Ben Hud, son of Almuctadir, King of Saragossa: of all these missions he acquitted himself exceedingly well, Aben Omar knowing perfectly how to adapt himself to the tastes of the various princes with whom he had to treat of politics, and finding means to insinuate himself into the favour of all, by his craft, by the specious eloquence of his persuasions, and by the elegance of the poetical effusions, wherewith he delighted such of those rulers as he perceived to have sufficient cultivation of taste to appreciate their beauties. The Walies and principal Alcaydes of the kingdom were nevertheless often heard to murmur at the greatness of Omar, and to censure the unbounded confidence which the king reposed in this man, who was declared to obtain immense advantages for himself from every mission with which he was entrusted, and whom they furthermore accused of regarding nothing but his own personal interest, in whatever matter he treated.

At this time King Aben Abed, the Sevillian, was making cruel war on Muhamad, King of Malaga, whose cities he occupied, and whom he defeated with great loss before Baza, a city belonging to the King of Granada, which Aben Abed also took. King Muhamad was on the point of passing over into Africa for the purpose of there assembling a strong body of troops, when he was seized with fever, as some relate, and died from the violence of that malady; but others affirm that he expired suddenly when about to come forth from his bath.

Muhamad, King of Malaga, left eight sons, the eldest of whom, Alsim Almustali, was Governor of Algeria, and succeeded his father in the kingdom; but he lost the sovereignty some few years after, seeing that Aben Abed, King of Seville, did not give him one instant of repose until he had forced from his hands the cities of Malaga and Algezira, compelling Alsim Ben Muhamad to pass over into Africa with all his family.

These conquests were made by Aben Abed in the year of the Hegira 472; in that same year there was a great trembling of the earth, which was such that the sons of men had seen nothing that could justly be compared with it. earthquake destroyed many buildings, and a very large number of persons perished beneath the ruins of the same.

This

Mosques, Domes, and Alminbares, were cast to the ground; and these fearful convulsions did not cease to afflict the world, day and night, from the first day of Rebie Primera to the last of Giumada Segunda in the above-named year.

In the Moon of Dylcada of that same year the people of Toledo broke forth in rebellion against their King, Alcadir Ben Dylnoun. They put many of his Viziers to death, and slew the greater part of his guard: whereupon Alcadir left the city with his family, and fled to the Fortress of Cuneca on the borders of Valencia, the wildest and most inaccessible portion of his states.

CHAP. VIII.-TREATY BETWEEN ABEN ABED, KING OF SEVILLE, AND ALFONSO, KING OF GALLICIA. ALFONSO ENTERS THE KINGDOM OF TOLEDO, BUT RETIRES BEFORE THE KING OF BADAJOZ, WHO DIES IMMEDIATELY AFTER. TOLEDO IS TAKEN. DEATH OF OMAR.

THE insatiable ambition of Aben Abed could now find no repose but in the undertaking of new conquests, and the obtaining of yet more exalted triumphs. He sent his Vizier Aben Omar a second time with an embassy to Alfonso Ben Ferdeland, King of Gallicia, inciting that Infidel to fall on the territories of Moslemah rulers.

Abu Becar, Lord of Valencia, and the General Aben Raxic, murmured greatly at these negociations with the Christian king, which they declared to be undertaken without regard to the laws of God or the dictates of conscience; and they added that the King of Seville would end by sacrificing to his ambition not only the towns and people of Islam, but his own family; also the treacherous Aben Omar was entrusted with unlimited powers to contract that shameful alliance with Alfonso, to say nothing of the vast sums of money which that embassy could not fail to cost. in the eyes of God all the riches of the world have no more value than the wing of a fly.

But

On that occasion Aben Omar received, as a present from the Gallician King Alfonso, two precious rings formed of emeralds, the value whereof was as that of cities and castles.

Nay, the workmanship of which, to say nothing of the gold, was thought a full equivalent for the cities, the tears, and the blood: Allah alone can appreciate these things. At a word, Alfonso Ben Ferdeland was induced by Aben Omar to enter into a secret treaty with Aben Abed, King of Seville, and forgetting the generous hospitality which he had received in Toledo from its king, Almamun, father of Alcadir Yahye, he declared himself the enemy of the latter: perfidiously disregarding the alliance he had sworn to maintain with Alcadir Ben Dylnoun and his house, he now fell on the frontiers of the kingdom, cutting up the cultivated fields, laying waste the towns, driving off the flocks, and carrying the unhappy inhabitants into captivity. All this was done to promote the evil intentions of Aben Abed, King of Seville, who was thus enabled to desolate Andalusia with a cruel warfare at his leisure, which he did with free and unembarrassed hands, while his Christian ally was ravaging the homes of the Moslemah as hath been said. Thus did Aben Abed persist in extending his states and raising the lofty towers of his ambition upon the ruins of all other Moslemah princes.

The King of Saragossa, even Abed Abu Giafar Almanzor Almuctadir Billah, was meanwhile preparing diligently to march in aid of Alcadir Yahye; but the inimical Fates cut short his glorious steps, and he died before he could accomplish that laudable purpose. The decease of Ahmed Abu Giafar Almanzor took place in the year 474, when he departed to receive that eternal rest which was the due reward of his labours in this world. His son, Jusuf Abu Amer Almutamen, was proclaimed in his place, and the people of Saragossa swore obedience to his will in the moon of Giumada Primera of that year.

This prince found himself involved in perpetual wars on his frontiers. He proved his valour and the ardour of his zeal for Islam in the terrible battles of Lerida and Huesca, where, with forty thousand men, he gave to the sight of the sun the most horrible spectacle that can be presented by the fierce children of war, seeing that in a few short hours he caused the streams of the Hersera and the Zinga to overflow with the blood of the slain.

The oppressed King, Yahye of Toledo, now sent his

VOL. II.

messengers to the King of Badajoz, even Yahye Ben Alaftas, called Almanzor, entreating him to come to his aid and be his protector, when that noble sovereign congregated his Alcaides without delay, and, accompanied by a select body of cavalry, crossed with hasty marches the plains that are watered by the Guadiana and the Tagus. The fame of his arrival alone sufficed to compel Alfonso Ben Ferdeland of Gallicia to break up his camp and return to his home; but he laid waste and destroyed the whole land as he passed, carrying off the unfortunate dwellers in the same, with their flocks and other possessions. By the opportune aid thus afforded to the King of Toledo, and the glorious victory obtained by the mere sound of his approach, the King Alaftas fully proved himself to merit the august title, Almanzor, with which his people had endowed him, and, well content with the result, he returned to his own frontiers.

The King Yahye Alaftas then entered Merida with his forces, and was there reposing from the fatigues of the march, when Death, who so ruthlessly cuts short all the delights of this world, disappointing and rendering nugatory the very fairest hopes, fell upon him with unexpected haste, and translated him thence to the Alcazars and eternal dwellings of the after-life.

The people of Ben Alaftas mourned his loss, because he was a good king, and all the more did they lament him since he had not left them the consolation of a successor chosen by his voice. Under these circumstances, therefore, the younger brother of Almanzor, Muhamad Omar Almetuakil,* was placed on the throne. He was then in Zabore, which was his appanage, but finding that the sovereignty of the whole Algarve was now united in his person, Muhamad Omar instantly repaired to Badajoz, leaving Zabora and its Comarcas to the government of his son Alabas Aben Omar. King Omar Almetuakil was a judicious and very learned man; in his youth he had distinguished himself by the most brilliant valour in war, and was no less remarkable for the humanity and justice with which he had governed those committed to his care in time of peace. And as he had given his Waliate of Zabora to his elder son, Alabas Aben

*Fortunate conqueror and protector.

Omar, so did he now confer that of Merida on his younger son, Alfadal Aben Omar. This prince, who was a just and moderate ruler, carefully imitated the virtues of his father, Muhamad Omar, and his brother Alabas,-all three being noble sovereigns, and worthy of a better fate than that which had been inscribed for them on the indelible tablets of destiny.

While Alfonso Ben Ferdeland, King of the Christians, had thus been making a devastating war against Toledo and its king, Alcadir Yahye, the King of Seville, even Muhamad Ben Muhamad Aben Ismail Aben Abed, had by that means found leisure to extend his dominions widely in the direction of Jaen, and among other places had obtained possession of Ubeda, Baeza and Martos. He now, therefore, conferred the government of Seville on his eldest son, Obeidallah Araxid, called the Cadi, because he held the charge of Cadilcoda in the Mexuar or council of that city. Obeidallah Araxid was a singularly erudite prince, and a great poet as well as accomplished musician: he sounded the lute and other instruments to admiration, and sang his own compositions with a voice of wonderful beauty. On each Thursday of the year he invited the Alfakis and learned men, with all of distinguished genius, to his house, where he entertained them splendidly. To his father, Aben Abed, he gave no less than forty-seven grandsons, the children of his various wives. His Prefect of Justice, or Cadilcoda, was the Faki of the Mexuar, Abu Muhamad Abdallah Ben Gebir Lahmi, and when that wise man departed this life, Obeidallah Arraxid gave the prefecture to Abul Casim Ahmed Ben Mantur Alkisi. He likewise conferred the government of Algezira Alhadra on his son Yezid Ben Muhamad Arradi, who was called Abu Chalid. This Prince Yezid was the twin-brother* of Abed Alfetah and Obeidallah Almoated, or rather, he was one of three, for the consort of Obeidallah Arraxid, who was called Otamida, had presented him with all those three sons at one birth. He had, indeed, also had another son, who was the child of the same mother, and eldest of all his children; he was called Abed Serag Dola,

* The original is here, Mellizo, one of three, and not Gemelo, twin; but as we have no exact equivalent for Mellizo, the passage has been rendered by a slight paraphrase, as above.-TR.