Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/394

372 THE DECLINE AND FALL feelings of human nature ; he was surprised as he wept over the daughter of Zeid. " What do I see ? " said the astonished votary. " You see," replied the apostle, " a friend who is de- ploring the loss of his most faithful friend." After the con- quest of Mecca the sovereign of Arabia affected to prevent the hostile preparations of Heraclius ; and solemnly proclaimed war against the Romans, without attempting to disguise the hard- ships and dangers of the enterprise. i^* The Moslems were dis- couraged : they alleged the want of money, or horses, or pro- visions ; the season of harvest, and the intolerable heat of the summer : " Hell is much hotter," said the indignant prophet. He disdained to compel their service ; but on his return he admonished the most guilty by an excommunication of fifty days. Their desertion enhanced the merit of Abubeker, Othman, and the faithful companions who devoted their lives and fortunes ; and Mahomet displayed his banner at the head of ten thousand horse and twenty thousand foot. Painful indeed was the dis- tress of the march ; lassitude and thirst were aggravated by the scorching and pestilential winds of the desert ; ten men rode by turns on the same camel ; and they were reduced to the shame- ful necessity of drinking the water from the belly of that useful animal. In the midway, ten days' journey from Medina and Damascus, they reposed near the grove and fountain of Tabuc. Beyond that place, Mahomet declined the prosecution of the war ; he declared himself satisfied with the peaceful intentions, he was more probably daunted by the martial array, of the emperor of the East. But the active and intrepid Caled spread around the terror of his name ; and the prophet received the submission of the tribes and cities from the Euphrates to Ailah at the head of the Red Sea. To his Christian subjects Mahomet readily granted the security of their persons, the freedom of their trade, the property of their goods, and the toleration of their worship.^*^^ The weakness of their Arabian brethren had 159 The expedition of Tabuc is recorded by our ordinary historians, Abulfeda (Vit. Moham. p. 123-127) and Gagnier (Vie de Mahomet, torn. iii. p. 147-163) ; but we have the advantage of appealing to the original evidence of the Koran (c. 9, p. 154, 165), with Sale's learned and rational notes. 160 The Diploma securitatis Ailensibus is attested by Ahmed Ben Joseph, and the author Lih>-i Splcndorum (Gagnier, Not. ad Abulfedam, p. 125) ; but Abulfeda himself, as well as Elmacin (Hist. Saracen, p. 11), though he owns Mahomet's re- gard for the Christians (p. 13), only mentions peace and tribute. In the year 1630, Sionita published at Paris the te.xt and version of Mahomet's patent in favour of the Christians ; which vias admitted and reprobated by the opposite taste of Salmasius and Grotius (Bayle, Mahomet, Rem. AA). Hottinger doubts of its authenticity (Hist. Orient, p. 237) ; Renaudot urges the consent of the Mahometans