WARS OF THE CALIPHS. 377 



decorating his capital and erecting religious edifices, 



^nwhirh he expended vast sums of money.* 



"^S^ltan'LXrtotheprecedmgcaU^ 



and Uberal prince, but remarkable for his voracity. 



ITe tdofVeuri'sy. or ''fftTZZ'lSliul 



at all extraordinary, if what the Arabs assen ne 

 ?rue that he used to devour 100 pounds weight of 

 r^eat every day, and could dine very heartily in 

 nubl c afte?eating three roasted lambs for breakfast, 

 ms fa^iarlte dish was the baked intestines of sheep, 

 ^thrty of which, with as many cakes of bread, he 

 wastJquently ki^vvn to despatch a a single meak 

 Tn novertv and in the economy of his habits, umar 

 ES and even surpassed hi-H-trioi^ name- 

 sake The subsistence of himself and his house- 

 hold was limited to the frugal expenditure of two 

 dSchms a day. One of his generals, who visited 

 him Sis last sickness, found the emperor of the 

 Mthful stretched on a couch of P-^^^^^IT;^^^'^ 

 dirty undress, supported by a pillow " /he^P^Jm^: 

 and covered with a coarse garment. His wi e apolo 

 ffized for the sordid condition of his linens, by stating 

 that the imperial wardrobe comprehended no more 

 than a somary shirt. After his death, his palace 

 was ransacked, in the hope of finding immeirse trea- 

 Ture- but nothing was discovered except a thick 

 r^d^n? coat and a rope on which he swang for re- 

 crS-rSle^hisspirLhadbeenex^^^^^^^^^ 

 and fervent prayer. The reign of Yezzid II. was 



* HP «Horned the temple of Jerusalem with additional build- 



* He adornea tne leii p . demolishmg the low cot- 



ufesitfymhaEdbylhe Prophet's wives. But the most 

 tages tormeny 1! . , ^j gg^vasthe famous mosque of the 



and cost 6,000,000 dmars of go'd (2.775,000/.), exuusiveo 



which there were 600, were so brilliant as to dazzle tne eyes ui 

 the worshippers. , 



1 1 * 



