The affairs of Almagreb having been thus quietly settled, Muhamad Almanzor renewed his incursions on the territory of Gallicia, even before the year 375 had closed. He devastated the Comarcas, laid siege to Medina Coyanca, which he took by assault, and the walls of which he caused to be destroyed; then, availing himself of the aid lent him by certain of the principal men among the Christians, who had come to him as fugitives, and who marched in his company, the Hagib, eager to profit by the internal disorders of the country, advanced even to the Marismas or marshy plains of Gallicia, and plundered the church of Zacum, wherein he found treasures innumerable, of all which he made prey.

In the course of that autumn Muhamad Almanzor cut up and laid waste the lands of Nahara, and penetrated into the Albaskense mountains. On his return he chastised the people of Uxama, Alcoba, and Atincia, who had risen in revolt, and repaired to Cordova once more. When all this was done, it was found that his people were overloaded with the immense amount of their booty.

It was on this occasion that the learned man and accomplished poet, Zeyadatala Ben Aly, presented to the Hagib his book called the Kiteb Alhimâm; the subject being Death, and the work consisting of verses filled with profound thought, expressed in singularly fine language.

At this time Almanzor appointed Ahmed Ben Hakem Ben Muhamad El Ameri, known as Aben Lebâna of Cordova, to be Cadi of Toledo. He had previously been Wali Xuri of the capital, and was a man of much reputation for learning as well as integrity. The Hagib bestowed his former office on Ahmed Ben Abdelaziz Ben Fareg Ben Abi El Habeb, also a Cordovan of great erudition, and formerly the preceptor of his son Abdelmelic Almudafar.

In the same year of 375, Muhamad Almanzor, receiving intelligence to the effect that Balkim Ben Teiri had made an irruption upon the territory of Almagreb, at once commanded that the General Ascaleha should depart for that country with a force composed in part of Andalusians, but the remainder being natives of Africa. Arrived at Medina } Fez, they besieged that city, and having taken it, the Chotba, or public prayer, for the Ömeyas of Spain, which had been

interrupted by the pretensions of the Zeiries of Sanhaga, was once again made in the mosques.

Yet the whole of the city was not brought into subjection, seeing that Muhamad Ben Omar of Mekinez still remained in the quarter of the Alcairvanes, which he held for the Obeides, and ruled as their Amil: nor was it until the following year that the troops of Andalusia succeeded in obtaining possession of that quarter.

CHAP. XCIX.-OF THE NUPTIALS OF THE SON OF ALMANZOR, AND OF CERTAIN EVENTS IN ALMAGREB.

In the beginning of the year 376, there came to Andalusia a man who was much renowned for his learning, and had on that account been invited by the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor to read in the Aljama of Cordova. This was Ahmed Ben

Aly Arabei El Begani, to whom Almanzor entrusted the education of his son Abderahman, and soon afterwards made him Cadi,-Ahmed being then in the thirty-sixth year of his age.

In the spring of this year the nuptials of Abdelmelic Almudafar, son of the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor, with Habiba, daughter of Abdallah Ben Yahye Ben Abi Amer, were solemnized in Cordova, as were those of Boriha, who was the daughter of Almanzor. There were great feastings and public rejoicings on that occasion: the wedding festival was held in the beautiful gardens of the Almunia called Alameria, and situated close to the Alcazars of the Zahriya, those gardens having been presented by King Hixem to his Hagib Almanzor when the latter went to ask his permission to celebrate these nuptials therein.

All the nobles of Cordova took part in the rejoicings made on that occasion. The graceful bride was conducted in triumph through the principal streets of the city, being accompanied by all the damsels belonging to such houses as were friends of the family: the train was preceded and followed by the Cadi and the witnesses, with the principal Xeques, great lords, and noble cavaliers of the city. Arrived at the gardens, those damsels, each holding an ivory wand

inlaid with gold in her hand, stood to guard the pavilion of the bride all the day, and at nightfall, the bridegroom, attended by a large number of noble youths, belonging to his family and those of the friends of his house, approached the entrance of the same, protected by the gilded swords of his attendant followers, when, despite the feigned defence made by the damsels, he succeeded in forcing the entrance. The gardens were splendidly illuminated: amidst all the groves, around every fountain, and in the barks on the crystal lakes, by which they were beautified, delightful music sounded through the night, with songs, of which the praises of the newly-married pair formed the subject: these songs and the music endured all night, as hath been said, nor ceased until the hour of dawn, the rejoicings continuing throughout the whole of the following day.

Among the verses sung by the damsels on this occasion, those most applauded were the Canzonets written by Abu Hafs Ben Ascaleha, and by Abu Taher El Esturconi.

Precious gifts of rich vestments and costly arms were distributed by the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor among his guards, at the celebration of those nuptials, and he gave large alms to the poor of the Zawiyas:* he married many orphan-girls of his Aljama likewise, endowing them with suitable dowries; and made handsome presents to the men of genius, by whom his son and grand-daughter, the bridegroom and bride of that auspicious day, had been celebrated in verse. A more brilliant festivity than this was never seen in Cordova, nor had there ever been any walimas or nuptial-feasts of greater magnificence.

In the moon Xaban of the year 376, Yahye Ben Malic Ben Ayadh, coming forth from the Aljama of Cordova after the prayer of nightfall, and being accompanied by several of his friends, proceeded towards his own house, where having arrived, they all entered into the spacious court, and seated themselves amidst the stately orangetrees and jasmines by which it was surrounded. While

*The Zawiyas were hospitals for professed beggars: each of them was governed by a Wakil, or steward, whose duty it was to superintend the maintenance and police of the institution.-Condé.

they were thus reposing, Yahye begged that one of them called Aben Abi Hebâb would sing for the company certain verses composed by Mungmi, which they had both heard when abiding together at Bagdad. Aben Hebâb sang them accordingly, and presently afterwards, taking his leave of Yahye, he wished him long life, with forgetfulness of the last fatal term, whereunto his friends having responded duly, and the usual compliments having been made, Aben. Hebab departed.

But he had not arrived at the end of the street in which the dwelling of Yahye stood, before he heard himself called by name, and returning to the place he had left, he found the friend to whom he had just wished long life, dead on his divan..

Yahye Ben Malic was one of the most learned as well as most generous men of those times, and was a distinguished philosopher: he had travelled much in India, in all parts of the East, in divers cities of Asia and Egypt, and in his native country of Spain. His death was lamented by all the good, and his bier was accompanied to the grave by many illustrious personages: El Jaboki, the Cadi of the Aljama, made the prayer for Yahye Ben Malic.

In Almagreb, the General Ascaleha was meanwhile occupied in the fulfilment of the commission entrusted to him by the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor, and his troops having been joined by those of Abu Bies, called El Jatût Ben Balkin El Magaravi, they proceeded in company to Fez, where they obtained possession of that half of the city which had still held out, the quarter of the Alcairvanes, namely; its governor, Muhamad. Ben "Amer, of Mekinez, having first been slain fighting in defence of its gates. The Anda lusians then caused King Hixem Ben Alhakem to be proclaimed sovereign, and to avoid angering those troops, Jatût Ben Balkin agreed to let it be done peaceably, although not without reluctance. Intelligence of the advantage thus obtained was then sent to Cordova, where it was celebrated with much rejoicing.

The following year brought a grievous plague of locusts on all the land of Almagreb. In the first months of that year the lord of the Zenete Cabilas, Zeiri Ben Atia El Ma

garavi, called also El Chazeri, came to Fez, where he was received by Ascaleha and Abu Bies, called Jatût Ben Balkin El Magaravi.

Cruel wars were meanwhile raging in the province of Africa between Abulbehar Ben Zeiri Ben Menad, of Sanhaga, and his nephew, Mansur Ben Balkin, Lord of Tunis; for the latter, abandoning the party of Spain, and separating himself from that friendship which his father had accepted from the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor, had proclaimed the Obeida sovereigns in all his states; whereupon Abulbehar had entered those provinces, and subjugating the towns, had caused the Omeyas of Spain to be proclaimed from every Alminbar. That general also took possession of the city of Mehadia, with others of the district of Zaub; and in each he commanded that the Chotba should be made for King Hixem, which was done accordingly; nor there only, but in all the provinces of Africa and Almagreb.

This intelligence was despatched without delay to Cor dova, and was celebrated there in like manner with much rejoicing, the Hagib Almanzor sending to Abulbehar the title of Ameer for all the provinces he held in his power, with a present of beautiful horses, to which he added the sword and vestments of an Ameer, all of the most costly workmanship, and adorned with very precious orna

ments.

But scarcely had. Abulbehar received these titles, when he changed his allegiance, and, without any known cause or conceivable motive, declared himself to be under the protection of the Obeidas, to whom he proffered his obedience, and forbade the Chotba for King Hixem to be any longer made in the mosques.

When the Hagib Muhamad Almanzor was made acquainted with the perfidious levity of which Abulbehar Ben Zeiri had thus given. proof, he wrote letters in all haste to Zeiri Ben Atia, charging him to take vengeance for those acts of contempt, and authorizing him to occupy and hold possession of all the provinces, whether in Africa or Zaub, of which Abulbehar then had command. To this Zeiri made reply, declaring that he would make a cruel war on Abulhebar, and would not cease from the same until he had despoiled that changeling both of state and life.