CALIPHS OF BAGDAD. 27 



had ascended the throne, he renewed his incursions 

 into the imperial dominions, and ravaged Lydia and 

 Lycaonia, whence he carried off an immense quan- 

 tity of booty. Eight times were these predatory in- 

 roads repeated ; and as often as the Greeks declin- 

 ed the regular payment, they were taught to feel 

 that a month of depredation was more costly than 

 a year of tribute. On the deposition and banish- 

 ment of the empress, her successor Nicephorus 

 resolved to obliterate this badge of servitude and 

 disgrace, which, in his epistle to the caliph, he 

 ascribed to the weakness of a female reign. " The 

 queen," said he (borrowing his allusion from the 

 game of chess), " considered you as a rook, and her- 

 self a pawn. That pusillanimous woman submit- 

 ted to pay a tribute, the double of which she ought 

 to have exacted from the barbarians. Restore, there- 

 fore, the fruits of your injustice, or abide the deter- 

 mination of the sword." At these words, by way 

 of bravado, the ambassador made Haroun a present 

 of several excellent sabres. The caliph smiled at 

 the threat, and drawing his famous scimitar (Sam" 

 samak), a weapon of historic or fabulous renown, 

 he cut them asunder one by one, like so many ra* 

 dishes, before the eyes of the astonished Greeks, 

 without seeming to exert the strength of his arm 

 or turning the edge of his well-tempered blade. He 

 then dictated an epistle of tremendous brevity : " In 

 the name of the most merciful God! Haroun al 

 Raschid, Commander of the Faithful, to Nicephorus 

 the Roman dog. I have read thy letter, thou son of 

 an unbelieving mother. Thou shalt not hear, 

 thou shalt behold my reply." A war of desolation 

 ensued. With a force of 100,000 men, Haroun in- 



