chains of mountains, is represented as a great plain; and many names relating to it are mis-spelled; as, for instance, Cuidad instead of Ciudad Foncas for Forcas, &c. &c. The map of Prussia is as old as the seventeenth century, without any of the modern additions and divisions! But enough of these little maps, which are only calculated to confuse or mislead children. The letter-press, we understand, is written by a Mr. Barrow, and is of a superior character to the maps. His prefatory address insinuates that the book is designed for the lady's library; but we know some ladies who are as good judges of maps as most men, and who would haughtily reject the strange compliment, which can only be seriously applied to a very youthful class of the sex. The introduction is drawn up with some know ledge and attention, but is far too astronomical for the purpose of explaining geography; and the manner strongly impresses us that the whole is derived from the common Encyclopædia. Among other instances, the author shows but little learning when he asserts, p. xxvi, that Pliny, who writes in prose, chose Dionysius, the poetical geographer, for his model; while there cannot be a greater dissimilitude than between these two authors. In the opinion of the learned Dodwell, the Periegesis of Dionysius was written in the time of Heliogabalus, more than a century after Pliny. Fabricius, indeed, ascribes him to the age of Augustus; but, in all events, there cannot be a more absurd position than that Pliny imitated this poet. We shall not stop to indicate other errors in this introduction, which is written in a confused, dull, and common-place manner, without one feature of original thought or discovery. We searched for an extract to lay before our readers, but were afraid they should suspect that we wanted to eke out our materials with a page or two from a Cyclopædia. ART. XI.-Las Guerras Civiles, or The Civil Wars of Granada; and the History of the Factions of the Zegries and Abencerrages, two noble Families of that City, to the final Conquest by Ferdinand and Isabella.. Translated from the Arabic of Abenhamin, a Native of Granada, by Ginès Perez de Hita, of Murcia; and from the Spanish by Thomas Rodd. Vol. I. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Boards. Vernor and Hood. 1801. THE Spanish original, and the old French translation of this work, are well known to literary men; and some portions have been translated into English by Dr. Percy and Mr. Pinkerton, in their collections of ancient poetry. Mr. Rodd shows a woeful unacquaintance with Spanish literature, when he asserts that it is translated from the Arabic. It is supposed to have been an original production of the pretended Spanish translator; but the Bibliotheca Hispanica of Antonio, and similar works, should have been consulted for a history of this interesting volume: yet a very slight acquaintance with Arabian literature might have convinced Mr. Rodd that such a work was wholly foreign to its very nature. In the liberality of his censures (p. 15) our translator should have known that Alpuxarra was the name of a town ruined in the commotions that he speaks of, and which gave its name to the mountains, just as the mountains of Guadarama and Toledo derive their names from a city and a village. As to the translator's taste, we believe that the public has already pronounced upon his production, as being alike vacant and insipid; so that his decisions in such matters will be slowly admitted. With equal prudence, at the end of his contents, we find an advertisement of a collection of the most ancient ballads, which is followed by an invitation to any persons to send their original productions of this nature! Upon collating a few pages of this pretended translation from the Spanish with the original, we were not surprised to find that this English is on the contrary translated from the French, with many unallowable variations. As a specimen, we shall select the first ballad. Onward then tow'rds Carthagena • Thus the country round they ravage, Tow'rds fair Vera then returning They a second council hold. • Whether they should pass by Lorca, Or the sea-coast march along, Alabez the first determines, For the Moorish host was strong. And to shew how light he priz'd it, • When in Lorca and in Murcia • Close beside the alporchones, "They are of Lorca, and of Murcia, Of no other cities they. "Save, Aledo's brave commander, Sprung of France's royal blood, Noble, and exceeding valiant, In the combat few so good. "All their steeds are stout and haughty, Mad with fury, stung with rage. "Tho' their steeds are stout and haughty, They the ramparts shall not gain, If they bravely once leap over, Great the loss we must sustain." Whilst thus eagerly discoursing, That alcayde is Faxardo. - In the first severe encounter, Alabez a place clears round him, 'Mongst the Christians makes such slaughter, 'Twas a grief the deed to see. Valiant were the Christian heroes, Nothing could resist their might, Moors they slew in such vast numbers, 'Twas a still more wond'rous sight. • With three hundred horse retiring, The poor wreck that only 'scapes, By the side of Aguderas, Now his flight Abidbar shapes. Alabez by brave Faxardo Was a hapless captive made, There his life the forfeit paid.' P. 17. The reader must ere now have judged for himself, that a more prosaic and feeble translation could not have been accomplished by any drudge in Grub-street. In the same tone is the first stanza of a very beautiful ballad. • Abenamar, Abenamar, Valiant knight of Moorish birth, The day that you were born discover'd Signs in heaven, and signs in earth.' Yet this translator speaks of taste! He also proposes to publish his verses set to music!-but who is to sing them? He informs us in a note (p. 125) that the Flemish are remarkably clever in Latin epigrams. We may say with more justice that Mr. Rodd is remarkably dull in English poetry, and that the prose is in strict harmony with the verse. How this work came to bear the title of volume I. we cannot explain, except from the translator's ignorance of the Spanish original, which lies before us, and which terminates, as this volume does, with the death of Alonzo de Aguilar. The Spanish edition (Paris 1660, Svo.) closes in the same manner. But as Mr. Rodd remains so ignorant of Spanish literature in general as to retain the strange and antiquated error that this work was first translated from the Arabic, we are the less inclined to wonder at his other mistakes. In his preface he informs us that the work consists of two volumes, both called The Civil Wars of Granada; but the events in the second volume occurred seventy-seven years after the conquest of that kingdom. by the Christians. It records the rebellion of the Moors in the Alpujaras mountains, while the first volume professes uniformly to treat only of what passed within the city of Granada. Yet our illiterate translator quotes the pretended account of the Arabian manuscript from the second volume; but refers to the present volume (p. 385) where it actually occurs. We believe that he only meaned to say that the book consists of two parts; one of them relating to the intestine divisions in the city of Granada; and the other, which is very short, to the insurrection of the Moors in the mountains of Alpujaras. But as the last, even by this translation, was terminated by king Ferdinand, it could not have happened seventy-seven years after the conquest of Granada. Thus our confused and ignorant translator has injured his own work by inserting volume I. in his titlepage; and we cannot conclude without expressing our regret |