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OF THE

DOMINION OF THE ARABS

IN

SPAIN.

TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH OF

DR. J. A. CONDÉ,

BY

MRS. JONATHAN FOSTER.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

MDCCCLIV.

LONDON:

WILSON and OGILVY,

Skinner Street.

PREFACE

OF THE SPANISH EDITORS.

WHEN we undertook to supervise the "History of the Dominion of the Arabs in Spain," we were far from apprehending that the Second Volume, now about to be laid before the reader, would not make its appearance during the lifetime of its Author: yet so has it been determined in the decrees of an All-wise Providence. By his death the difficulties of our undertaking have been greatly increased; for although it is true that the work was completed, yet the last ameliorating touches had not been given to it by the hand of the Author. And who shall supply his place ?-the place of Condé-profoundly imbued as he was with the most intimate and minute knowledge of his subject who shall adequately perform the task which he has left unaccomplished? From his extensive and varied erudition, not only had we the right to expect the utmost exactitude, but even new lights thrown on every point not fully elucidated, as the pages went once more through his hands. But we are deprived of these advantages, and cannot but be conscious that the remaining volumes of our work must greatly suffer from that privation.

We have, nevertheless, done what in us lay to prevent the just expectations of the public from being disappointed;

and as regards the two last volumes in particular, have consulted the most respected authorities among Chronologists for the verification of such dates as have been left undetermined by our lamented author. We are, nevertheless, compelled to entreat the indulgence of the reader, who will, as we hope, be the more disposed to grant us so much, when assured that the highest authorities in the original MSS. used by Condé himself have been followed with religious exactitude.

When proceeding to give the Chronological Series of the Arab Sovereigns, we found ourselves in a labyrinth from which there could have been little hope of a fortunate issue, had not our Author left us certain intimations, which, although but incomplete, have yet enabled us to add that Series to the present volume. We have furthermore compared it with the List given by Masdeu in the fifteenth volume of his work; but the number of names and appellations bestowed on each monarch, with the fact that these names are frequently applied with numerous variations, have much increased the difficulty of verification, and rendered the danger of error much more imminent. To the learned reader we are, therefore, compelled to refer the rectification of mistakes necessarily arising in a question' so inextricably complicated, and we repeat the expression of our hope that the efforts we have made will secure his indulgence.

Madrid, 1820.

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