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442 THE DECLINE AND FALL liberal to his brethren. After a just tribute of praise and thanks- giving, he dropped a tear of compassion ; and, sitting down on the ground, wrote an answer, in which he mildly censured the severity of his lieutenant : " God," said the successor of the pro- phet, " has not forbidden the use of the good things of this world to faithful men, and such as have performed good works : there- fore, you ought to have given them leave to rest themselves, and partake freely of those good things which the country affordeth. If any of the Saracens have no family in Arabia, they may marry in Syria ; and, whosoever of them wants any female slaves, he may purchase as many as he hath occasion for." The conquerors prepared to use, or to abuse, this gracious permission ; but the year of their triumph was marked by a mortality of men and cattle ; and twenty-five thousand Saracens were snatched away from the possession of Syria. The death of Abu Obeidah might be lamented by the Christians ; but his brethren recollected that he was one of the ten elect whom the prophet had named as the heirs of paradise. ^^^ Caled survived his brethren about three years ; and the tomb of the Sword of God is shewn in the neighbourhood of Emesa. His valour, which founded in Arabia and Syria the empire of the caliphs, was fortified by the opinion of a special providence ; and, as long as he wore a cap which had been blessed by Mahomet, he deemed himself invulnerable amidst the darts of the infidels. Progress of The place of the first conquerors was supplied by a new gene- conq^u^rors: ration of their children and countrymen : Syria became the seat and support of the house of Ommiyah ; and the revenue, the soldiers, the ships of that powerful kingdom were consecrated to enlarge on every side the empire of the caliphs. But the Sara- cens despise a superHuity of fame ; and their historians scarcely condescend to mention the subordinate conquests which are lost in the splendour and rapidity of their victorious career. To the north of Syria, they passed mount Taurus, and reduced to their obedience the province of Cilicia,with its capital Tarsus, the ancient monument of the Assyrian kings. Beyond a second ridge of the same mountains, they spread the flame of war, rather than the light of religion, as far as the shores of the Euxine and the neigh- bourhood of Constantinople. To the east, they advanced to the los Abulfeda, Annal. Moslem, p. 73. Mahomet could artfully vary the praises of his disciples. Of Omar he was accustomed to say that, if a prophet could arise after himself, it would be Omar ; and that in a general calamity Omar would be excepted by the divine justice (Ockley, vol. i. p. 221). A.D. 639-655