CONQUESTS OF THE SARACENS. 



335 



priating to himself the pubhc treasure was preferred 

 agamst him, and too rashly credited by the envious 

 Omar. These suspicions were strengthened by his 

 liberality to the panegyrical verse-maker, and the 

 extravagant dower of 100,000 drachms of gold (2291Z. 

 13^. id.) to the beautiful widow of Malec, whom he 

 had married while his hands were yet reeking with 

 the blood of her murdered husband. In the pres- 

 ence of the caliph, he was compelled to reply to the 

 interrogatories of his accusers, with his turban tied 

 round his neck, one end of which was held by the 

 common crier. To this indignity, and a fine of one- 

 half of his effects, he submitted with exemplary 

 moderation ; declaring that the dictates of resent- 

 ment, however just, should not prevail with him to 

 resist the will of his superior. On a second exami- 

 nation, he was condemned to the further payment of 

 40,000 drachms (916^. 13s. id.), being the moiety of 

 all he had been allowed to retain. Such were the 

 multiplied and humihating mortifications to which 

 this undaunted champion of the Koran was com- 

 pelled to submit, after rendering so many and im- 

 portant services to the cause of Islam. His last 

 moments were imbittered by the reflection that, 

 after having sought the glory of martyrdom in many 

 a bloody field, and felt the weapons of the enemy m 

 every limb, he should descend to the grave wronged 

 and dishonoured, among the common herd of ordi- 

 naiy mortals. The exhausted state of his coffers 

 constrained Omar to acknowledge that his suspi- 

 cions had been unjust. The caliph condoled with 

 the aged mother, who was repeating, with tears of 

 anguish, some of the numerous encomiums on her 

 brave but unfortunate son ; he visited at Emesa the 

 tomb of the injured conqueror of Syria, and expressed 

 in terms of unavailing regret his esteem for the hero 

 of a hundred battles, whom the hand of death had 

 now placed beyond the reach of envy. 



At the demise of Obeidah, the command of the 



