Abu Bakr having thus set matters at home in order, bethought himself of the injunctions of the Prophet that "true Muslims must fight till all people were of the true religion"; accordingly, summoning together his followers, and pointing out the success which had already attended their arms, he inquired whether it was their wish to carry the war into the region of Syria. Meeting with a ready response to a proposal so much in accordance with the pious zeal of the enthusiastic converts to the religion of the Prophet, Abu Bakr at once sent a circular-letter to all the leading men in Arabia acquainting them with his design, and bidding them remember that "fighting for Religion is an act of obedience to God." A large array of warriors was the response to this exhortation; appointing as general of the forces Yazid, the son of Abu Sufiyan, for many a lengthened year the bitter enemy of Muhammad, the Khalif sent them forth to "conquer or to die." It soon became evident that the troops of the decaying Byzantine Empire were no match for the hardy and inspirited soldiers enrolled under the banner of Islam, and victory bestowed her favours upon those who most deserved them. Encouraged by the success which attended these efforts, Abu Bakr found no difficulty in inducing the inhabitants of Mecca to emulate the deeds of their brethren of Madina, and another army under the command originally of Said ibn Khalid, but subsequently of Amru, famous in after years as the conqueror of Egypt, was despatched to swell the ranks of the Faithful in the regions of Syria. The command of the united forces was placed in the hands of Abu Obaida, whose piety did not unfortunately counterbalance his want of military experience; so after a while he was replaced by the valiant and courageous Khalid. City after city was now compelled to open its gates to the all-conquering Saracens-the name by which these warriors are known to history. One town alone had the courage to resist. Bostra, a populous and wealthy mart, where the commerce of Syria, Iraq and the Hijaz, poured riches into the lap of luxury, was rash enough to refuse to listen to the overtures of the Muslims that she should surrender her faith and her liberty. Trusting to the solid walls which encompassed the town, the inhabitants prepared to resist; at the first, success attended them, and encouraged by the reverses which befel the Saracens, they were emboldened to sally forth and encamp in the plain. But the goddess of victory, fickle in her favours, deserted the Bostra standard, and the ramparts of the town ere long towered down upon the mangled corpses of her faithful citizens. A religion of peace could ill contend with a creed in which fighting was an article of faith; the cross of Christianity had been vanquished by the crescent of Islam. Still the people, though defeated, were not subdued; but the perfidy of the governor, Romanus by name, completed what the zeal of Khalid and his soldiers had commenced. Wrapped in a coat wrought with gold, the faithless traitor proceeded in the dead of night to the camp of the enemy, and offered to deliver up the town, which he had sworn to defend; his overtures were accepted, and a hundred intrepid warriors returned with him to his house, whence they emerged disguised as Christians to wreck vengeance upon the unsuspecting defenders of the city (A.D. 632). The issue could.

DAMASCUS.

not be doubtful, but the verdict of mankind has branded with infamy and disgrace the name of an apostate, who was a traitor to his sovereign, his subjects, and his God.

The redoubtable Saracens now turned their steps towards Damascus, the rich and flourishing capital of Syria, to which city they laid siege. The Emperor Heraclius, beginning to get alarmed at the success which befel the Muslim arms, despatched a band of 5000 men under a general of the name of Calous, to the assistance of the beleaguered town. At the onset the Christians despised their enemies, and did not hesitate to sally forth in the plain; but the trunkless heads of their general, and of the governor, which were thrown over the wall by the victorious assailants, soon caused the trembling followers of the Cross to realise that their only chance of safety lay within the ramparts which gave them protection. They contrived, however, to despatch a messenger at night to apprise the Emperor of the fate of his general, whereupon an army of 100,000 men under the command of Wardan, was sent to relieve Damascus. For a while success inclined towards the Saracens, and the famous Dirar, one of the boldest and most intrepid warriors that ever did battle for the crescent of Islam, was wounded by the son of the Byzantine general; but his Saracen antagonist, incensed at the outrage, drove his lance through the hapless youth with such violence that the point was left sticking in the bone, and the youthful hero tumbled a lifeless corpse on the plain. The Muslim, however, was weakened with loss of blood, and fell into the hands of his enemies. The Saracens now made the most