871, p. 459-465.

[10] Histoire des Conquetes d'Espagne par les Mores. Par Ali Aven Sufran.
Paris, 1720.

It is another style of writing, less seductive, perhaps, than that of the
Moorish romances, in spite of their lack of vivacity and their bad taste.
But why mark this as the expression of the Mussulman sentiment under
Christian domination? Conquered by the Castilians, the Aragons, and the
Portuguese, the Moors had lost the use of Arabic, but they had preserved
the exterior sign-writing, just as their new converts retained their usages
and their national costumes. We possess a complete literature composed in
Spanish, but written in Arabic characters. They called it by the name of
_Aljaniado_. Its chief characteristic is that it treats of the
principal legends of the Mussulmans; those of Solomon and Moses, of Jesus;
the birth, childhood, and the marriage of Mohammed; Temins ed Daria, the
war of the king El Mohallal, the miracle of the moon, the ascension of
Mohammed to heaven, the conversion of Omar, the battle of Yarmouk, the
golden castle, the marvels that God showed to Abraham, Ali and the forty
young girls, the anti-Christ and the day of judgment[1] etc.; the legend of
Joseph, son of Jacob; that of Alexander the Great,[2] to which could be
added the story of the princess Zoraida,[3] without speaking of the pious
exhortations, magic formulas, conjurations, and charms.[4]

[1] Guillon Robles. Legendas Moriscas. Madrid, 1885-86. 36 petit in 8vo.

[2] Guillon Robles. La Legenda de Jose, hijo de Jacob, ye do Alexandro
Magna. Zaragoza, 1888, en 8vo.

[3] L de Eguilas el Hditz, de La Princess Zoraida. Granada, 1892, 16mo.

[4] P. Gil y Ribera et Mar Sanches. Colleccion el textos Aljamiados.
Zaragoza, 1888, 8vo.

The Moors held to these documents all the more that they were written in
Arabic, and that the fury of the Inquisition was let loose upon them. To
save them from the flames, their owners hid them with the greatest care,
and but recently, at El Monacid, they found a whole library in Arabic and
Aljamiado, hidden more than two centuries between the double walls of an
old house.[5] The Mussulman proprietor of these books and his descendants
were dead, or had emigrated to Africa, abandoning the treasure which was to
see the light in a more tolerant epoch.

[5] Pamo. Las coplas del Peregrino de Puey Moncon. Zaragoza, 1897. Pet. en
8vo.

Political relations also existed between those of the Moors who remained in