omestic peace to which they had so
long been almost utter strangers. The more effectually to ensure this,
Abouhadjad commenced his reign with fortifying his towns, raising a
strong army, and allying himself with the King of Tunis, whose daughter
Cadiga he espoused. When well prepared for war, the Moorish sovereign
sent ambassadors to the King of Castile, to solicit his friendship.
Don Juan, the son and successor of Henry de Transtamare, being
sufficiently occupied by his quarrels with Portugal and England,
readily signed a treaty with the royal follower of the Crescent; and
Abouhadjad, on his part, kept it unbroken. Secured from the inroads of
the Christians, this wise monarch now occupied himself in promoting the
increase of agriculture and commerce: he likewise diminished the rates
of imposts, and soon found his income increased in consequence of this
judicious measure. Beloved by a people whom he rendered happy,
respected by foreign neighbours whom he had no reason to fear, and
possessed of an amiable wife, who alone engaged his affections, this
excellent Mussulman prince spent the wealth and leisure that he could
with propriety devote to such objects, in {161} adorning his capital,
in cherishing the fine arts, and in cultivating architecture and
poetry. Several monuments of his munificence existed at Grenada, and
at Gaudix, a city in favour of which he entertained strong
predilections. His court was the favoured abode of genius and elegance.

The Moors of Spain still possessed poets, physicians, painters,
sculptors, academies, and universities. And these were all liberally
encouraged and endowed by Mohammed Gaudix.

Most of the productions of the Grenadian authors of this period
perished at the final conquest of their country;[13] but some of them
have been preserved, and still exist in the library of the Escurial.
They chiefly treat of grammar, astrology (then greatly esteemed), and,
above all, of theology, a study in which the Moors excelled. That
people, naturally gifted with discriminating minds and ardent
imaginations, produced many distinguished theologians, who may easily
be supposed to have introduced into Europe the unfortunate scholastic
taste for subtle questions and disputes, which once rendered so
celebrated, men whose names and achievements have since sunk for ever
into oblivion. The {162} pretended secrets of the cabal, of alchymy,
of judicial astronomy, of the divining rod, and all the acco