420 THE DECLINE AND FALL religion were indignantly hurled into the midst of the city. The event of some general and partial actions reduced the Damas- cenes to a closer defence ; but a messenger, whom they dropped from the walls, returned with the promise of speedy and power- ful succour, and their tumultuous joy conveyed the intelligence to the camp of the Arabs. After some debate it was resolved by the generals to raise, or rather to suspend, the siege of Damascus, till they had given battle to the forces of the emperor. In the retreat, Caled would have chosen the more perilous station of the rear-guard ; he modestly yielded to the wishes of Abu Obeidah. But in the hour of danger he flew to the rescue of his companion, who was rudely pressed by a sally of six thousand horse and ten thousand foot, and few among the Christians could relate at Damascus the circumstances of their defeat. The importance of the contest required the junction of the Saracens who were dispersed on the frontiers of Syria and Palestine ; and I shall transcribe one of the circular mandates which was addressed to Amrou the future conqueror of Egypt. " In the name of the most merciful God : from Caled to Amrou, health and happiness. Know that thy brethren the Moslems design to march to Aiznadin, where there is an army of seventy thousand Greeks, who purpose to come against us, that they may ejctinguish the light of God with their moutlia ; but Gud preserveth his light in spite of the infidels.^^ As soon, therefore, as this letter of mine shall be delivered to thy hands, come with those that are with thee to Aiznadin, where thou shalt find us, if it please the most high God." The summons was cheerfully obeyed, and the forty-five thousand Moslems who met on the same day, on the same spot, ascribed to the blessing of providence the effects of their activity and zeal. Battle of About four years after the triumphs of the Persian war, the ^Slras?' repose of Heraclius and the empire was again disturbed by a new enemy, the power of whose religion was more strongly felt than it was clearly understood by the Christians of the East. In his palace of Constantinople or Antioch, he was awakened by the invasion of Syria, the loss of Bosra, and the danger of Damascus. An army of seventy thousand veterans, or new levies, was as- sembled at Hems or Emesa, under the command of his general ss These words are a text of the Koran, c. ix. 32, Ixi. 8. Like our fanatics of the last century, the Moslems, on every familiar or important occasion, spoke the language of their scriptures ; a style more natural in their mouths than the Hebrew idiom transplanted into the climate and dialect of Britain. July 13
