1 88 THE ARAB THE HORSE OF THE FUTURE 



horses of the Mamelukes were superior to those 

 of the French cavalry. 



The poetry of the Arabs is superior to most, and 

 has never been excelled by any. Their country 

 was never thoroughly conquered. They defied the 

 Persians and the Assyrians ; neither Alexander the 

 Great nor the Romans could subdue them. In the 

 seventh century they sent out armies which attacked 

 and conquered one-half of the then known world ; 

 defeated the Greek Emperor Heraclius at Damas- 

 cus ; overwhelmed a Persian army with great 

 slaughter, and mastered Persia ; conquered and 

 occupied Egypt, Syria, and Spain ; at the Crusades 

 they drove united Europe back from Jerusalem. 

 To this very day they largely defy the Turks, who 

 never thoroughly conquered more than a fringe of 

 their country, and they even worry the English 

 around Aden. 



Physically and mentally they yield to few races, 

 if any, of mankind, and intellectually they surpass 

 most. We owe to them the revival of learning 

 and philosophy in Western Europe, and widespread 

 as was the empire of the Arab sword, it has been 

 less extended and less durable than the empire of 

 the Arab mind. 



It has been said that Terence was a Moor, 

 and that it is certain that Juba was of unmixed 

 Arab blood. 



A large measure of the success in war of this 

 great people they owed to their horses. What 



