RELIGION AND LITERATURE OF THE BARBARY STATES.
The Religion and Literature vary with the successive Inhabitants
-Superstition of the Natives-Human Sacrifices continued by
the Carthaginians-Worship of Melcarth, Astarté, and Baal-
No sacred Caste or Priesthood-Religious Rites performed by
the Chief Magistrates-Introduction of Christianity-Accom-
plished by the Arms of Rome-Different Opinions as to the Date
of Conversion and the Persons by whom it was effected-State-
ments of Salvian and Augustin-Learning and Eloquence of the
African Clergy, Tertullian, Cyprian, Lactantius, and the Bishop
of Hippo-Works of these Divines-Death of Cyprian and Au-
gustin-The Writings of the Latin Fathers chiefly valuable as a
Record of Usages, Opinions, and Discipline-Church revived
under Justinian-Invasion of the Moslem-Christian Congrega-
tions permitted to exist under the Mohammedan Rulers-Condi-
tions of Toleration-Africans gradually yield to the Seducements
of the New Faith, and the Gospel is superseded by the Koran-
Barbary States the only Country where Christianity has been to-
tally extinguished-Attempt made to restore it by the Patriarch
of Alexandria-Five Bishops sent to Kairwan-Public Profession
of the Gospel cannot be traced after the Twelfth Century-A
few Christians found at Tunis in 1533-Learning of the Arabs-
Great Exertions of Almamoun-He collects Greek Authors, and
causes them to be translated-He is imitated by the Fatimites of
Africa-Science cultivated by the Mohammedans Five Hundred
Years Their chief Studies were Mathematics, Astronomy, and
Chemistry-Their Progress in these Researches-Neglect Li-
terature, properly so called-Prospect of Improvement from the
Settlement of European Colonies in Northern Africa,...........124