315 
EGYPT. 
invaders were encompafled and threatened by the ap¬ 
proaching inundation of the Nile. Their lad a (Tan It was 
therefore bold and fuccefsful: they palled the ditch, 
which had been fortified with iron fpik.es, applied their 
fcaling-ladders, entered thefortrefs with (bouts, and drove 
the remnant of the Greeks to their boats and the ille of 
Rouda. The fpot was afterwards recommended to the 
conqueror by the eafy communication with the gulf and 
the peninfula of Arabia: the remains of Memphis were 
defected ; the tents of the Arabs were converted into 
permanent habitations : and the fil'd tnofque rofe up in the 
prefence of fourfeore companions of Mahomet. A new 
city arofe in their camp on the eadward bank of the Nile ; 
and the contiguous quarters of Babylon and Fodat are 
confounded in their prefent decay by the appellation of 
old Mifrah or Cairo, of which they form an extenfive 
fuburb. But the name of Cairo, the town of viElory, 
more llrictly belongs to the modern capital. 
The Arabs, however, after this glorious and profitable 
enterprife, mud have finally retreated to the defert, had 
they not found a powerful alliance in the heart of the 
country. The rapid conqued of Alexander had formerly 
been adided by the fuperdition and revolt of the natives : 
they abhorred their Perfian opprelfors who had burnt the 
temples of Egypt and dedroyed their gods. After a pe¬ 
riod of ten centuries, the fame revolution was renewed 
by a fimilar caufe ; and in the fupport of an incompre- 
henfible creed, the zeal of the Coptic Chrifiians was 
equally ardent. The Saracens were therefore received 
as the deliverers of the Jacobite church ; and a fecret 
treaty was.opened during the liege of Memphis between 
the viftorious army and a people of Haves. A rich and 
noble Egyptian, named A 1 Mokawkas, had dilfembled 
his faith to obtain the adminidrafion of his province : 
but the abufe of his trud had expofed him to the refent- 
ment of Heraclius ; his fubmillion was only delayed by ar¬ 
rogance and fear ; and his confcience was prompted by in- 
tered to throw himfelf on the favour of the Saracens. In 
bis fird conference with Amrou, he heard without indig¬ 
nation the ufqal option of the Koran, the tribute, or the 
Jword. “The Greeks, (replied Mokawkas,) are deter¬ 
mined to abide the determination of the fword ; but with 
the Greeks I defire no communion, either in this world 
or in the next, and I abjure for ever the Byzantine ty¬ 
rant, his fynod of Chaicedon, and his Melchite Haves. 
For myfelf and my brethren, we are refolVed to live and 
die in the profeffion of the gofpel and unity of Chrid. 
It is impofiible for us to embrace the revelations of your 
prophet; but we are deli rous of peace, and cheerfully 
Submit to pay tribute and obedience to his temporal fuc- 
ceffors.” The tribute was afeertained at two pieces of 
gold for the head of every Chridian; but old men, 
monks, women, and children of both fexes under fixteen 
years of age, were exempted from this perfonal aHelF- 
inent ; the Copts above and below Memphis fwore alle¬ 
giance to the caliph, and promifed an hofpitable enter¬ 
tainment of three days to every Mulfulman who fiiould 
travel through their country. In the march, therefore, 
from Memphis to Alexandria, Amrou entruded his fafety 
to the zeal and gratitude of the Egyptians : the roads 
and bridges were diligently repaired ; and in every dep 
of his progrefs, he could depend on a condant fupply of 
provilions and intelligence. The Greek's of Egypt, 
whofe numbers could fcarcely equal a tenth of the na¬ 
tives, were overwhelmed by the univerfal defection ; 
they had ever been hated, they were no longer feared: 
the magidrate fled from his tribunal, thebilhop from his 
altar ; and the didant garrifons were furprifed or darved 
by the furrounding multitudes. Had not the Nile af¬ 
forded a fafe and ready conveyance to the fea, not an in¬ 
dividual could have efcaped, who by birth, or language, 
or office, or religion, was connedted with the Greek name. 
By this retreat of the Greeks from the provinces of 
Upper Egypt, a conliderable force was colledted in the 
sHand of Delta: the natural and artificial channels of the 
Nile afforded a fucceffion of drong and defenfible pods ; 
and the road to Alexandria was laborioully cleared by 
the victory of the Saracens in two and twenty days of 
general or partial combat. In their annals of conqued, 
the liege of Alexandria is perhaps the mod arduous and 
important enterprife. The fird trading city in the world 
was abundantly repleniffied with the means of fublidence 
and defence. Her numerous inhabitants fought for the 
deared of human rights, religion and property ; and the 
enmity of the natives feemed to exclude them from the 
common,benefit of peace and toleration. The fea was 
continually open ; and, if the emperor Heraclius had 
been awake to the public dilfref’s, frelh armies of Romans 
and barbarians might have been poured into the harbour 
to fave the fecond capital of the empire. A circumfe¬ 
rence of ten miles would have fcattered the forces of the 
Greeks, and favoured the dratagems of an adtive enemy ; 
but the two Tides of an oblong fquare was covered by the 
fea and the lake Marasotis, and each of the narrow ends 
expofed a front of no more than ten furlongs. The ef¬ 
fort of the Arabs were not inadequate to the difficulty 
of the attempt and the value of the prize. From the throne 
of Medina, the eyes of the calipli Omar were fixed on 
the camp and city : his voice excited to 'arms the Ara¬ 
bian tribes and the veterans of Syria ; and the merit of 
an holy war was recommended by the peculiar fame and' 
fertility of Egypt, Anxious for the ruin or expulfion 
of their tyrants, the Egyptian natives devoted their la¬ 
bours to the fervice of Amrou ; fome fparks of martial 
fpirit were perhaps rekindled by tire example of their 
allies ; and the (anguine hopes of Mokawkas had fixed 
his fepulchre in the church of St. John of Alexandria. 
Eutychius the patriarch obferves, that the Saracens 
fought with the courage of lions; they repulfed the fre¬ 
quent and almoft daily failles pf the belieged, and foon 
affaulted in their turn the walls and towers of the city. 
In every attack, the fword, the banner of Amrou, glit¬ 
tered in the van of the Mofiems. On a memorable day, 
he was betrayed by his imprudent valour : his followers 
who had entered the citadel were driven back; and the 
general, with a friend and a (lave, remained a prifoner in 
the hands of the Greek Chrifiians. When Amrou was 
conducted before the prcefect, he remembered his dig¬ 
nity, but forgot his fituation ; a lofty demeanour, and 
refoiute language, revealed the lieutenant of the caliph, 
and the battle-axe of a foldier was already raifed to (trike 
off the head cf the audacious captive. His life was 
faved by the promptitude of his Have, who inhantly gave 
his mailer a blow on the face, and commanded him, with 
an angry tone, to be filent in the prefence of his i'upe- 
riors. The credulous Greek was by this artifice de¬ 
ceived ; lie liltened to tire offer of a treaty, and his pri- 
foners were difmilfed in the hope of a more refpectable 
embaffy, till the joyful acclamations of the camp an¬ 
nounced the return of their general, and infulted the 
folly and^weaknefs of their enemies. At length, after a 
liege of fourteen months, and the iofs of three and twenty 
thousand men, the Saracens prevailed : the Greeks em¬ 
barked their difpirited and diminifhed numbers, and the 
(landard of Mahomet was planted on the walls of Alexan¬ 
dria. “ I havetaken, (faia Amrou to the caliph,) thegreat 
city of the well. It is impoffible for me to enumerate the 
variety of its riches and beauty ; and I (hall content myfelf 
with obferving, that it contains four thoufand palaces, four 
thoufand baths, four hundred theatres or places of amul'e- 
ment, fwclve thoufand (hops for the lale of vegetable 
food, and forty thoufand tributary Jews. The town has 
been fubdued by force of arms, without treaty or capitu¬ 
lation, and the Mofiems are impatient to feize the fruits 
of their victory.” The caliph Omar rejedted with firm- 
nefs the idea of pillage, and diredled Amrou to referve 
the wealth and revenue of Alexandria for the public fer¬ 
vice : the inhabitants were numbered, a tribute was im- 
pofed ; and the people indulged in an obfeure exercife of 
their worlhip. The intelligence of this disgraceful and 
calamitous 
