physical and mathematical sciences. 103

the critic and the grammarian had to apply their skill,before the curiosity of the geometrical or astronomicalstudent could be gratified. This must, under any cir-cumstances, have been a long and laborious task ; andpeculiarly so in those ages, when so little assistance orencouragement could be looked for in any quarter; orrather, when every thing seemed to wear an aspect hos-tile to the prosecution of such labours.

The dominion of the Moors in Spain (which com-menced in 713) appears to have been one principalchannel through which the science of the East found itsway into modern Europe . After the Greek languagehad ceased to be known in the West, the translations ofthe ancient mathematicians into Arabic , which were in-troduced into the Moorish universities of Spain , becameknown to many who were totally unacquainted with theGreek originals. The crusades, also, probably had theirshare in conveying some portions of the science of theSaracens into the West. These oriental works, in mostinstances, were translated again into Latin ; and throughthis channel alone many of them were known for ages,when modern research discovered the Greek originals.Of some, also, the originals have never yet been found.

Some improvement in the state of knowledge andtaste was, however, gradually evinced; and, as the dif-ficulties were diminished which stood in the way ofacquiring a knowledge of the ancient authors, the num-ber of those who had their curiosity awakened to thesubject increased. To study these writings with profit,and to enter fully into the spirit of the ancient geometers,required minds already somewhat cultivated, and tasteconsiderably superior to what had been generally pre-valent in those ages. But the perusal of these workshad a tendency to create such a taste, and to confer suchskill; and thus, by a gradual reaction, the study of theserecords produced men of more enlightened, notions, andmore awakened intelligence, who were soon able to cor-rect the faults of the manuscripts they copied, and toexplain the difficulties of the authors they translated.h 4