310 COXQTJESTS OF THE SARACENS. 



messengers from Yezid daily announced new suc- 

 cesses, and a present of the spoil was despatched to 

 the caliph as the first-fruits of their expedition. 

 The zeal or the avarice of the Arabian chiefs was 

 attracted by the prosperity of their countrymen. 

 A fresh reinforcement was levied for the subjugation 

 of Palestine, the command of which,«ifter some dis- 

 pute, was delegated to Amru. Zaid was disappointed 

 of the commission ; but fanaticism overruled all re- 

 gard for personal interest. Nowhere was this spirit 

 more remarkable than among the early Saracen 

 generals. Had not the propagatioiij of the Koran 

 exalted them above all private considerations, or had 

 they been actuated by that rivalship and animosity 

 which divided the successors of Alexander, the 

 power of the caliphs must have fallen back to its 

 original insignificance, and the legions of the Faith, 

 instead of marching onward to empire, might have 

 met an inglorious defeat from the swords of contend- 

 ing factions. Abu Obeidah had superseded Yezid ; 

 but he was less fortunate than his predecessor, and 

 a single reverse condemned him as unfit to hold the 

 supreme command. 



In all emergencies of war, the superior genius of 

 Khaled marked him out for the post of honour ; and 

 whoever might be the choice of the prince, he was, 

 both in fact and fame, the foremost leader of the Sara- 

 cens. From Irak he was recalled to Syria, and his 

 arrival altered the aspect of the campaign. Aracca, 

 Tadmor, and Hauran had submitted ; but a rash at- 

 tempt on Bosra had nearly turned the tide of conquest. 

 Serjabil had been despatched by Obeidah with a body 

 of 4000 cavalry, and was repulsed from its gates with 

 loss. Khaled, with 1500 horse, came in time to rally 

 the flying detachment, and saved the believers from 

 the disgrace of a total overthrow. " See, the villains 

 come !" he exclaimed, as the opened gates of the 

 fortress poured forth their martial array into the 

 plain ; " they know we are weary ; but let us go on. 



