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affair caused great grief to the Moslems; for the inhabitants of the Holy City were left in the same town with the Franks; and the sound of the bells was plainly heard, whilst the viva-voce summons to prayer was mute. The people were deeply grieved at this, and the Faith was struck dumb with surprise; and the orphan religion was seen from every quarter to frown upon Al Kámil. Al-Násir-Dáood then marched to meet his uncle; and an agreement took place between him and Kámil as to that point; but both contended who should haste to besiege the city (Damascus); and the two brothers arrived, and begirt the city, and besieged it a month, and cut off all intercommunication and subsistence from it, and plundered all the means of supply, and devastated all its means of superiority. Much destruction was effected; and all the dispersed inhabitants were slain, and their villages burnt; so that, for a month, there was exceeding calamity and a great cry. In the end, however, peace was established, on the first of Shabán, upon the terms that Al Násir should turn aside to Karak, and there dwell, and that its sovereignty should remain in his hands. Al Málik then entered the citadel of Damascus. After this, he sent his army to invest Hamah, and gave to his brother Al Ashraf, in lieu of it, Haran

and Ruhan (Edessa), and Rás Áyu, and Rika. Then Al Kámil marched to this city, to assume the government; and the lord of Hamah came forth and submitted himself. After this, Al Ashraf besieged Baalbak, in which was Al Majd, among others. Al Majd came to Damascus and dwelt in his house there. In the year 627, Al Ashraf gave to his brother Sálah Ismaël the lordship of Baalbak; who received its submission, and entered therein.

Now, with respect to Málik-Al-Kámil, he besieged Amida, and erected battering-engines against it, and captured it in the year 630, and took it from its lord, Prince Masúd-Maudád-AlAnabkíl. Al Kámil appointed his own son, SálahNajur-Uddín-Aiyoub, viceroy of Amida. In the year 635, Prince Al-Ashraf-Músá, lord of Damascus, died, and his brother Al Kámil ruled the country after him. Al Kámil also died in the citadel, six months after the death of his brother, Al Ashraf. After Al Kámil, the Prince Al-Jauwad-Ibn-Dáood-Ibn-Al-Adíl became Sultán in Damascus. He expended his treasure, as well as the cities of Bedee, and Asraf, and Shára Al Násir, and received their value in exchange.

Now, with respect to Egypt, its sovereigns were these First, Adil-Ibn-Al-Kamil. Now, Al

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Jauwad took in Damascus a Sinjáb (lṣ~), a sort of squirrel.* Upon this the Sultán, Prince

Saláh-Najur-Uddín-Aiyoub-Ibn-Al-Kámil, cast a longing eye; for Al Jauwad had written to him a description of it; which description caused his own ruin; for the Sultán, Prince Sálah-NajurUddín-Aiyoub-Ibn-Al-Kámil, prepared to advance upon Egypt, and sent a messenger to summon his uncle, Prince Sálah Ismaël, from Baalbac. Then he went to Báblis, and described the thing to his uncle. Thus he stirred the inclination of both towards it. Upon this, Sálah-Omad-UddínIsmaël made a sudden attack upon Damascus, and seized it, and so cut off the matter from SálahUddín-Najur-Aiyoub. Then the comrades of the lord of Karak, Násir Dáood, marched against him from Karak, and seized him, and went with him to Karak. And Násir Dáood, lord of Karak, threw him into prison, demanding for the release of his brother Najur-Uddín-Aiyoub (a ransom), saying that he would barter him for 100,000 dínárs. His uncle, Sálah Ismaël, lord of Damascus, sent to Al Násir again, to demand Najur-Uddín-Aiyoub from him, and offered in exchange a ransom to a great amount. But Al Násir refused to send him to Sálah Ismaël, nor would he accept any part of

* See note.

the proposed ransom. After this he became reconciled to Najur Uddin, and proceeded with him to Egypt, to conquer it and become partners in its government. Then all the chiefs (Omras) of Egypt absconded from Al-Adíl-Ibn-Al-Kámil, and wrote to his brother Najur-Uddín, and incited him to hasten his arrival. He therefore arrived, and seized his brother Al Adíl, and assumed the government of all the Egyptian country without difficulty, or loss, or fatigue. This happened in the month Dhi-1-Kaada. With regard to Al Násir Dáood, he showed him no favour, nor gave him any countenance, so that he returned without success to Karak.

Now, when Al-Násir-Dáood had arrived at Karak, he anxiously desired to effect the liberation of the Holy City from the hands of the Franks, and to purify it from their filthiness and their pollutions; and he began openly to express what had remained hidden in his mind (his sentiments) respecting the avarice of Al Kámil, who, for the sake of obtaining aid and support in his affairs from the Franks, had given to them the Consecrated Temple. So much for the affairs of Al-Násir-Dáood, lord of Karak.

Now for the affairs of the Franks. When Al Kámil had given them the Temple, and had so bountifully granted it to them, they returned

thereunto, and entered it and remained therein; the Moslems remaining also; for in every quarter where those were, these were also, even (associating) in their prayers, in their worship, and in their commemorations; for the same place was used for their Infidelity, their Trinitarianism, and Temple of public concourse (for worship). From these causes the Moslems were much confined and straitened, and greatly depressed in mind. Now it happened that the king of the Franks, when Al Kámil had given him the Consecrated Temple, and he was proceeding to enter it, was met in the road by a certain individual, who was said to be from Náplias, a Kádí there, and in Syria. He came near the king of the Franks, and politely offered to assist him in whatever was required during his advance; nor did he cease to accompany him (as a comrade) until he entered the Holy City with him; and this Kádí then began to conduct the king, and those who were with him, all round the city, and made him visit the most remarkable places, the great spots of the Divine Law, the venerable places of the Covenant. This preacher then became highly esteemed by the king, so that he was willing that he should remain in the Holy City and take up his abode there; and he exempted him from taxes. This said Kádí then entered the Mosque Al Aksá, and

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