familiarizedtheideaoftheirlanguage,religion,andmanners;
andexhausted,byclandestinepurchase,themagazinesandarsenalsofthecitieswhichtheyreturnedtobesiege。Theyaggravatedtheransomofthemorewealthy,orthemoreobstinate;
andChalcisalonewastaxedatfivethousandouncesofgold,fivethousandouncesofsilver,twothousandrobesofsilk,andasmanyfigsandolivesaswouldloadfivethousandasses。Butthetermsoftruceorcapitulationwerefaithfullyobserved;andthelieutenantofthecaliph,whohadpromisednottoenterthewallsofthecaptiveBaalbec,remainedtranquilandimmovableinhistenttillthejarringfactionssolicitedtheinterpositionofaforeignmaster。TheconquestoftheplainandvalleyofSyriawasachievedinlessthantwoyears。Yetthecommanderofthefaithfulreprovedtheslownessoftheirprogress;andtheSaracens,bewailingtheirfaultwithtearsofrageandrepentance,calledaloudontheirchiefstoleadthemforthtofightthebattlesoftheLord。Inarecentaction,underthewallsofEmesa,anArabianyouth,thecousinofCaled,washeardaloudtoexclaim,\"MethinksIseetheblack—eyedgirlslookinguponme;oneofwhom,shouldsheappearinthisworld,allmankindwoulddieforloveofher。AndIseeinthehandofoneofthemahandkerchiefofgreensilk,andacapofpreciousstones,andshebeckonsme,andcallsout,Comehitherquickly,forIlovethee。\"Withthesewords,chargingtheChristians,hemadehavocwhereverhewent,till,observedatlengthbythegovernorofHems,hewasstruckthroughwithajavelin。
[Footnote67:IntheGeographyofAbulfeda,thedescriptionofSyria,hisnativecountry,isthemostinterestingandauthenticportion。ItwaspublishedinArabicandLatin,Lipsiae,1766,inquarto,withthelearnednotesofKochlerandReiske,andsomeextractsofgeographyandnaturalhistoryfromIbnOlWardii。
Amongthemoderntravels,Pocock\'sDescriptionoftheEastofSyriaandMesopotamia,vol。ii。p。88—209isaworkofsuperiorlearninganddignity;buttheauthortoooftenconfoundswhathehadseenandwhathehadread。]
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