Theycultivatedwithmoresuccessthesublimescienceofastronomy，whichelevatesthemindofmantodisdainhisdiminutiveplanetandmomentaryexistence。ThecostlyinstrumentsofobservationweresuppliedbythecaliphAlmamon，andthelandoftheChaldaeansstillaffordedthesamespaciouslevel，thesameuncloudedhorizon。IntheplainsofSinaar，andasecondtimeinthoseofCufa，hismathematiciansaccuratelymeasuredadegreeofthegreatcircleoftheearth，anddeterminedattwenty—fourthousandmilestheentirecircumferenceofourglobe。^61FromthereignoftheAbbassidestothatofthegrandchildrenofTamerlane，thestars，withouttheaidofglasses，werediligentlyobserved；andtheastronomicaltablesofBagdad，Spain，andSamarcand，^62correctsomeminuteerrors，withoutdaringtorenouncethehypothesisofPtolemy，withoutadvancingasteptowardsthediscoveryofthesolarsystem。IntheEasterncourts，thetruthsofsciencecouldberecommendedonlybyignoranceandfolly，andtheastronomerwouldhavebeendisregarded，hadhenotdebasedhiswisdomorhonestybythevainpredictionsofastrology。^63Butinthescienceofmedicine，theArabianshavebeendeservedlyapplauded。ThenamesofMesuaandGeber，ofRazisandAvicenna，arerankedwiththeGrecianmasters；inthecityofBagdad，eighthundredandsixtyphysicianswerelicensedtoexercisetheirlucrativeprofession:

　　^64inSpain，thelifeoftheCatholicprinceswasintrustedtotheskilloftheSaracens，^65andtheschoolofSalerno，theirlegitimateoffspring，revivedinItalyandEuropethepreceptsofthehealingart。^66Thesuccessofeachprofessormusthavebeeninfluencedbypersonalandaccidentalcauses；butwemayformalessfancifulestimateoftheirgeneralknowledgeofanatomy，^67

　　botany，^68andchemistry，^69thethreefoldbasisoftheirtheoryandpractice。AsuperstitiousreverenceforthedeadconfinedboththeGreeksandtheArabianstothedissectionofapesandquadrupeds；themoresolidandvisiblepartswereknowninthetimeofGalen，andthefinerscrutinyofthehumanframewasreservedforthemicroscopeandtheinjectionsofmodernartists。Botanyisanactivescience，andthediscoveriesofthetorridzonemightenrichtheherbalofDioscorideswithtwothousandplants。SometraditionaryknowledgemightbesecretedinthetemplesandmonasteriesofEgypt；muchusefulexperiencehadbeenacquiredinthepracticeofartsandmanufactures；butthescienceofchemistryowesitsoriginandimprovementtotheindustryoftheSaracens。Theyfirstinventedandnamedthealembicforthepurposesofdistillation，analyzedthesubstancesofthethreekingdomsofnature，triedthedistinctionandaffinitiesofalcalisandacids，andconvertedthepoisonousmineralsintosoftandsalutarymedicines。ButthemosteagersearchofArabianchemistrywasthetransmutationofmetals，andtheelixirofimmortalhealth:thereasonandthefortunesofthousandswereevaporatedinthecruciblesofalchemy，andtheconsummationofthegreatworkwaspromotedbytheworthyaidofmystery，fable，andsuperstition。

　　[Footnote55:TheArabiccatalogueoftheEscurialwillgiveajustideaoftheproportionoftheclasses。InthelibraryofCairo，theMssofastronomyandmedicineamountedto6500，withtwofairglobes，theoneofbrass，theotherofsilver，Bibliot。

　　Arab。Hisp。tom。i。p。417。]

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