[Footnote100:AlWakidihadlikewisecomposedaseparatehistoryoftheconquestofEgypt，whichMr。Ockleycouldneverprocure；
andhisowninquiriesvol。i。344—362haveaddedverylittletotheoriginaltextofEutychius，Annal。tom。ii。p。296—323，vers。Pocock，theMelchitepatriarchofAlexandria，wholivedthreehundredyearsaftertherevolution。]
OntheWesternsideoftheNile，atasmalldistancetotheeastofthePyramids，atasmalldistancetothesouthoftheDelta，Memphis，onehundredandfiftyfurlongsincircumference，displayedthemagnificenceofancientkings。UnderthereignofthePtolemiesandCaesars，theseatofgovernmentwasremovedtothesea—coast；theancientcapitalwaseclipsedbytheartsandopulenceofAlexandria；thepalaces，andatlengththetemples，werereducedtoadesolateandruinouscondition:yet，intheageofAugustus，andeveninthatofConstantine，Memphiswasstillnumberedamongthegreatestandmostpopulousoftheprovincialcities。^101ThebanksoftheNile，inthisplaceofthebreadthofthreethousandfeet，wereunitedbytwobridgesofsixtyandofthirtyboats，connectedinthemiddlestreambythesmallislandofRouda，whichwascoveredwithgardensandhabitations。
^102TheeasternextremityofthebridgewasterminatedbythetownofBabylonandthecampofaRomanlegion，whichprotectedthepassageoftheriverandthesecondcapitalofEgypt。Thisimportantfortress，whichmightfairlybedescribedasapartofMemphisorMisrah，wasinvestedbythearmsofthelieutenantofOmar:areenforcementoffourthousandSaracenssoonarrivedinhiscamp；andthemilitaryengines，whichbatteredthewalls，maybeimputedtotheartandlaborofhisSyrianallies。Yetthesiegewasprotractedtosevenmonths；andtherashinvaderswereencompassedandthreatenedbytheinundationoftheNile。^103
Theirlastassaultwasboldandsuccessful:theypassedtheditch，whichhadbeenfortifiedwithironspikes，appliedtheirscalingladders，enteredthefortresswiththeshoutof\"Godisvictorious!\"anddrovetheremnantoftheGreekstotheirboatsandtheIsleofRouda。ThespotwasafterwardsrecommendedtotheconquerorbytheeasycommunicationwiththegulfandthepeninsulaofArabia；theremainsofMemphisweredeserted；thetentsoftheArabswereconvertedintopermanenthabitations；andthefirstmoschwasblessedbythepresenceoffourscorecompanionsofMahomet。^104Anewcityaroseintheircamp，ontheeastwardbankoftheNile；andthecontiguousquartersofBabylonandFostatareconfoundedintheirpresentdecaybytheappellationofoldMisrah，orCairo，ofwhichtheyformanextensivesuburb。ButthenameofCairo，thetownofvictory，morestrictlybelongstothemoderncapital，whichwasfoundedinthetenthcenturybytheFatimitecaliphs。^105Ithasgraduallyrecededfromtheriver；butthecontinuityofbuildingsmaybetracedbyanattentiveeyefromthemonumentsofSesostristothoseofSaladin。^106