CONQUESTS OF THE SARACENS. 813 



feld of Aiznadin. The troops of Werdan consisted 

 chiefly of cavahy, and have, by historians, been 

 called indifierentlj — Syrians, from the place of their 

 birth, — Greeks, from the religion and language of 

 their emperor, — and Romans, from the proud appel- 

 lation still claimed by the successors of Constantine. 

 The armies vv-ere in sight of each other, and en- 

 couraged to their duty by their respective generals. 

 Khaled put it to the conscience of his Moslems "to" 

 fight in good earnest for rehgion. or "turn their backs 

 . ;tud be damned." To the squadron of ladies, Khau- 

 lah, Opheirah, and others whose names the annahsts 

 Jiave ungallantly omitted to record, he addressed 

 himself,—" Noble girls ! be assured that what you 

 do is very acceptable to God and his apostle. You 

 will hereby purchase a lasting memorial, and the 

 gates of paradise will be open to you." 



Werdan represented to his troops the shame of 

 slavery, and exhorted them to implore Heaven for 

 succour. To his sudden surprise he was approached 

 by a fierce and half-naked warrior, whom he ima- 

 gined to be a spy, and sent a party of thirty horse 

 to seize hmi. It was the intrepid and adventurous 

 Derar, who had undertaken to view the state of the 

 enemy. In his retreat he maintained a successful 

 skirmish against the Avhole party, and, after killing 

 or unhorsmg seventeen of their number, reached his 

 companions in safety. On the eve of battle, a grave 

 elder from the Christian army ofiered to purchase 

 peace by the gift, to each Saracen soldier, of a tur- 

 ban, a robe, and a piece of gold ; ten robes and one 

 hundred pieces to their leader ; one hundred robes 

 and one thousand pieces to the caliph. '• Ye Chris- 

 tian dogs!" replied the indignant Khaled, "you 

 know your option— the Koran, the tribute, or the 

 sword. As for your proffer of vests, turbans, and 

 money, we shall in a short time be masters of 

 them all." 



The onset on both sides w^s sustained with vieoiir 

 Vol, I, — Dd ' 



