S2I 
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'Ire drew- his. foot from the ftirrup. At the nuptials of 
the fame prince, a thou fund pearls of the largeft fize were 
fh owe red on the head of the bride, and a lottery of lands 
and houfes difplayed the capricious bounty of fortune. 
The glories of the court were brightened, ra.ther than 
impaired, even in the decline of the empire ; and a Greek 
ambaffador might admire or pity the magnificence of the 
feeble Moktader. “ The caliph’s whole army, (fays the 
'hiftorian Abulfeda,) both horfe and foot, was under arms, 
which together made a body of one hundred and fixty 
thoufand men. His hate-officers, the favourite haves, 
(food near him in fpiendid apparel, their belts glittering 
with gold and gems. Near them were feven thoufand 
eunuchs, four thoufand of them white, the remainder 
black. The p or tar's or door-keepers were in number 
(evert hundred. Barges and boats, with the rnoft fuperb 
decorations, were Teen fwimming upon the Tigris. Nor 
.was the palace itfelf lefs fpiendid, in which were hung 
up thirty-eight thoufand pieces of tapeflry, twelve thou¬ 
fand five hundred of which were of (ilk embroidered with 
gold. The carpets on the floor were twenty-two thou¬ 
fand. An hundred lions were brought out, with a keeper 
to each lion. Among the other fpeftacles of rare and 
■fhipendous luxury, was a tree of gold and filver fpread- 
ing into eighteen large branches, on which, and on the 
Teller boughs, fat a variety of birds made of the fame 
precious metals, as well as the leaves of the tree. While 
the machinery affedted fpontaneous motions, the feveral 
birds warbled their natural harmony. Through thisfcene 
of magnificence, the Greek ambaffador was led by the vizir 
to the foot of the caliph’s throne.” In the weft, the 
Ommiades of Spain fupportea, with equal pomp, the 
title of caliph, or commander of the faithful. Three 
miles from Cordova, in honour of his favourite fultana, 
the third and greateft of the Abdalrahmans conftrufted 
the city, palace, and gardens, of Zehra. Twenty-five 
years, and above three millions fterling, were employed 
by the founder: his liberal tafte invited the artifts of 
Conftantinople, the mod fkilful fculptors and architects 
■of the age ; and the buildings were fuftained or adorned 
by twelve hundred columns of Spanifh and African, of 
Greek and Italian, marble. The hall of audience was 
encrufted with gold and pearls, Pnd a great bafon in the 
center, was furroundea with the curious and ccftly figures 
•of birds and quadrupeds. In a lofty pavilion of the gar¬ 
dens, one of thefe bafons and fountains, fo delightful in 
a fultry climate, was replenifhed not with water, but with 
the pure ft quickfilver. The feraglio of Abdalrahman, 
his wives, concubines, and black eunuchs, amounted to 
■fix thoufand three hundred perfons ; and he was attended 
to the field by a guard of twelve thoufand horfe, whofe 
belts and feymetars were ftitdded with gold. His royal 
city of Cordova contained fix hundred mofques, nine hun¬ 
dred baths, and two hundred thoufand houfes : he gave 
laws to eighty cities of the firft, to three hundred of the 
fecond and third, order; and the Fertile banks of the Gua- 
idalquiver were adorned with twelve thoufand villages 
and hamlets. 
In a private condition, our defires are perpetually re- 
prefled by poverty and fubordination ; but the lives and 
labours of millions are devoted to the fervice of a defpotic 
prince, whofe laws are blindly obeyed, and whofe wifnes 
are inftantly gratified. Our imagination is dazzled by the 
fpiendid pifture ; and whatever may be the cool dictates 
of reafon, there are few among us who would obftinately 
refufe a trial of the comforts and the cares of royalty. It 
may, therefore, be of fome ufe to borrow the experience 
of the fame Abdalrahman, whofe magnificence has per¬ 
haps excited our admiration and envy, and to tranferibe 
an authentic memorial which was found in the clofet of 
the deceafed caliph. “ I have now reigned above fifty 
years in vitftory or peace ; beloved by my lubjefts, dreaded 
by my enemies, and refpected by my allies. Riches and 
honours, power and pleafure, have waited on my call, 
jior does any earthly blefting apuear to have been wanting 
Voi-.VI. No. 352. 
P T, 
fo my felicity. In this fituation T have diligently num¬ 
bered the days of pure and genuine happinefs which have 
fallen to my lot ; they amount to fourteen: O man! place 
.not thy confidence in this prefent world.” The luxury of 
the caliphs, fo ufelefs to their private happinefs, relaxed 
the nerves, and terminated the progrefs of their arms.- 
Under the laft of the Ommiades, the Arabian empire ex¬ 
tended two hundred days journey fromeaft to weft, from 
the confines of Tartary and India to the fliores of the At¬ 
lantic ocean. And if we retrench the fieeve of the robe, 
as if is ftyled by their writers, the long and narrow pro¬ 
vince of Africa, the folid and compact dominion from 
Fargana to Aden, from Tarftis to Surat, will fpread on 
every fide to the‘mealure of four or five months journey 
of a caravan. 
Temporal and fpirvtual conqtieft, in this vaft acquifi- 
tion of territory, had been the foie occupation of the firft 
fucceftors of Mahomet; and after fupplying themfelves 
with the neceffaries of life, the whole revenue was feru- 
puloufly devoted to that faintary work. The Abbaftides 
were iinpoverifhed by the multitude of their wants and 
their contempt of economy. Infteadof purfuing the great 
object of ambition, their leifure, their affedtions, the 
powers of their mind, were diverted by pomp and plea- 
lure : the rewards of valour were embezzled by women 
and eunuchs, and the royal camp was encumbered by the 
luxury of the palace. A fimilar temper was diffufe'd 
among the fubjedls of the caliph. Their ftern enthufiafm 
was foftened by time and profperity : they fought riches in 
the occupations of induftry, fame in the purfuits of lite¬ 
rature, and happinefs in the tranquillity of domeftic life. 
War was no longer the paffion of the Saracens ; and the in- 
creafe of pay, the repetition of donatives, were infufficient 
to allure the pofterity of thofe voluntary champions who 
had crowded to the flandard of Abubekir and Omar for 
the hopes of fpoil and of paradife. This exuberance of 
effeminacy and refinement gradually made way for the 
revolutions that were to follow. 
From the USURPATION of the SULTANS to 
the COMMENCEMENT of the NINETEENTH 
CENTURY. 
Soon after the deceafe of the caliph A 1 Aded, the views 
of Noureddin in acquiring the fovereignty of Egypt, were 
fruftrated by the fudden death of Shiracou, and the fu~ 
perior addrefs of his nephew Saladin. This celebrated 
hero was a native of the hilly country beyond the Ti¬ 
gris, occupied by the paftoral tribes of the Curds ; a peo¬ 
ple hardy, ftrong, lavage, impatient of the yoke, addicted 
to rapine, and tenacious of the government of their na¬ 
tional chiefs. The refemblance of name, fituation, and 
manners, feem to identify them with the Carduchians of 
the Greeks; and they dill defend, againft the Ottoman 
Porte, the antique freedom which they afferted againft 
the fucceffors of Cyrus. Poverty and ambition prompted 
them to embrace the profefiion of mercenary foldiers; 
and the fervices of his father and uncle unfufpeCledly 
prepared the reign of the fultan. or foldan Saladin. His 
father Ayub, or Job, was a fimple Curd, but of great 
prudence and forefight; and from his name Ayub , was 
denominated the Aiubite dynafty, which ufurped the 
throne of Egypt in the perfon of Saladin, A. D. 1174. 
So unconfcious was Noureddin of the impending ruin of 
his houfe, that he had conftrained the reludtant youth to 
follow his uncle Shiracou into Egypt. On the death of 
Shiracou,-the office of grand vizier was beftowed on Sala¬ 
din, as the youngeft and leaf! dangerous of the emirs of 
Damafcus; but, with the help of his father, whom he 
had invited to Cairo, his genius obtained the afeendant- 
over his equals, and attached the army to his perfon and 
intereft. While Noureddin lived, thele ambitious Curds 
were the moft lnimbie of his (laves 4 and the jealous mur¬ 
murs of the divan were filenced by the prudent Ayub, 
who loudly protefted that, at the command of Noured¬ 
din, he himfelf would lead His Ton in' chains to the foot 
4 N of 
