CONQUESTS OF THE SARACENS. 317 



imtil a final decision should be pronounced by the 

 caliph. 



A large majority of the people accepted the proffer 

 of toleration and tribute, and remained in their an- 

 cient habitations. But Thomas and the valiant 

 patriots who fought under his banner preferred the 

 wTctched alternative of exile. A protection of three 

 days was granted them, but to extend only to the 

 country in possession of the ISIoslems. Khaled en- 

 deavoured to exclude the miserable refugees from 

 the full benefit of the treaty, by limiting their ex- 

 ports simply to provisions ; and sternly declared, 

 that at the expiry of the three days they might be 

 pursued and treated as enemies. In a meadow in 

 the suburbs a large encampment was formed, where 

 in haste and terror the exiles collected their most 

 precious moveables in plate, jewels, and apparel ; 

 including the imperial wardrobe, in which there 

 were above three hundred loads of died silks. 



The fall of Damascus was communicated to the 

 cahph, but he lived not to receive the joyous intel- 

 ligence ; he died on the very day the city was taken 

 (Friday, the 3d of August, A. D. 634), after a short 

 reign of two years and three months. The manner 

 of his life was simple, austere, and frugal. When 

 he assumed the pontificate, he ordered his daughter 

 Ayesha to take a strict account of his private patri- 

 mony, that it might be seen whether he had been 

 enriched or impoverished by the service of the state. 

 All he claimed for himself was a stipend of three 

 drachms or pieces of gold, with sufficient mainte- 

 nance for a camel and a black slave. The surplus 

 of his exchequer, as well as of the public money, 

 was every Friday distributed, first to the soldiers 

 and the most deserving, and next to the most in- 

 digent. 



The disturbances which attended his own acces- 

 sion, Abu Beker happily prevented by a testament- 

 ary appointment of Omar. The latter at first seemed 



Dd2 



