Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/412

 720–4] extent the law and custom of Islam has been built, and which incidentally also give us a clear and generally authentic view of the Prophet’s life itself.

Early in his reign Yezīd was persuaded to nominate as successor his brother Hishām, and after him his own son Al-Welīd, then but eleven years of age. Homage was done to both accordingly throughout the Empire. A few years later he repented that he had not given the succession immediately to his son; but did not venture on a change.

Yezīd had even a greater passion for the ḥarīm than any of his predecessors, but it was more fixed and constant. We are told of a slave-girl Ḥabbāba and a songstress Sallāma, whose influence was supreme at Court. Even Ibn Hubeira was said to have obtained his high place through them. His attachment to the former was so great that he did not many days survive her death. He had retired with her for a season to a garden retreat in Palestine, and there casting playfully a grape-stone into her mouth, it choked her, and she died upon the spot. For three days he clung weeping to her relics. At last he was persuaded to let her be buried. The funeral service was performed by his brother Maslama, who feared that if the Caliph were seen by the people, they would be scandalised at the extravagance of his grief. He never recovered composure or self-control, and died within a week. The cry of Sallāma, who was tending his last moments, was the first intimation of the fact to his family and attendants.