MeccawasthepatrimonyofthelineofHashem，yettheAbbassideswerenevertemptedtoresideeitherinthebirthplaceorthecityoftheprophet。Damascuswasdisgracedbythechoice，andpollutedwiththeblood，oftheOmmiades；and，aftersomehesitation，Almansor，thebrotherandsuccessorofSaffah，laidthefoundationsofBagdad，^41theImperialseatofhisposterityduringareignoffivehundredyears。^42ThechosenspotisontheeasternbankoftheTigris，aboutfifteenmilesabovetheruinsofModain:thedoublewallwasofacircularform；andsuchwastherapidincreaseofacapital，nowdwindledtoaprovincialtown，thatthefuneralofapopularsaintmightbeattendedbyeighthundredthousandmenandsixtythousandwomenofBagdadandtheadjacentvillages。Inthiscityofpeace，^43amidsttherichesoftheEast，theAbbassidessoondisdainedtheabstinenceandfrugalityofthefirstcaliphs，andaspiredtoemulatethemagnificenceofthePersiankings。Afterhiswarsandbuildings，Almansorleftbehindhimingoldandsilveraboutthirtymillionssterling:^44andthistreasurewasexhaustedinafewyearsbythevicesorvirtuesofhischildren。HissonMahadi，inasinglepilgrimagetoMecca，expendedsixmillionsofdinarsofgold。Apiousandcharitablemotivemaysanctifythefoundationofcisternsandcaravanseras，whichhedistributedalongameasuredroadofsevenhundredmiles；buthistrainofcamels，ladenwithsnow，couldserveonlytoastonishthenativesofArabia，andtorefreshthefruitsandliquorsoftheroyalbanquet。^45ThecourtierswouldsurelypraisetheliberalityofhisgrandsonAlmamon，whogaveawayfourfifthsoftheincomeofaprovince，asumoftwomillionsfourhundredthousandgolddinars，beforehedrewhisfootfromthestirrup。Atthenuptialsofthesameprince，athousandpearlsofthelargestsizewereshoweredontheheadofthebride，^46andalotteryoflandsandhousesdisplayedthecapriciousbountyoffortune。Thegloriesofthecourtwerebrightened，ratherthanimpaired，inthedeclineoftheempire，andaGreekambassadormightadmire，orpity，themagnificenceofthefeebleMoctader。\"Thecaliph\'swholearmy，\"saysthehistorianAbulfeda，\"bothhorseandfoot，wasunderarms，whichtogethermadeabodyofonehundredandsixtythousandmen。Hisstateofficers，thefavoriteslaves，stoodnearhiminsplendidapparel，theirbeltsglitteringwithgoldandgems。Nearthemwereseventhousandeunuchs，fourthousandofthemwhite，theremainderblack。Theportersordoor—keeperswereinnumbersevenhundred。Bargesandboats，withthemostsuperbdecorations，wereseenswimmingupontheTigris。Norwasthepalaceitselflesssplendid，inwhichwerehungupthirty—eightthousandpiecesoftapestry，twelvethousandfivehundredofwhichwereofsilkembroideredwithgold。Thecarpetsonthefloorweretwenty—twothousand。Ahundredlionswerebroughtout，withakeepertoeachlion。^47Amongtheotherspectaclesofrareandstupendousluxurywasatreeofgoldandsilverspreadingintoeighteenlargebranches，onwhich，andonthelesserboughs，satavarietyofbirdsmadeofthesamepreciousmetals，aswellastheleavesofthetree。Whilethemachineryaffectedspontaneousmotions，theseveralbirdswarbledtheirnaturalharmony。Throughthissceneofmagnificence，theGreekambassadorwasledbytheviziertothefootofthecaliph\'sthrone。\"^48IntheWest，theOmmiadesofSpainsupported，withequalpomp，thetitleofcommanderofthefaithful。ThreemilesfromCordova，inhonorofhisfavoritesultana，thethirdandgreatestoftheAbdalrahmansconstructedthecity，palace，andgardensofZehra。Twenty—fiveyears，andabovethreemillionssterling，wereemployedbythefounder:hisliberaltasteinvitedtheartistsofConstantinople，themostskilfulsculptorsandarchitectsoftheage；andthebuildingsweresustainedoradornedbytwelvehundredcolumnsofSpanishandAfrican，ofGreekandItalianmarble。Thehallofaudiencewasincrustedwithgoldandpearls，andagreatbasininthecentrewassurroundedwiththecuriousandcostlyfiguresofbirdsandquadrupeds。Inaloftypavilionofthegardens，oneofthesebasinsandfountains，sodelightfulinasultryclimate，wasreplenishednotwithwater，butwiththepurestquicksilver。
TheseraglioofAbdalrahman，hiswives，concubines，andblackeunuchs，amountedtosixthousandthreehundredpersons:andhewasattendedtothefieldbyaguardoftwelvethousandhorse，whosebeltsandcimeterswerestuddedwithgold。^49
[Footnote41:ThegeographerD\'Anville，l\'EuphrateetleTigre，p。121—123，andtheOrientalistD\'Herbelot，Bibliotheque，p。
167，168，maysufficefortheknowledgeofBagdad。Ourtravellers，PietrodellaValle，tom。i。p。688—698，
Tavernier，tom。i。p。230—238，Thevenot，partii。p。209—