398 CONQCEST OF AFRICA AND SPAIN. 



body the peculiar penance which his crimes de- 

 served. The Arabian writers tell, what is probably 

 the truth, that though he fled, he only avoided a sol- 

 dier's death to perish more ignobly in the waters of 

 the Boetis (or Guadalquiver). The Moslems found 

 his diadem and robes cast on the bank ; and his 

 horse, bearing- a saddle covered with gold and ru- 

 bies, plunging in the mud, where one of his boots 

 was also discovered sticicing; leaving no doubt as to 

 the fate of the vanquished prince ; — " an end," as a 

 valiant liistorian of the Arabs remarks, " worthy of 

 those kings who withdraw from the field of battle." 

 As the body was lost in the stream, some meaner 

 head must have been exposed in triumph at Damas- 

 cus to gratify the pride and ignorance of the caliph. 



This victory the Saracens purchased at the ex- 

 pense of 16,000 lives. The field was strewn with 

 their slain; yet the Goths suffered more severely. 

 A pursuit of three days scattered or destroyed the 

 remains of their army ; their chiefs and nobles who 

 had fallen were distinguished by the rings of gold 

 on their fingers ; those of inf'erior condition by 

 trinkets of silver ; and the slaves by similar orna- 

 ments of brass. 



The news of Tarik's success, and the spoils that 

 accompanied it, were no sooner conveyed across the 

 straits than crowds of adventurers flocked to him 

 from all quarters, passing the narrow sea in every 

 boat or bark they could find. The sight of this fresh 

 invasion obliged the frightened Spaniards to quit the 

 coast and the plain country, and betake themselves 

 to their mountains and fortresses. The conqueror, 

 by the advice of Julian, who had now plunged too 

 deeply into guilt to expect reconciliation, adopted 

 measures to seize the capital, Toledo, without delay, 

 and subdue the entire country, before the distracted 

 inhabitants had time to elect a new sovereign. 



Detachments were despatched to reduce the most 

 important of the provincial towns. A body of 700 



