Yonge's _Christians and Moors in Spain_ (the only popular history of this period in English of which I have heard), I cannot determine: for a glance at her pages, while exciting my admiration, showed me that her book was written so much on the lines which I had drawn for my own work that I could not read it without risk of involuntary imitation. Besides my indebtedness to the works of Dozy and Gayangos, and to the kind collaboration of Mr. Arthur Gilman, I have gratefully to acknowledge the assistance of my friend Mr. H. E. Watts, especially in matters of Spanish orthography. In conclusion, those who are inclined to infer, from the picture here given of Moorish civilization, that Mohammedanism is always on the side of culture and humanity, must turn to another volume in this series, my _Story of the Turks_, to see what Mohammedan barbarism means. The fall of Granada happened within forty years of the conquest of Constantinople; but the gain to Islam in the east made no amends for the loss to Europe in the west: the Turks were incapable of founding a second Cordova. S. L.-P. RICHMOND, SURREY, _July, 1886_. [Illustration] CONTENTS. PAGE I. THE LAST OF THE GOTHS 1 The seclusion of Ancient Arabia, 1--Change caused by the Prophet Mohammed, 2--The Saracen conquests, 3--Ceuta attacked, 4--Condition of Spain, 4-- Effects of Roman rule, 5--The Visigoths, 6--Demoralization of all classes, 7--Witiza, 8--Roderick, 8--Story of Florinda, 11--Count Julian's revenge, 11--He joins the Arabs, 12--Mūsa son of Noseyr, 12--First incursion into Spain under Tarīf, 13--Tārik's invasion, 13--The Enchanted Tower, 14--Roderick's vision, 18--Battle of the Guadalete, 20--Fate of Don Rodrigo, 21. II. THE WAVE OF CONQUEST 23 Subjugation of Spain, 23-- Capture of Cordova, Malaga, Elvira, Murcia, 24--Theodemir's stratagem, 25--Flight of the Goths, 26--Mūsa crosses over to Spain, 27--His jealousy of Tārik, and recall, 28--Invasion of Aquitaine, and capture of Narbonne, 28--Battle of Tours, 29--A boundary set to the Moorish advance by Charles Martel, 30--Charlemagne invades Spain, 33--The Pass of Roncesvalles, 34--Death of Roland, 36. III. THE PEOPLE OF ANDALUSIA 39 The limits of the Moorish territory, 39--Division between the north and the south, 40--Andalusia, 43--Condition of the people after the Conquest, 44--Taxation, 47--Moderation of the Moors, 47--State of the slaves, 48--The renegades, 49--Factions among the victors, 50--Arab tribal jealousies, 51--The Berbers or Moors proper, 52--Their superstitious character, 53--Berber insurrections in Africa and Spain, 54--Syrian Arabs come to the rescue, 55--Their settlement in Andalusia, 56. IV. A YOUNG PRETENDER 58