Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/433

407 PERSECUTIONS IN GRANADA. 407 VI. caused an Arabic vocabulary, grammar, and cate- ciiapteu chism to be compiled ; and a version in the same tongue to be made of the liturgy, comprehending the selections from the Gospels ; and proposed to extend this at some future time to the whole body of the Scriptures.'^ Thus unsealing the sacred oracles which had been hitherto shut out from their sight, he opened to them the only true sources of Christian knowledge ; and, by endeavouring to effect their conversion through the medium of their understandings, instead of seducing their imagina- tions with a vain show of ostentatious ceremonies, proposed the only method by which conversion could be sincere and permanent. These wise and benevolent measures of the good prelate, recommended, as they were, by the most exemplary purity of life, acquired him great author- ity among the Moors, who, estimating the value of the doctrine by its fruits, were well inclined to lis- ten to it, and numbers were daily added to the church.^ The progress of proselytism, however, was neces- lib. 1, cap. 21. — Pedraza, A.nti- 8 Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. guedad de Granada, ubi supra. 23. — Pedraza, Antiguedad de Gra- 7 F16chier, Hist, de Ximen6s, nada, lib. 3, cap. 10. — Marmo], p. 17. — Quintanilla, Archetypo, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. lib. 2, cap. 2. — Gomez, De Rebus 21. — Gomez, De Rebus Gestis, Gestis, fol. 32. — Oviedo, Quin- fol. 29. — " Hacia lo que predica- cuaojenas, MS. ba, e predico lo que hizo," says These tracts were published at Oviedo of the archbishop, briefly, Granada, in 1505, in the European " 6 asi fue mucho provechoso e util character, being the first books en aquella ciudad para la conver- ever printed in the Arabic Ian- sion de los Moros." Quincuage- guage according to Dr. M'Crie, nas, MS. (Reformation in Spain, p. 70,) who cites Schnurrer, Bibl. Arabica, pp. 16-18.