CONQUESTS OF THE SARACENS. 315 



The onset of the Greeks was met with firmness 

 by the Saracens, whose charges were tremendous 

 and irresistible. The brave Aban fell by a poisoned 

 arrow from the hand of Thomas, an unerring archer ; 

 but his death was revenged by his wife, a heroine 

 who could handle the spear and the bow with equal 

 dexterity. In the hottest of the battle she sought 

 the place where his murderer fought ; her first arrow 

 pierced the hand of his standard-bearer, though the 

 engines from the walls poured stones and missiles 

 on the besiegers thick as hail ; her second wounded 

 Thomas through the eye while engaged in single 

 combat with an Arab who had seized his fallen 

 standard. The womid was dressed on the rampart, 

 and the undaunted champion of the Christians re- 

 fused to quit the field till night separated the com- 

 batants. The devoted widow washed the corpse 

 of her husband, and without a groan or a tear buried 

 him with the usual rites :— " Happy, happy art thou, 

 my dear ! thou art gone to the Lord, who first joined 

 us, and hath parted us asunder. Henceforth shall 

 no man ever touch me more ; for I have dedicated 

 myself to the service of God." 



The citizens were disheartened ; their patience 

 and their provisions began to be exhausted ; and 

 after a siege of seventy days, the bravest of their 

 chiefs yielded to the hard dictates of necessity. 

 Khaled was inexorable, and declined the chance of 

 capitulation, lest the " Christian dogs" might stipu- 

 late for their lives and fortunes, and his soldiers be 

 deprived of their plunder. In the mild virtues of 

 Obeidah the besieged had some hope. At midnight 

 a deputation of one hundred of the clergy and prin- 

 cipal inhabitants were introduced to his tent, where 

 they were courteously received, and obtained a 

 written agreement that hostilities should cease — 

 that such as chose might depart with as much of 

 their eff"ects as they could carry away — and that, on 

 paying tribute, the rest should enjoy their lands 



