354 WARS OF THE CALIPHS. 



betters speak. A ready tale was feigned of a design 

 on the part of the Saracen general to raise the siege 

 and negotiate an accommodation. The credulous 

 Christians were deceived, and the prisoners dis- 

 missed; but they had soon cause to repent of their 

 folly ; instead of a pacific embassy, their ears were 

 assailed with the tumultuous acclamations of joy in 

 the camp of the Arabs, as they hailed the return of 

 the brave Amru. Wearied and harassed with a 

 siege of fourteen months, they consented, on the 

 first Friday of the new moon of Moharran (Dec. 22, 

 A. D. 640), to the surrender of Alexandria. 



The intelligence of this success, which cost the 

 Moslems 23,000 lives, was conveyed to the caliph, 

 with an intimation that the impatient troops were 

 desirous of exercising their right of conquest in 

 plundering the town. The bulletin of Amru may 

 give some idea of its extraordinary wealth and mag- 

 nitude. " I have taken the great'city of the West. 

 It is impossible for me to enumerate the variety of 

 its riches and beauty ; and I shall content myself 

 with observing that it contains 4000 palaces, 4000 

 baths, 400 theatres or places of amusement, 12,000 

 shops for the sale of vegetable food, and 40,000 

 tributary Jews. The town has been subdued by 

 force of arras, without treaty or capitulation, and the 

 Moslems are eager to seize the fruits of their vic- 

 tory." Omar rejected the idea of pillage, com- 

 manded his lieutenant to restrain the impetuous 

 rapacity of the soldiers, and preserve the wealth 

 and revenues of the place for the public service. 

 The inhabitants were numbered ; and, besides the 

 rate of two dinars a head, a tax was laid on vine- 

 yards, and properties, according to their annual 

 rent. 



One event connected with the capture of this city 

 is too famous to be passed in silence, — the burning 

 of the Alexandrian library ; which has done more to 

 faraiUarize us vnih the name of Omar than all the 



