| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| A Day in Cordova. | 3-11 |
| Six and Eight and Ten Centuries Back in the World'sHistory.—Our Entrance into Spain.—A Miracle.—TheBeautiful Guadalaquivir.—Our Bronze ComplexionedOarsman.—Fair Cordova.—The City of the Arts andSciences.—Night.—A Serenade.—Our Departure. | |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| Europe During the Dark Ages. | 12-21 |
| Upon The Ocean.—Desolate Europe.—Longing AfterCordova.—Southern Spain Contrasted with the Rest ofEurope.—Revolting Uncleanliness..Ascetic Monks Establishthe Belief that Cleanliness of Body Leads to Pollution ofSoul.—Intellect Fettered Hand and Foot.—Clergy RetardingProgress.—Secular Knowledge Spurned. | |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| Europe During the Dark Ages, Continued. | 21-33 |
| Gross Superstitions.—A Crucifix that Shed Tears ofBlood.—The Virgin's House Carried Through the Air byAngels.—Satan in the Form of a Beautiful Woman.—Scenesin Hell.—The Burning of Witches.—A King who Cannot Writehis Name.—Feudal Lords as Highway Robbers.—The Serfdomof the Peasants.—Return to Cordova. | |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| Return To Cordova. | 34-45 |
| Cordova at Day Break.—The Mohammedan Sabbath.—The Youthof Cordova Disports itself upon the Water.—Song.—Challengebetween Oarsman.—The Muezzin's Call.—The Great Mosque.—ASermon.—Chasdai Ibn Shaprut, the Jewish Minister to theCaliph.—Dunash Ibn Labrat.—On the Way to Abdallah IbnXamri, the Moorish Poet. | |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| The Arab-Moors. | 46-57 |
| Abdallah Tells the Early History of the Arabs.—Miracles atthe Birth of Mohammed.—The Angel, Gabriel Writes the Koranupon Palm Leaves.—Ten Decisive Years in the History ofReligion.—Beautiful Zealica.—Arab-Moors Checked in theirConquest.—Quarrel between King Roderick and Count Julian,Father of the Insulted Florinda.—Jews Ally with theWronged Father.—Andalusia Conquered. | |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| A Sabbath Eve in Cordova. | 58-68 |
| The Synagogue of Cordova.—The Daughters of IsraelPreparing for the Sabbath.—The Throne of the"Nasi".—Rabbi Moses Ben Chanoch.—The Eloquence ofSilence.—A Tearful Scene.—Three Rabbis TakenCaptive by Pirates.—Evil Designs against Chanoch's Youngand Beautiful Wife.—Sold as Slave to Cordova.—HisMiraculous Rise. | |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| A Sabbath Eve in Cordova, Continued. | 69-81 |
| The Evening Service.—A Beautiful Custom inIsrael.—Honored with an Invitation to Chasdai'sHouse.—Illuminated Streets.—The Two Angels.—An IdealSabbath in an Ideal Home.—The Praise of the VirtuousWoman.—A Father's Blessing.—Presented to the Ladies.—TheEvening Meal.—The Jewish Kingdom of the Khozars. | |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| Entrance of the Jews into Europe. | 82-89 |
| Chasdai's Library.—His Account of the Entrance of the Jewsinto Europe.—The Destruction of Jerusalem.—A TerribleCarnage.—Israel Ceases as a Nation.—The Diaspore.—TheDaughter-Religions Thrive upon the Sufferings they InflictUpon the Mother-Religion.—The Indestructibility ofIsrael.—Humiliated but Not Forsaken. | |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| Entrance of the Jews into Spain. | 90-101 |
| Jews Settle in Spain During the Reign of KingSolomon.—Jewish Agricultural Skill makes Andalusia theGarden Spot of Europe.—Prosperity the Great Crime of theJews.—The Beginning of Jewish Persecutions inEurope.—Cruel Laws.—Vengeance.—The Jews Conspire withCount Julian and Moors against Spain.—Victory.—MoorishAppreciation of the Services of the Jews. | |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| Their Position in Medical Science. | 102-111 |
| The Fifteenth Century.—A Change in the Fortunes of theJews and Moors.—An Examination into their GreatAchievements.—Their Skill in Medical Science.—MiracleCure by Christian Clergy.—Jewish Body Physicians HighlyPrized and Much Sought.—Prominent Medical Schools andEminent Physicians.—Rashi.—Ibn Ezra.—IbnTibbon.—Maimonides.—Avenzoar Avicenna. | |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| In the Sciences. | 112-122 |
| Marvelous Intellectual Superiority of Moors andJews.—Moors Excel the Jews in the Sciences.—TheyIntroduce the Mathematical Sciences. Their Progress inAstronomy.—Absurd Refutations by the ChristianClergy.—The Researches into Chemistry, Zoology andGeology.—They Anticipate Modern Discoveries.—Europe'sIngratitude. | |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| In Literature. | 123-147 |
| Spain's Prosperity Stimulates Literature.—LavishProvisions for Education.—Caliphs Patrons ofLearning.—Vast Libraries Embodying the Knowledge of theDay.—Poetry Especially Fostered.—Story-telling.—Jewishand Moorish Poetry Contrasted.—Jehuda HaLevy.—Charisi.—Gabirol.—Moses Ben Ezra. | |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| In Philosophy. | 148-158 |
| Alexandria, the Intellectual Metropolis of the World.—AProdigious Stimulus Given to Learning.—TheSeptuagint.—Development of Grecian Philosophy intoAristotlianism.—This Engrafted on JewishTheology.—Opposition of Christianity toAristotlianism.—Averroes.—Moses Maimonides. OppositionUnsuccessful. | |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| In The Industries. | 159-170 |
| Intellectual Greatness of Moors and Jews Induced by TheirMaterial Prosperity.—Remarkable Development ofAgriculture.—New Discoveries in Every Industry.—Mining aSpecialty.—The Magnet, Mariner's Compass MechanicalApparatus.—Spread of Commerce Leads to General Awakeningof Europe that Ends Middle Ages. | |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
| The Inquisition. | 171-188 |
| Jewish and Moorish Intellectual Advance followed byPhysical Decline.—This Decline the Cause of TheirDownfall.—The Spaniard Again Ruler Over Spain.—TheInquisition Established.—To Escape it, Jews Become "NewChristians".—Christianity no Help to the Jews.—Thomas deTorquemada.—The Tortures of the Inquisition.—A PublicBurning. | |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
| The Expulsion of the Jews. | 189-205 |
| Torquemada Resolves Upon Immediate Expulsion of allUnconverted Jews.—The Fatal Edict.—The Spaniards Moved toPity.—Don Isaac Abarbanel Pleads with the Queen.—TheQueen Hesitates.—Torquemada, the Fiend, ConquersAgain.—The Ill-fated Jews Seek Among the Dead the Pitywhich the Living Refuse.—The Departure. | |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
| The Dispersion of the Jews. | 206-224 |
| Exiles Transported on Ships.—Heart-rending Scenes on Boarda Ship.—Set Ashore on Deserted Islands toStarve.—Starving Jews Given the Choice Between Death andChristianity.—Merciful Italy.—CraftyPortugal.—Torquemada's Edict Eclipsed.—The Expulsion ofthe Jews From Portugal.—A Condition.—The King'sMarriage.—Contract.—Final Expulsion. | |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
| Effect of the Expulsion. | 225-240 |
| A Brief Review.—Curse of God Visited Upon Spain.—TheChurch a False Prophet.—With Expulsion of the Jews andMoors Spanish Prosperity Ceases.—Spaniards Experience someof the Sufferings which the Jews and Moors hadEndured.—Spain Makes Amends.—The Moors Lost.—The Jews Live. | |
The Jews and Moors in Spain.
CHAPTER I.
A DAY IN CORDOVA.
SIX AND EIGHT AND TEN CENTURIES BACK IN THE WORLD'S HISTORY.—OUR ENTRANCE INTO SPAIN.—A MIRACLE.—THE BEAUTIFUL GUADALQUIVIR.—OUR BRONZE COMPLEXIONED OARSMAN.—FAIR CORDOVA.—THE CITY OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES.—NIGHT.—A SERENADE.—OUR DEPARTURE.
It is with the past that we shall commune in these pages. Events and scenes, beautiful and loathsome, joyous and tearful, ennobling and degrading, will follow each other in rapid succession. There will be much that, despite the very best of historic sources, and most reliable and impartial authorities, will be accepted as fabulous or will be rejected as incredible or impossible. Achievements will be described, that will startle us for their peerless magnificence and lead us to suppose that we are not dealing with facts, but with the imaginations of some rich phantasy or with the fictitious colorings of a mind enthusiastic for an ideal society; and miseries and sufferings will be depicted that will strike terror into our very soul, and cause our heart to rise in rebellion against the mind, when asked to believe them as actual occurrences, and not as some distressing and revolting and blood-stained work of fiction, written by some hellish fiend for the amusement or for the schooling of the vicious indwellers of the bottomless pit of Tophet. And yet, it will be history, and true history, strange and incredible, marvelous and anomalous though it may appear. Six and eight and ten centuries have since passed by, and the most wonderful of all centuries they have been, centuries that chronicle the birth and prodigious growth of the sciences and inventions, the creation and successful continuance of republican and constitutional governments, the breaking down of castes and barriers between man and man, the suppression of political and religious terrorism and these blessed results have so tickled our conceit, have so raised our moral standard that it is almost impossible for us to properly conceive—either in all its grandeur or in all its baseness—that era of the past, which we are about to traverse.
But know we must, and therefore, what the mind refuses to believe, and what the heart refuses to credit, let the eye see. Let us think ourselves back six and eight and ten centuries. Let us enter upon a far and distant journey. Away we speed. Far, far across the wild Atlantic. We have reached the sunny land of Spain. Here let us pause for a hasty inspection. It will not take us long, for that country, that is among the poorest of all European countries to-day, whose reeking filth has recently made it a scene of revelry to the ravishing plague, whose stupendous ignorance, and appalling superstitions, have made it a by-word among the civilized people of the earth, that country, so backward now, will certainly have no attractiveness for us, ten centuries earlier in its history.
Lo! A miracle! The magic wand of some frolicksome fay must have suddenly transformed the land of expected filth and wretchedness into a beauteous fairyland. Amidst rapturous admiration of the indescribable beauties, which meet our gaze everywhere, we glide along upon the placid surface of the Guadalquivir, in which a wondrously clear blue sky glasses itself, and splendrous palaces and gorgeous parks are reflected. We have entered beautiful Andalusia. We glide along the southern declivity of the Sierra Morena. Suddenly there breaks upon our view a scene of beauty that mocks every attempt at description. We ask our black eyed, bronze complexioned and proud featured oarsman for the name of that magnificent city that lies stretched for miles along the right bank. He understands us not. We address him in French, in German, in Greek, in Latin. No answer. We are at our wits' end. We must know, and so we seek recourse, as a last resort, to our mother tongue, the language of the Hebrews, and his face brightens, and his tongue is loosened, and in accents as melodious and pure as it must have been spoken by David himself, when he sang to his harp, the words of his own heaven-inspired psalms he makes reply: "What ye behold, ye strangers, is the city of Cordova, the government seat of the valiant and chivalrous, and scholarly and liberal, and art-loving Caliph Abderrahman III."
We are burning with a desire to see that city, whose simple outlines display such bewildering elegance. With our courteous oarsman as guide, we advance along the street that leads from the river bank. We gaze and gaze in awe-stricken silence. Amazement is expressed on every countenance. Our eyes are dazzled with the enchanting magnificence that abounds. We have reached the palace of the Caliph. Are we dreaming? Are we under the power of some magic spell? Is this a whim of some sportive, mischief-loving fay? Have we not thought ourselves some ten centuries back? Are we in the midst of the Dark Ages; in European lands, and among the people of the tenth century, concerning whose stupendous ignorance and loathsome filth historians have had so much to say? Has history deceived us in its teaching that the people of Europe, six and eight centuries back had scarcely emerged from the savage state, that they inhabited floorless, chimneyless, windowless huts, those of princes and monarchs differing only in their having rushes on the floor and straw mats against the walls, that they fed on roots and vetches and bark of trees, clothed in garments of untanned skin which remained on the body till they dropped in pieces, that there existed scarcely a city, everywhere pathless forest and howling wastes?