of the sacred songs as the testimony to his faith. So lived and died
Alfonso the Tenth, the father of Spanish literature, and the reviver of
Spanish learning.

"WHAT MEANETH A TYRANT, AND HOW HE USETH HIS POWER
IN A KINGDOM WHEN HE HATH OBTAINED IT"

"A tyrant," says this law, "doth signify a cruel lord, who, by force or
by craft, or by treachery, hath obtained power over any realm or
country; and such men be of such nature, that when once they have grown
strong in the land, they love rather to work their own profit, though it
be in harm of the land, than the common profit of all, for they always
live in an ill fear of losing it. And that they may be able to fulfill
this their purpose unincumbered, the wise of old have said that they use
their power against the people in three manners. The first is, that they
strive that those under their mastery be ever ignorant and timorous,
because, when they be such, they may not be bold to rise against them,
nor to resist their wills; and the second is, that they be not kindly
and united among themselves, in such wise that they trust not one
another, for while they live in disagreement, they shall not dare to
make any discourse against their lord, for fear faith and secrecy should
not be kept among themselves; and the third way is, that they strive to
make them poor, and to put them upon great undertakings, which they
never can finish, whereby they may have so much harm that it may never
come into their hearts to devise anything against their ruler. And above
all this, have tyrants ever striven to make spoil of the strong and to
destroy the wise; and have forbidden fellowship and assemblies of men in
their land, and striven always to know what men said or did; and do
trust their counsel and the guard of their person rather to foreigners,
who will serve at their will, than to them of the land, who serve from
oppression. And moreover, we say that though any man may have gained
mastery of a kingdom by any of the lawful means whereof we have spoken
in the laws going before this, yet, if he use his power ill, in the ways
whereof we speak in this law, him may the people still call tyrant; for
he turneth his mastery which was rightful into wrongful, as Aristotle
hath said in the book which treateth of the rule and government of
kingdoms."

From 'Las Siete Partidas,' quoted in Ticknor's 'Spanish Literature.'

ON THE TURKS, AND WHY THEY ARE SO CALLED

The ancient histories which de