and verdant grass. Many gave evidence, in fact, of so extravagant a gladness, that Xablac reproved them, as he thought, for their unbecoming mirth, saying to them, "Is it thus that you obey the wise admonitions? By Allah! profane not by these outcries the honourable place of graves." To which they replied, "Dost thou, then, not know whose grave it is that we surround ?" And he made answer, saying that he did not know.

Then said those revellers, "This sepulchre is the restingplace of Abu Aly El Hakem Alhasan Ben Heni, and from the myrtles which overshadow this grave thou shalt not depart, until thou hast offered to him thy eulogy."

"Then it was," adds the learned Xablac, "that I made certain verses which have since become sufficiently known."

In the year 385, the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor departed from Cordova to invade the territory of the Christians on the eastern frontier; he was accompanied on that occasion by the Vizier Abdelmelic Abu Meruan, a man wise in counsel and of great experience: Abulola of Mosul, and other illustrious captains, were also of his company. Almanzor's march to the frontier was performed with so much celerity, that before the Christians were made aware of his having left Cordova, he was already on their lands. But the Christians of the Albaskense Mountains and those of Gallicia had united their forces, and were assembling an innumerable multitude, which was led by Garcia Ben Sancho,* King of the Christians of the mountains, a very good cavalier.

It was not the intention of the Christians, as it would appear, to give immediate battle to the Moslemah, but only to impede their march and give time for the arrival of all the troops they expected; but they were attacked without delay by the cavalry of Almanzor, and many sanguinary skirmishes were fought with equal obstinacy on both sides. At length the Christians, having taken up a position in which they had the advantage of being sheltered by certain heights, the Hagib commanded his cavalry to retire, hoping

*In our chronicles this "Garcia Ben Sancho" is called the Conde Garcia Fernandez: "in era 1033, præserunt Mauri Conde Garcia Fernandiz, et fuit obitus ejus die 2, feria 4, Kal. Aug." These dates are exact, and are confirmed by the Arabic authorities.-Condé.

that the enemy would thus be tempted to descend into the plain.

In the evening of this day, Alhassan Said, of Bagdad, presented a stag bound with cords to Muhamad Almanzor, with a copy of verses, wherein he predicted to him the approach of victory; these were as follows:

"Thou! my sole refuge, when pale fears assail me
Thou! my sure aid in every hour of peril-
Thou! shelter of the desolate :-thine arm
Hath been my shield: on me thy hand hath poured
Blessings abundant as the rain that falls
Brightening the meads to verdure, and awaking
Blossom and plant in each rejoicing field.

And God shall be thine aid-the powers of Heaven
Shall combat with thy bands; the misbeliever
Casting before thee prone. Yet had mine eyes
Not seen thy valour, and the power supreme
Of thine all-conquering genius, this faint heart
Now leaping in my bosom, must have quailed
Before the coming perils. But I see thee!
I see thee raging through yon grove of pines,
Where, as two leopards springing on one pard,
The warriors rush to battle. Thou, great lord,
Dost banish all my fear. But for thine arm,
I, wretched creature, was the proud one's prey.
That arm of might hath saved me. Wherefore now
Permit the servant by thy grace advanced
To walk beneath thy shield, this night to offer
The stag thus bound, and not without a cause.

For this is Garcia's self. Here in these bands
Hast thou the son of Sancho!—if mine eyes
Have looked aright,-if Heaven their augury
Hath owned, then this is Garcia. With the dawn,
That soon shall brighten, comes for us the joy
Of a great day-for thee the pride of conquest.

Be gracious to thy servant; be his offering
Accepted, and his pains are overpaid.
Confusion to thy foes, renowned Almanzor!
Soon on their heads devoted mayst thou pour
The arrows of thy wrath, as rushing rain-clouds
Fall fast and heavily upon the plains.

Almanzor accepted the stag and the verses with infinite pleasure, and rejoiced much as he discoursed with his generals that night on the facility with which the prophecy of Said Abulola might be fulfilled. He decided on the

various dispositions to be made with his captains, and directed all the arrangements for the coming day. When the dawn appeared, he made his Azala, or early prayer, reviewed the warriors arrayed under the various banners of his host, and commanded that the trumpets and Anafires should give the signal for battle.

The strife commenced accordingly, with equal resolution on the part of both armies, and fearful cries of war on either side. The air was filled with a whirlwind of arrows, and thick clouds of dust arose to the skies. The leaders of the van made a show of retreating, as had been agreed on, and appeared to be yielding ground, in spite of themselves, to the might of the enemy. Then the Christians, animated by that semblance of advantage, came down from their acclivities as do impetuous torrents that descend to the plains, and their fearful vociferations caused the valleys to resound. But when the advance of the Moslemah seemed to have been thrown into disorder, and the centre appeared on the point of giving way to its terrors in all the confusion of flight, the cavalry of the rear-guard, and that of the wings of the Moslemah army, took the Christians in flank and attacked them on both sides.

The generals and cavaliers of the Infidel host fought with astonishing valour; but the courage of the multitude sinking before that unexpected onslaught, the great mass of their forces became dismayed, and, falling into disorder, the troops began to fly on all sides, pursued by the Moslemah cavalry, which made a cruel carnage among them. The number of captives taken was also very great, but was more remarkable for the quality and importance of the persons composing a large portion of those captured, than for the vast amount of the common people.

And now was seen a strange thing; for, as if Said Abulola had by his science attained to the knowledge of what the Great and Mighty God had determined in the eternal decrees of His providence, that which he had described in

his poetical augury came to pass, and his prophecy was accomplished.

Among the principal cavaliers taken captive was the King of the Christians, Garcia Ben Sancho, but he was so grievously wounded that he died a few days after the battle, notwithstanding all the cures and medicaments of the Leeches who were charged by Muhamad Almanzor to do everything which their science permitted for his cure. This memorable engagement took place on the second day of Rebie Postrera in the year 385.*

The Hagib commanded that the body of King Garcia should be placed in a richly decorated coffin, which he then wrapped in a covering of cloth of scarlet and gold, very precious. This, filled with fine aromas, he was about to send to the Christian subjects of the dead monarch, when certain cavaliers of his people arrived in the camp with great riches to ransom the body of their king; but of all those costly presents Almanzor would receive nothing.

In the moon Xawal of the same year 385, the Hagib Muhamad defeated the Christians once more; and after that engagement, the King Bermond of Galliciat sent messengers and letters bearing proposals of peace to Almanzor, who commanded Ayub Ben Amer of Gezira Saltis to return with the Christian envoys for the purpose of treating with their king, Bermond, on the part of the Moslemah.

The rains having then commenced, prevented the Hagib from continuing his enterprise, and he returned to Cordova, where he was received with great rejoicings.

When Ayub Ben Amer arrived in the capital with the conditions of peace to which he had agreed with King Bermond of Gallicia, the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor was much displeased to find that he had suffered the infidels to gain great advantages, and, conceiving certain suspicions against. Ayûb, he cast him into prison: nor could the Hagib ever be prevailed on to grant him his liberty while he lived; and it was not until after the death of Muhamad Almanzor that Ben Amer was released from his imprisonment by Abdelmelic his son.

*A.D. 995.

+ Bermudo II. of Leon.-Cond

CHAP. CI.-OF VARIOUS EVENTS THAT NOW TOOK PLACE IN SPAIN AND AFRICA.

THE friendship and good intelligence apparently existing between Zeir Ben Atia and the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor was maintained by the former in public, until the time when, inflated by his great increase of power, he began to make manifest the hatred which he had long concealed in his heart. He built and fortified the city of Wahda, surrounding it with walls, and furnishing its gates with towers; he also built a castle in the manner of a fortress. This city he peopled with inhabitants chosen from such of his people as he believed to be most devoted to his interests; and, having constituted the place a regal abode and the capital of his states, the site of it being nearly in the centre of the same, he placed in it all his riches and treasures.

In the moon Regeb of the year 384, Zeir Ben Atia completed the walls of his city; and although he had some differences with the Hagib Almanzor even while occupied with that work, yet he dissembled the anger he felt until the year 386, when Almanzor was informed that he had commanded his name to be omitted from the public prayer, and would scarcely suffer the mention of that of Hixem El Muyad Billah. It was furthermore made known to the Hagib that Zeir Ben Atia, showing no respect to the king, had despoiled of their governments not a few among those who had been appointed by Muhamad Almanzor, and had sent them to Cebta. Hearing these things, the Hagib then commanded. the general Wadha El Feti to march against Ben Atia, and that leader set forth accordingly, with a very large force of foot and horse.

In the moon Safar of the year 387, the Hagib Almanzor made an irruption on the territory of Alava, and on that occasion he divided all the booty and captives taken among his troops, not excepting even the fifth that appertained to the king; Hixem El Muyad having authorised him to do so at his departure for that expedition, in consideration of the fact that it was undertaken during the season of cold and rains.

The forces of Wahda El Feti had meanwhile arrived at Tangiers, where they were joined by some of the Cabilas