the clothes they had, they would have been very glad of more; for they met with nothing amongst the mountains but frost and snow, of which their bodies, habituated to the warmth of a torrid zone, were extremely sensitive. After marching a long way, they came to a village, but finding nobody in it (for everywhere the inhabitants fled before them), they seized whatever there was in it worth taking, and moved forwards. At last they took a prisoner, who informed them that not more than three leagues off there was a body of the emperor's troops thirty thousand strong, which had been sent to guard that part of the country. They asked him whether it was most advisable to advance towards them, or to stand their ground where they then were. To which he replied, "That it was better for them to stay where they were, than to hazard themselves by going any further among the mountains." The Saracens, having examined him on this head as long as they thought fit, offered him the Mohammedan religion, and when he refused it, cut off his head. In a short time the Greeks came within sight, and the battle was joined. Meisarah, overpowered with multitudes, was soon surrounded. However he sent to Abu Obeidah a messenger, who made such haste, that when he came into the general's presence he was not able to speak a word, but fell down in a swoon. Abu Obeidah having caused some water to be sprinkled on his face, and refreshed him with meat and drink, he came to himself, and delivered his errand. Upon which Abu Obeidah sent Kaled to Meisarah's assistance, with three thousand horse, and after him Ayad Ebn Ganam with two thousand more. But before they came up, Abdallah Ebn Hodafa, a Saracen of note, and much beloved by the caliph, was taken prisoner, and sent away towards Constantinople. Greeks, being aware of the arrival of this fresh reinforcement to the Saracens, did not think it prudent to hazard another battle the next day, but withdrew in the night, leaving their tents to their enemies. The Saracens too, deeming it imprudent to pursue the enemy any further in that mountainous country, returned to Abu Obeidah, who, writing an account of the whole business to Medina, the caliph was extremely concerned at the loss of Abdallah Ebn Hodafa, which occasioned his writing the following letter to the Emperor Heraclius. The "In the name of the most merciful God. "Praise be to God,* Lord of this and the other world;† who has neither female consort nor son. And the blessing of God be upon Mohammed, his prophet and apostle divinely assisted.§ From the servant of God, Omar Ebn Al Khattab to Heraclius king of Greece. As soon as this letter of mine shall come to thy hands, send to me the prisoner that is with thee, whose name is Abdallah Ebn Hodafa: which if thou shalt do, I shall hope that God will direct thee into the right way. But if thou refusest, I shall send thee men ¶ whom trade and merchandize shall not divert from the remembrance of God. Health and happiness** be upon every one that follows the right way." We do not question but the reader will think this letter written in a very odd style; but it is no other than was to be expected from those most inveterate and mortal enemies of Christianity, who always made it their business to treat its professors with the utmost contempt and aversion. This prisoner, Abdallah Ebn Hodafa was Mohammed's cousingerman. Our author tells us, that the emperor held out to him great inducements to renounce Mohammedanism; but all in vain. Nor were his threats more influential than his promises. It seems he offered him his liberty, if he would but have made one single adoration before a crucifix. The emperor tried to persuade him to drink wine, and eat hog's flesh; and when he refused, he was shut up in a room with no other food. Upon the fourth day they visited him, and found all untouched. The emperor asked him, what hindered him from eating and drinking? To which he answered, “The fear of God and his apostle. Notwithstanding," added he, “I might lawfully have eaten it after three days' abstinence, yet I abstained because I would not be reproached by the Mussulmans." Heraclius, having received Omar's letter, not only dismissed the prisoner, but gave both him and the messenger that brought the letter several presents and rich clothes, and appointed them a sufficient guard to conduct them in safety Koran, chap. i. 1. Arab. "Sahhibah." * That is, into the profession of the +Ib. chap. lxxii. 3. through his territories. Moreover, he made a present of a costly jewel to Omar, who offered it to the jewellers at Medina; but they were ignorant of the worth of it. The Mussulmans would have persuaded him to keep it for his own use; but he said, that would be more than he could answer for to the public. Wherefore it was afterwards sold, and the price of it put into the public treasury; of which, in these days, the caliph was only the steward or manager. For though it was all at his disposal, yet he very seldom applied any of it to his own private use, much less to extravagance and luxury; but took care to lay it out so as to do most service to the public. We have before acquainted the reader, that after Omar had taken Jerusalem, he divided the army, and having sent one part of it under Abu Obeidah, towards Aleppo, despatched the other under Amrou Ebn Al Aas to Egypt. Amrou did not march directly to Egypt, but continued a while in Palestine, in order to reduce some places there which as yet held out. As he was marching towards Cæsarea, the Saracens found the weather extremely cold. Sobeih Ebn Hamzah, eating some grapes at that time, was so chilled, that he was scarce able to endure it. An old Christian who happened to be present, told him, that if he found himself cold with eating the grapes, the best remedy would be to drink some of the juice of them, and withal produced a large vessel of wine. Sobeih and some of his friends took the old man's advice, and drank so freely of his liquor, that they went staggering to the army. Amrou, understanding their condition, wrote about it to Abu Obeidah; by whose order they all received a certain number of stripes upon the soles of their feet. The refreshment they received by drinking the wine, was, in their opinion, so far from counter-balancing the severity of the punishment, that Sobeih swore he would kill the fellow that led him to it. And he would have been as good as his word, if one that was present had not told him, that the man was under the protection of the Saracens. Constantine, the emperor Heraclius's son, guarded thạt part of the country where Amrou lay, with a considerable army; and frequently sent spies (Christian Arabs) into his camp. One of them went one time and sat down amongst some Arabs of Ayaman, or Arabia Felix, who had made were the next day beheaded in the sight of the Saracen army. Upon this Youkinna ventured once more to send out another party, having received information from one of his spies (most of which were Christian Arabs) that some of the Mussulmans were gone out to forage. They fell upon the Mussulmans, killed a hundred and thirty of them, and seized all their camels, mules, and horses, which they either killed or hamstrung, and then they retired into the mountains, in hopes of lying hid during the day, and returning to the castle in the silence of the night. In the meantime, some that had escaped brought the news to Abu Obeidah, who sent Kaled and Derar to pursue the Christians. Coming to the place of the fight, they found their men and camels dead, and the country people making great lamentation, for they were afraid lest the Saracens should suspect them of treachery, and revenge upon them their loss. Falling down before Kaled, they told him they were altogether innocent, and had not in any way, either directly or indirectly, been instrumental in the attack; but that it was made solely by a party of horse that sallied from the castle. Kaled, having made them swear that they knew nothing more, and taking some of them for guides, closely watched the only passage by which the sallying party could return to the castle. When about a fourth part of the night was passed, they perceived Youkinna's men approaching, and falling upon them, took three hundred prisoners, and killed the rest. The prisoners begged to be allowed to ransom themselves, but they were all beheaded the next morning in front of the castle. The Saracens pressed the siege for a while very closely, but perceiving that they made no way, Abu Obeidah removed the camp about a mile's distance from the castle, hoping by this means to tempt the besieged to security and negligence in their watch, which might eventually afford him an opportunity of taking the castle by surprise. But all would not do, for Youkinna kept a very strict watch, and suffered not a man to stir out. Abu Obeidah thought that there might be some Christian spies in the army, whereupon he and Kaled walked through the camp, to see if they could discover any suspicious persons. At last Kaled observed a man sitting with a vest before him, which he turned first on the one side and then on the other. Kaled stepped to him, and asked him what tribe he was of. The fellow intended to have named another tribe, but being surprised, and having the question suddenly put to him, the truth slipped out of his mouth, and he answered, “Of Gussan." Sayest thou so?" answered Kaled, "thou enemy of God, thou art a Christian Arab, and a spy," and seized him. The fellow said that he was not, but a Mussulman. Kaled carried him to Abu Obeidah, who bade him examine him in the Koran, and made him say his prayers. But the poor fellow had not one word to say for himself, being altogether ignorant of those things. Upon which, without much arguing, he confessed himself a spy, saying that he was not alone, but there were three of them in all, but that two had returned to the castle. Abu Obeidah bade him take his choice between Mohammedanism or death, and he readily embraced the former. The siege continued four months, and some say five. In the meantime Omar was very much concerned, having heard nothing from the camp in Syria. He wrote, therefore, to Abu Obeidah, letting him know how tender he was over the Mussulmans, and what a great grief it was to him to hear no news of them for so long time. Abu Obeidah answered, that Kinnisrin, Hader, and Aleppo were surrendered to him, only the castle of Aleppo held out, and that they had lost a considerable number of men before it. That he had some thoughts of raising the siege, and passing forwards into that part of the country which lies between Aleppo and Antioch; but only he stayed for his answer. About the time that Abu Obeidah's messengers reached Medina, there also arrived a considerable number of men out of the several tribes of the Arabs, to proffer their service to the caliph. Omar ordered seventy camels to help their foot, and despatched them into Syria, with a letter to Abu Obeidah, in which he acquainted him "That he was variously affected, according to the different success they had met, but charged them by no means to raise the siege of the castle, for that would make them look little, and encourage their enemies to fall upon them on all sides. Wherefore," adds he, "continue besieging it till God shall determine the event, and forage with your horse round about the country." Among those fresh supplies which Omar had just sent to the Saracen camp, there was a very remarkable man, whose |