nt palace of Grenada, have been comparatively
uninjured by the neglect and dilapidation of nearly seven centuries;
while their paint retains its colour so bright and rich as to be
occasionally mistaken for mother-of-pearl. Sir Christopher Wren
derives the Gothic architecture from the Mohammedans; and the crescent
arch, a symbol of one of the deities anciently worshipped throughout
the heathen world, was first adopted by the Arabs of Syria, and
invariably used in all the edifices erected during the supremacy of the
Ommiades. The succeeding dynasty declined following this model; but,
during the reign of the house of Moawiyah, in Spain, it was imitated
from the Atlantic to the Pyrenees.

The fine arts, painting, and sculpture, were not so much cultivated
among the early Mohammedans: they were thought to involve a breach of
the divine law. In this particular they agreed with the Jews.
Subsequently, however, these scruples were, by degrees, overcome; that
style of embellishment denominated Arabesque, which rejects figures of
men and animals, being first adopted, and afterward sculpture, more
nearly resembling {262} that of modern times. The Alhambra, or palace
of that suburb, had its lions, its ornamented tiles, and its paintings.
Abdalrahman III. placed a statue of his favourite mistress over the
palace he erected for her abode. Music was ardently cultivated. At
first, in the desert, its strains were rude and simple; subsequently,
the professors of the art were as much cherished, honoured, and
rewarded, as were the poets in the courts of the Arab sovereigns. Many
were celebrated for their skill in this art, especially Isaac
Almouseli. Al Farabi has been denominated the Arabian Orpheus: by his
astonishing command of the lute, he could produce laughter, or tears,
or sleep in his auditors at pleasure. He wrote a considerable work on
music, which is preserved in the Escurial. Abul Faragi is also a
famous writer among the Mohammedans on this subject. To them we are
indebted for the invention of the lute, which they accounted more
perfect than any other instrument; the use, also, of many of our modern
instruments, as the organ, flute, harp, tabor, and mandoline, was
common among them. Some say that the national instrument of the
Scottish highlander is taken from them.

In many of the useful arts of modern days the Arabs were proficients;
as agriculture, gardening, metallurgy, and the preparing of leather.
The {263}