344 HISTORY OP THE WAHABEES. 



Saoud had not only laid the foundation, but orga- 

 nized the political system of a great empire. He 

 would have made himself master of all Arabia had 

 not death arrested him in the midst of his con- 

 quests. Bagdad and Bussora would have opened 

 their gates to him; Syria and Egypt, torn by jarring 

 factions and weakened by revolution, might again 

 have fallen an easy prey to the hordes of the desert. 



Such was the splendid legacy which he bequeath- 

 ed to his successor; and never, perhaps, had any 

 prince greater facilities for securing the independ- 

 ence of his nation than Abdallah. But, unfor- 

 tunately, he inherited not the qualities necessary 

 for following up the brilliant career which his fa- 

 ther had pointed out to him. He was brave ; but 

 courage is not the only virtue essential to a sove- 

 reign. His inflexible severity alienated the affec- 

 tions of his people ; and his want of military tact 

 was evinced in the numerous errors he commit- 

 ted in the progress of the war. Had he known 

 to profit by his advantages, he might have anni- 

 hilated the Ottoman army, exhausted with dis- 

 ease and fatigue in the midst of burning sands, in- 

 stead of being compelled to sue for a dishonourable 

 and fatal peace. The desertion of the Bedouins no 

 doubt weakened his power, which may be said to 

 have yielded to the gold of AH rather than to the 

 valour of his troops. But the influence of a popular 

 chief could have prevented or counteracted these se- 

 ductions; and had the hardy tribes of the desert 

 found such a prince in Abdallah, the carcasses of the 

 Turks might have fed the eagles, and the fate of 

 Arabia been entirely changed. 



Some writers lament the suppression of the Wa- 

 habees, from a belief that the downfal of Islam was 



