Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/505

OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE 483 his two sons, Abdallah and Abdelaziz. His long triumph from Ceuta to Damascus displayed the spoils of Africa and the treasures of Spain ; four hundred Gothic nobles, with gold coronets and girdles, were distinguished in his train : and the number of male and female captives, selected for their birth or beauty, was com- puted at eighteen, or even at thirty, thousand persons. As soon as he reached Tiberias in Palestine, he was apprised of the sick- ness and danger of the caliph, by a private message from Soliman, his brother and presumptive heir ; who wished to reserve for his own reign the spectacle of victory. Had Walid recovered, the delay of Musa would have been criminal : he pursued his march, and found an enemy on the throne. In his trial before a partial judge, against a popular antagonist, he was convicted of vanity and falsehood ; and a fine of two hundred thousand pieces of gold either exhausted his poverty or proved his rapaciousness. The unworthy treatment of Tarik was revenged by a similar in- dignity ; and the veteran commander, after a public whipping, stood a whole day in the sun before the palace gate, till he obtained, a decent exile, under the pious name of a pilgrimage to Mecca, The resentment of the caliph might have been satiated with the ruin of Musa ; but his fears demanded the extir- pation of a potent and inj ured family. A sentence of death was intimated with secrecy and speed to the trusty servants of the throne both in Africa and Spain ; and the forms, if not the sub- stance, of justice were superseded in this bloody execution. In the mosch or palace of Cordova, Abdelaziz was slain by the SAvords of the conspirators ; they accused their governor of claiming the honours of royalty ; and his scandalous marriage with Egilona, the widow of Roderic, offended the prejudices both of the Christians and Moslems. By a refinement of cruelty, the head of the son was presented to the father, with an insult- ing question, whether he acknowledged the features of the rebel? " 1 know his features," he exclaimed with indignation : " I assert his innocence ; and I imprecate the same, a j uster fate, against the authors of his death." The age and despair of Musa raised him above the power of kings ; and he expired at Mecca of the anguish of a broken heart. His rival was more favourably treated ; his services were forgiven ; and Tarik was permitted to mingle with the crowd of slaves.^-^ I am ignorant whether 221 I much regret our loss, or my ignorance, of two Arabic works of the eighth century, a Life of Musa and a Poem on the exploits of Tarik. Of these authentic pieces, the former was composed by a grandson of Musa, who had escaped from