unts,
formerly so common, of sorcerers, magicians, and enchanters, are
derived from these descendants of the Arabs. They were a superstitious
race from the remotest times; and it is probable that to their
residence in Spain, and their long intercourse with the Spaniards, is
owing that love for the marvellous, and that well-deserved reputation
for superstitious credulity, with which philosophy still reproaches a
sprightly and intellectual nation, upon whom nature has bestowed the
germes of the best qualities that adorn humanity.

A kind of literature which was common among these Saracens, and for
which the Spaniards were indebted to them, was that of novels or
romances. The Arabs were ever, as they still are, passionate lovers of
story-telling. As well in the tents of the wild Bedouin as in the
palaces of the East, alike under the gilded domes and peasant roofs of
Grenada, this taste prevailed. Everywhere they assembled nightly to
listen to romantic narratives of love and valour. Everywhere they
listened in silent attention, or wept from sympathetic interest in the
fate {163} of those whose adventures formed the subject of the tale.
The Grenadians joined with this passion for exciting incident, a taste
for music and singing. Their poets imbodied in verse these favourite
recitals of love and war. Musicians were employed in composing
suitable airs for them, and they were thus sung by the youthful Moors
with all the enthusiasm that passion, poetry, and dulcet harmony can
unitedly inspire. From this national custom are derived the multitude
of Spanish romances, translated or imitated from the Arabic, which, in
a simple and sometimes touching style, recount the fierce combats of
the Moors and Christians, the fatal quarrels of jealous and haughty
rivals, or the tender conversation of lovers. They describe with great
exactness everything relating to the peculiar manners and amusements of
this interesting and extinguished nation: their fetes, their games of
the ring and of canes, and their bull-fights, the latter of which they
adopted from the Spaniards, are all portrayed. Thus we learn that
their war-like equipments consisted of a large cimeter, a slender
lance, a short coat of mail, and a light leathern buckler. We have
descriptions of superb horses, with their richly-jewelled and {164}
embroidered housings sweeping the earth in ample folds, and of the
devises emblazoned on the arms of the graceful Moorish cavaliers