last pleased the Hagib greatly. There were besides others of considerable merit. Said Ben Hassan was remarkable for his promptness in reply. He gave himself little trouble as to the truth or correctness of what he said, but uttered the words that first came to his lips. We find it related of him that he one day entered the palace to pay a visit to Almanzor at a moment when the Hagib held in his hands a work on the laying out and cultivation of gardens, which had just been presented to him by Mabroman Ben Boreid, the Amil of a certain town in Spain, but which was at some distance from the capital. In this work, there is mention of the Calab and the Tarbil, which are names or terms indicating the inequalities of the ground before it has been

sown. When Said Ben Hassan appeared, the Hagib said to him, "Abulola!" and he made answer: "Labaika ye mulena"-"What wills my lord ?" Then enquired Almanzor and said: "Among the many books that pass through thy hands, hast thou seen that of the Cûelib and the Rûelib of Mabroman Ben Boreid ?" To which Said Ben Hassan replied: "Yes, my lord, I saw it at Bagdad, in the copy of Abu Becri Ben Daweid. It was in letters like the foot of the ant, had such and such figures upon the sides, and contained so and so, this thing and that." Whereupon the Hagib exclaimed: "Dost thou not shame thyself, Abulola, to lie thus! This book hath just been written in such a place by such an author, and treats of so and so." But Abulola still maintained that although he could not deny the truth of all that had been advanced by the Hagib, yet that what he had himself said was none the less true. This Said Ben Hassan was Alchatib, or preacher, in the mosque of the Aljama Azahira of Cordova,

Zeiri Ben Atia had meanwhile made good his seat in Fez, where he had established many of his friends and partizans, while to others he assigned possessions in the Comarca, where he settled many of his servants and followers. In the year 382, he received letters from the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor, enjoining him to repair to the capital, the King Hixem Ben Alhakem El Muyad Billah having appointed him to be Wali of Cordova. Without loss of time, Ben Atia then put himself on the way, leaving his son Almaan to manage the affairs of government in his place, and commanding him to fix his residence at Telencen. Zeiri likewise made Abderahman Ben Abdelkerim Ben Thalaba, Sahib of the Barrio or quarter of the Andalusians; while he appointed Aly Ben Muhamad Casim Ben Aly Ben Cusûs to hold the same office in that of the Alcairvanes. As Cadi of both quarters, he named the learned Alfaqui, Abu Muhamad Casim Ben Amer, El Lesdi.

These matters all arranged, Zeiri Ben Atia departed for Cordova, taking with him many valuables and presents of great cost, such as jewels, fine furniture, and other rarities. He furthermore loaded many beasts of burthen with the strange birds added by his liberal hand to that present, and of which there were some that had been taught to speak