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 418 THE DECLINE AND FALL numbers of the Syrians ; they were saved by the presence of Caled,^^ with fifteen hundred horse ; he blamed the enterprise, [Shorahbu] restored the battle, and rescued his friend, the venerable Serjabil, who had vainly invoked the unity of God and the promises of the apostle. After a short repose, the Moslems performed their ablutions with sand instead of water ; ^° and the morning prayer was recited by Caled before they mounted on horseback. Con- fident in their strength, the people of Bosra threw open their gates, drew their forces into the plain, and swore to die in the defence of their religion. But a religion of peace was incapable of withstanding the fanatic cry of " Fight, fight ! Paradise, paradise ! " that re-echoed in the ranks of the Saracens ; and the uproar of the town, the ringing of bells,*^^ and the exclamations of the priests and monks increased the dismay and disorder of the Christians. With the loss of two hundred and thirty men, the Arabs remained masters of the field ; and the ramparts of Bosra, in expectation of human or divine aid, were crowded with holy crosses and consecrated banners. The governor Romanus had recommended an early submission : despised by the people, and degraded from his office, he still retained the desire and opportunity of revenge. In a nocturnal interview, he informed the enemy of a subterraneous passage from his house under the wall of the city ; the son of the caliph, with an hundred volun- teers, were committed to the faith of this new ally, and their successful intrepidity gave an easy entrance to their companions. After Caled had imposed the terms of servitude and tribute, the apostate or convert avowed in the assembly of the people his meritorious treason. " I renounce your society," said Romanus, " both in this world and the world to come. And I deny him "[The accounts of the wonderful march of Khalid across the Syrian desert, by way of Duma and Korakar and Tadmor, must be received with caution. The story of the taking of Busra told in the text is taken from Ockley and has no good authority. Cp. Weil, i. 39 ; Muir, Early Cahphate, p. 101-3.] 8" The apostle of a desert and an army was obliged to allow this ready succeda- neum for water (Koran, c. iii. p. 66, c. v. p. 83) ; but the Arabian and Persian casuists have embarrassed his free permission with many niceties and distinctions (P eland, de Relig. Mohammed. 1. i. p. 82, 83. Chardin, Voyages en Perse, torn, iv.). •^^ The bells rung I Ockley, toI. i. p. 38. Yet I much doubt whether this ex- pression can be justified by the text of Al Wakidi, or the practice of the times. Ad Graecos, says the learned Ducange (Glossar. med. et infim. Grsecitat. tom. i. p. 774), campanarum usus serius transit et etiamnum rarissimus est. The oldest example which he can find in the Byzantine wTiters is of the year 1040 ; but the Venetians pretend that they introduced bells at Constantinople in the ixth century. [When Mohammad said (ace. to the Traditions) "There is a devil in every bell," he meant the bells worn by girls round their ankles. Cp. S. Lane- Poole, Speeches and Tabletalk of the Prophet M., 168. The Christians of Arabia at that time called to church by beating a wooden stick with a rod.]