CONQUEST OF AFRICA AND SPAIN. 399 



The rapid conquests of his heutenant had at first 

 gained the applause of Musa ; but his increasing 

 renown created a spirit of envy. Jealous of his own 

 fame, he began to apprehend that Tarik would leave 

 him nothing to subdue. Committing the Moorish 

 provinces to the care of his eldest son, Abdallah, he 

 crossed over to Spain at the head of 10,000 Arabs 

 and 8000 Africans. Seville had thrown off its alle- 

 giance to the Moslems ; but, after a siege of some 

 months, it surrendered to Musa. Hence he passed 

 on to Merida, a strong city, formerly the seat of the 

 Lusitanian government. When the Arab chief 

 beheld the aqueducts, theatres, temples, and other 

 works of Roman magnificence, "1 should imagine," 

 said he, " that the human race must have united 

 their art and power in the fomiding of this city. 

 Happy is the man who shall become its master." 

 The inhabitants repulsed the invaders with deter- 

 mined bravery. Disdaining the confinement of their 

 walls, they sallied forth and gave battle on the plain ; 

 but their return was intercepted, and their temerity 

 chastised by an ambuscade. The besiegers rolled 

 their wooden turret forward to the foot of the ram- 

 part; but the citizens assailed them so furiously, 

 that they were compelled to retire ; and the Tower 

 of the Martyrs long commemorated the fall of those 

 who had been slaughtered in this machine. 



An artifice of Musa is said to have hastened the 

 terms of capitulation. At his first interview with 

 the deputies of the place, his hair and beard were 

 undressed, and white as wool. Next day they were 

 surprised to find his beard red ; and on the third 

 still more astonished to find it of a black colour. 

 Being totally unacquainted with the Arabian custom 

 of staining the hair, they represented to their fellow- 

 townsmen the hopelessness of resisting a general 

 who was a prophet, who could change his appear- 

 ance at pleasure, and even transform himself from 

 age to youth. The conditions were accepted ; the 



