Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 6 (1897).djvu/265

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 248 a captive in the royal tent, the sultan, instead of praising his valour, severely reproached his obstinate folly ; and the insolent replies of the rebel provoked a sentence, that he should be fastened to four stakes and left to expire in that painful situation. At this command the desperate Carizmian, drawing a dagger, rushed headlong towards the throne : the guards raised their battle-axes ; their zeal was checked by Alp Arslan, the most skilful archer of the age ; he drew his bow, but his foot slipped, the arrow glanced aside, and he received in his breast the dagger of Joseph, who was instantly cut in pieces. The wound was mortal ; and the Turkish prince bequeathed a dying ad- monition to the pride of kings. " In my youth," said Alp Arslan, " I was advised by a sage to humble myself before God ; to distrust my own strength ; and never to despise the most contemptible foe. I have neglected these lessons ; and my neglect has been deservedly punished. Yesterday, as fi-om an eminence I beheld the numbers, the discipline, and the spirit of my armies, the earth seemed to tremble under my feet ; and I said in my heart, surely thou art the king of the world, the greatest and most invincible of warriors. These armies are no longer mine ; and, in the confidence of my personal strength, I now fall by the hand of an assassin." ^* Alp Arslan possessed the virtues of a Turk and a Musulman ; his voice and stature commanded the reverence of mankind ; his face was shaded with long whiskers ; and his ample turban was fashioned in the shape of a crown. The remains of the sultan were deposited in the tomb of the Seljukian dynasty ; and the passenger might read and meditate this useful inscription : *^ " O ye who have seen THE GLORY OF AlP ArSLAN EXALTED TO THE HEAVENS, REPAIR TO MaRU, and you will BEHOLD IT BURIED IN THE DUST ! " The annihilation of the inscription, and the tomb itself, more forcibly proclaims the instability of human greatne.ss. During the life of Alp Arslan, his eldest son had been acknow- Reign and ledffed as the future sultan of the Turks. On his father's death, SiTi^k shL" the inlieritance was disputed by an uncle, a cousin, and a brother they drew their scymetars, and assembled their followers ; and (torn. iii. p. 212, 213) from their Oriental writers ; but neither of them have trans- fused the spirit of Elniacin (Hist. Saracen, p. 344, 345). ••'A critique of high renown (the late Dr. Johnson), who has severely scrutinised the epitaphs of Pope, might cavil in this sublime inscription at the words, "repair to Maru," since the reader must already be at Maru before he could peruse the inscription. A.D. 1072-1092
 * This interesting death is told by d'Herbelot (p. 103, 104) and M. de Guignes