king was most of all displeased with the Wali of Seville, and desiring to make such an example of him as might serve for the warning of the rest, he commanded his Alcaides of Xerez and Malaga to unite their cavalry and foot-soldiers with those of Sidonia and Arcos; which done, they were ordered to direct their march on Seville: King Yahye Ben Aly, with the cavalry and other troops of Cordova, also preparing to join them."

And here it will be proper to say who was that Wali of Seville, and what were his parentage and condition, with the qualities of the man. Muhamad Ben Ismail Ben Ahmed El Lahmi, called Abulcasim, had been Cadi of Seville during the short reign of Alcasim Ben Hamud, when his prudence and sagacity enabled him to obtain all he desired from that king, who made him governor of the province : but, in return for that benefit, when Alcasim departed from Cordova in the year 413, Mohamad Ben Ismail seized the sovereignty of the district as the independent possession of himself and his posterity.

Abu Rafe relates that this Muhamad was the son of Ismael Ben Muhamad Ben Ismail Ben Coraix Ben Abed Ben Amer Ben Aslam Ben Amer Ben Itaf Ben Naim, and he adds that Itaf and Naim came into Spain at the time when Baleg Ben Baxir El Coraixi made his descent on the country. Itaf was of Hemesa, in Syria, and of the tribe of Lahmi: he had his origin from Alaris, a village situate on the confines of Algifer, which is between Egypt and Syria. Having arrived in Spain, Itaf established himself at Čaria Jumin, in the district of Taxena and jurisdiction of Seville, a place situate on the shore of the Great River. Others say that this race was of the sons of Nooman Ben Almondhir Ben Measemai, and add that they prided themselves much on their nobility, the illustrious antiquity of which has been often sung in melodious numbers, as may be seen in the eulogies and verses of many ingenious poets and men of letters, in those written by Aben Lebana among ́ others.

Abu Meruan Ben Hayan tells us that the father of Muhamad, Wali of Seville, was Ismael Aben Abed, a man greatly distinguished for prudence, and possessing much influence both before and after the commencement of the

civil war. He exercised considerable authority in the city and Comarca of Seville, and being very wealthy, lived in a state of pomp and ostentation but slightly differing from that affected by kings. No private cavalier of Andalusia could equal him in that respect, nor had any so vast a number of servants as those which formed the household of Ismail Aben Abed. He was very liberal moreover, and received to the shelter of his roof not a few of the most illustrious exiles and banished nobles of Cordova, at times of public calamities, which were then but too frequent, and when civil discords were kindled in the capital. This Ismail is furthermore described as a crafty person, but one of considerable erudition: he was also a good cavalier, of very firm mind and much apparent wisdom, but in effect one who always contrived to attain his ends with certainty and security. He brought up his son Muhamad in the same cautious policy, and taught him to overcome the greatest difficulties.

When Muhamad Ben Ismail was informed that the King Yahye Ben Aly was marching against him, he placed a body of the cavalry of Seville and Carmona in ambush at a convenient point, with orders to sally forth when the occasion should present itself. Muhamad himself, with other forces of foot and horse, advanced to meet King Yahye, when the light companies of Cordova had several skirmishes with those of Seville, and after a certain time the hosts of both the contending parties came into presence. The troops of Muhamad soon began to yield ground, yet doing so by little and little only, according to a stratagem determined on by their leader, and as men who were making their best efforts to avoid that necessity, until at length they feigned a retreat which ended in a seeming defeat and disorderly flight. But when they had brought the men of Cordova so far in pursuit as to be within the ambush mentioned above, the forces of Muhamad turned with great impetuosity on their supposed victors, and this ambush also bursting forth from its hidingplace, the troops of King Yahye were surrounded. prince himself, fighting in the hottest of the battle, was pierced through and through by a lance which nailed him to the saddle, and receiving other wounds at the same time, he fell dead from his horse.

That

Such was the unhappy fate of that good king, whose virtues promised a happy reign. The battle in which he lost his life was fought on the 7th day of the moon Muharram, in the year 417. His head was cut off by command of Muhamad Ismail, who sent it to Seville, with the news of his victory, while the cavaliers of Cordova and the people of Malaga retired mournful and vanquished from the field.

CHAP. CXVII.-OF THE REIGN OF HIXEM EL MOTAD BILLAH.

WHEN the intelligence of that unfortunate battle, and of the death of Yahye Ben Aly, reached Cordova, all the honourable men of the city were much grieved thereby, seeing that the well-founded hopes which they had conceived from the known prudence and justice of that hapless prince were thus destroyed. The Divan immediately assembled, and by the influence of Abilhezami Ben Gehwar, Vizier of the city, and that of the Alameri cavaliers, the Walies were induced to proclaim for their king and lord Hixem Ben Muhamad Ben Abdelmelic Ben Abderahman Anasir, a great grandson of that illustrious sovereign, namely, and brother to the excellent King Abderahman Almortadi. This Hixem was then living in retirement at a fortress called Ham Albonte, the Alcaide of which was Abdallah Ben Casim El Fehri.

The choice thus made was applauded by the people, and the new king was proclaimed with demonstrations of the most sincere gladness, under the title of El Motad Billah. This happened at the end of the moon of Rebie Primera, in the year 417. Hixem Ben Muhamad was born in the year 364; the mother who bore him was named Oneiza, and he had a brother called El Mortadi, who was four years his junior. He sent his messengers to announce that voluntary election made by the council and the people of Cordova; and being a wise and moderate man, he gave no evidence of rejoicing in his sudden elevation to the throne, but on the contrary was manifestly reluctant to exchange the

security and peace of his retirement for the cares of a perilous command.

His reply to the envoys who announced his election was to that effect: he admitted that the love of the people of Cordova to his family, and their good will to his person, were very gratifying, but added, that he was not prepared to take on his shoulders the heavy charge of the government; nor was it until after some days of diffident reluctance that Hixem Ben Muhamad yielded to the entreaties of those who had elected him, and accepted the crown. Nay, even after he had done so, the new monarch, remaining doubtful of the inconstant people to whom he was unknown, made a long delay before he could be prevailed on to repair to Cordova, and continued on the frontier, having taken the command of the troops then occupied in the defence of the same. This was the only pretext by which Hixem could justify his absence from the capital. He fought against the Infidels with various fortune, seeking to drive them back within their ancient limits, which they had overpassed on the frontier of eastern Spain, as well as on that of Gallicia and Castile; those misbelievers being tempted to that intrusion by the opportunities which the civil discords of the Moslemah had so long afforded them.

On this occasion the king had done much honour to a very wise and learned man, the Alcaide Hixem Ben Muhamad Ben Hilel El Caisi, of Toledo, who had been the disciple of sages distinguished as Aben Abdus and El Chuzeni. This Alcaide was as remarkable for his bravery as for the excellence of his life and the austere piety of his conduct. He fasted with the utmost rigour, and celebrated the Idalfitra or Easter of the close of Ramazan, with his Rabitos or frontier-knights* in the most splendid manner,

These Rabitos, or Moslemah knights of the frontier, professed extraordinary austerity of life, and devoted themselves voluntarily to the continual exercise of arms. They bound themselves by a vow to defend the frontier from the Christians; and all these cavaliers were of high distinction. Of the most surprising constancy in the fatigues of war, they were not permitted by their rules to fly before the enemy, but were held by their vows to fight and die without moving from the point they defended. It appears highly probable that from these Rabitos pro

expending all his savings of the year in feasting the troops of his fortress on that day.

The vestments of the Alcaide Hixem were very simple, and his food was of the most frugal kind: he had passed his whole life on the frontier, but died soon after the departure of the king, who had himself remained there three years all but two months, at the end of which time the Vizier Abul Huzam Gehwar wrote entreating him to delay no longer, but at once to appear in his capital, where the people, greatly desiring to behold their king, and unquiet at his protracted absence, were becoming discontented.

Abul Huzam added, that from the light discourses and complaints of the populace, the seditious were already taking occasion to foment discords, which might easily become the pretext for serious commotions; that the Governors or Walies of the provinces in the interior of the kingdom were openly manifesting their intention of rendering themselves independent, winning over to their interests the hearts of the people, whom they ruled by the seeming blandness and equity of their government, and were meanwhile acting on all occasions in the manner of absolute sovereigns, not permitting that the contributions or revenues of their provinces should be sent to the capital.

On receiving these advices, King Hixem Ben Muhamad departed from the frontier, and repaired with much dilgence to Cordova, making his entrance into that city on the 8th day of the moon Dylhagia, in the year 420. He was received with all possible demonstrations of gladness, and, surrounded with an innumerable concourse of people, proceeded to his Alcazar. Nor did any long time elapse before the cordial kindness of his manner, his gentle and generous treatment of all who approached him, and the attention he paid to the upright administration of justice, had wholly gained the hearts of the citizens; while the repose that succeeded his arrival repressed the wicked hopes of those who were expecting new revolts, and laid the needful restraint upon their enterprises, calming at the same time the ceeded the Military Orders of Spain, as well as those of the East-all so renowned for their bravery and for the services they rendered to Christianity. The rules of both institutions have much similarity. -Condé..