dom, which has been more than once reprinted in modern times. He, also, was the author of a collection of the wise sayings of Grecian and Mahommedan philosophers, in Arabic, called a Cabinet of Rubies; besides other works. At the same time, flourished R. Isaac Ben Giath, commonly known by the name of Abengiad, the son of the Joseph Halevi above referred to. On him the title of Rab Nagid was conferred-the head and judge of the Spanish Jews. He wrote, it is said, several languages, and Greek especially, with classical purity. His most renowned compositions are hymns, songs, and short poems, of which a copy of the most celebrated, the Festive Hymn, exists in the Bodleian library. In the following century flourished Abenezra, to whose name his countrymen have attached the title of Chacam, (the Wise.) His works are voluminous and various; embracing history, philosophy, medicine, grammar, theology, and poetry. He was born at Toledo in 1119. He passed the greater part of his life in travelling for the acquisition of knowledge, and died at Rhodes in 1194. His poetical compositions are, Life to the restored Son-Song for the Soul-On the Kingdom of HeavenOn the Name (of God), and Ground of Fear. The last has been printed both at Constantinople and Venice. He also wrote a poem on the Game of Chess, of which Thomas Hyde published a Latin translation in 8vo. (with the original) at Oxford, in 1694. Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides) was his contemporary and friend. Of the Jewish writers since the time of Josephus, probably none is so much distinguished as Maimonides. Eichorn seems disposed to give him the very first rank; and Scaliger says of him, "Primus fuit inter Hebræos qui nugare desiit." Hebrew, Chaldee, Greek, and Arabic, he employed with equal facility. His writings embrace a singular variety of subjects, and have given birth to some of the best productions of the best of modern Hebrew scholars. Among our countrymen, different parts of his works have been translated by Pococke, Prideaux, and Clavering. He has been eulogized by Selden, and was almost worshipped by Aboab. Justiniani thus writes of him: "Fuit auctor iste candidus, minimeque superstitiosus; plus certe veritati addictus quam næniis importunis neotericorum Judæorum.-Percipies porro illum quæ sunt religionis religiose, quæ philosophica philosophice, quæ Talmudica talmudice: ac demum quæ sunt divina divine tractare." He died in Egypt, A.D. 70, and was buried in Galilee. The year of his death was long called by the Jews, lamentum lamentabile. Moses Gekatilah, a Jewish poet of Cordoba, living at this period, (of whose compositions in verse nothing has come down to us,) is much celebrated by contemporary writers. To this epoch belongs Benjamin of Tudela, the traveller, of whose Itinerary sixteen editions had been published between 1543 and 1745; we know not how many since. If he really existed and visited the places he speaks of, he must have been a most careless observer. Distances, dates, names, places, and events, are introduced in direst confusion; and yet he has collected together such a variety of circumstances, then hardly accessible to any but an eye-witness, that we cannot throw aside his book as wholly unauthentic. David Kimki, the renowned Hebrew grammarian; his brother, Moses Kimki; and his father, Joseph Kimki, the poet, whose collection of sacred songs is mentioned by Wolfius; all belong to this period. In the thirteenth century, a Jew, called Isaac Ben Said, formed the Alfonsine tables, under the patronage of Alonso the Wise. Anbonet Abraham, who was called the Jewish Cicero, lived also at this time. His Bechinad Holam (Examination of the World) is thus spoken of by Buxtorf: " Liber insignis, tam quoad res, quam quoad verba. Agit de vanitate mundi contemnenda, et quærendo regno Dei. Id verbis tam eloquenter, politè, & doctè effert, ut eloquentissimus habeatur, quisquis stylum ejus imitatur." Many of his other writings are distinguished for their puerilities. In his Oration, every word begins with M; other poetry there is, of which every verse forms an anagram of his name. He, as well as Abenezra, wrote a poem in praise of the game of chess, which was also translated into Latin by Hyde, though the name of the author was unknown to the Latin translator. In the fourteenth century, R. Sem Tob de Carrion (a converted Jew) was one of the most distinguished Trobadores of his time. His Dance of Death is introduced by the following prologue: "Here begins the general dance, in which it is shown how Death gives advice to all, that they should take due account of the brevity of life, and not to value it more highly than it deserves: and this he orders and requires, that they see and hear attentively what wise preachers tell them and warn them from day to day, giving them good and wholesome counsel, that they labor in doing good works to obtain pardon of their sins, and showing them by experience; who, he says, calls and requires from all classes, whether they come willingly or unwillingly and thus beginning." Death says: "Lo, I am Death-with aim as sure as steady, VOL. III. PART II. I pull the string-Thou liest in dust below, Smitten by the barb my minist'ring angels bear me. The poet goes on through several stanzas like this, and introduces a preacher who gives excellent advice to his hearers, encouraging them to reform their vicious courses, while Death gives authority and strength to his counsel, by telling them, that he shall soon cut the thread of their existence, and thus concludes the prologue: "Come to the dance of Death-come hither even The last, the lowliest-of all rank and station; I hold no parley with disinclination! List to yon friar who preaches of salvation, For who delays-who lingers-he is lost Death is afterwards introduced, inviting an individual to his dance, who complains bitterly of being introduced into it. Death goes on summoning all ranks, beginning with popes, and descending through cardinals, patriarchs, kings, bishops, prelates, lords, monks, down to shopkeepers and laborers. One stanza is this: "I to my dance-my mortal dance-have brought "Jo so la muerte çierta à todas criaturas +"A la dança mortal venit los nascidos They listen'd, fear-struck, to my songs, methought, They are my brides-their bridal bed the tomb." The poem thus concludes: "And since 'tis certain then that we must die, Even then shall hope and joy our footsteps bless."+ Besides this work, another, written in the same measure, is attributed to this author. It is the relation of a vision seen by a holy hermit when praying. A corpse is introduced, putrified, with worms devouring it, and behind it is something in the form of a white bird, which represents the disembodied soul; the latter hurls the most dreadful curses at the decaying body, which are again retorted, each accusing the other of having caused its eternal damnation. Of Solomon Halevi, (born in Burgos in 1350,) who, having *“A esta mi dança traxe de presente a oyr mis canciones que son dolorosas +"Pues que asy es que a morir avemos nos meta en su corro en qualquier comedio." been converted to Christianity, is better known by the name of ""Twas my delight to sit with him While from his lips a richer stream How sweet to slake my thirst with him!"* Having brought the literary history of the Spanish Jews down to the end of the fourteenth century, and finding that the matter which now crowds upon us will make it impossible for us to condense what remains to be said on this head into this paper, we shall defer the rest to another article, when we shall again "La moral ssabiduria Oy perdieron vn notable La yedra sso cuyas ramas el laurel que aquellas flamas |