WARS OF THE CALIPHS. 369 



was stabbed in the groin, but the wound was not 

 mortal. Aniru was presened by a fit of indisposi- 

 tion which prevented him from officiating as imam 

 in the mosque. A secretary received the fatal 

 stroke that was intended for his master. The third 

 of the conspirators had better success ; and, in the 

 mosque at Cufa. Ali received a tlow from his hand, 

 of which he expired in the course of four days. 



This prince united the qualifications of a poet, an 

 orator, and a soldier : for he Mas the bravest and 

 most eloquent man in his dominions. A monument 

 of his wisdom still remains in a collection of pre- 

 cepts or sentences, of which 169 have been trans- 

 lated by Ockley. Many other maxims and poems 

 have been ascribed to him : but some hesitation 

 must be allowed in fixing their authorship. The 

 eulogries of his partisans are fulsome and extrava- 

 gant : ■' the king of men — the lion of God — tlie dis- 

 tributor of hghts and graces,"' are among the epi- 

 thets which their adoration has conferred on him. 

 During the caliphate of the house of Ommiah the 

 place of his interment was kept concealed. In the 

 fourth age of the Hejira. when the Abbassides as- 

 cended the Moslem throne, it was discovered ; and 

 a tomb, a temple, and a city arose on the spot — 

 kno^^^l in modern times by the name of Meshid Ali, 

 five or six miles from the ruins of Cufa. and 120 to 

 the south of Baedad. The monarchs of Persia have 

 enriched it with a succession of spoils, and thou- 

 sands of the Sheahs paj' their annual visits to the 

 holy sepulchre. 



Hassan inherited his father's piety, but he was 

 deficient in courage, and in every qualification ne- 

 cessank' to rule a turbulent people. The fickleness 

 and infidelity of his adherents appear to have divested 

 him of all relish for the splendours of royalty ; 

 and without deliberation or delay he transmitted a 

 letter Xo I^loawiyah, ofll'ering to resign the sovereign 

 power into his hands, on condition that he should 



