A

THE GENEROUS CREDITOR.

HMED-IBN-MÛSA* is reported to have said,

"I never saw a man of more firmness of character, or greater knowledge and clearness in argument, than one of whom word was brought to elMansûr that he held possession of certain goods belonging to the Benu-'Omeyyah. So el-Mansûr commanded er-Rabîiả, his chamberlain, to have him summoned. And when he appeared before him, elMansûr said, "It has been reported to us that thou holdest a deposit of money and arms belonging to the Benu-'Omeyyah. Produce it, therefore, that we may place it in the Bait-el-Mâl."†

* Ahmed-ibn-Mûsa-ibn-Abi-Máryam, el-Luluy, a member of the tribe of Khuzâảh, was a teacher of the Kurân readings and the Traditions. The date of his death is not mentioned by IbnKhalikân.

+ See Note*, p. 22.

Then said the man, "O Commander of the Faithful! art thou heir to the Benu-'Omeyyah ?"

"No," replied el-Mansûr.

"Then why," continued the man, "dost thou seek for information concerning those possessions of the Benu-'Omeyyah which are in my hands, if thou art neither their heir nor their executor ?"

So el-Mansûr was silenced for a time, and then remarked, "Verily the Benu-'Omeyyah oppressed the people and forced money from the Muslims."

To this the man replied, "It is necessary, Commander of the Faithful, that eye-witnesses whom the judge can (by reason of their respectability) receive, should testify that the goods now in my possession did belong to the Benu-'Omeyyah, and that they are identical with what the Benu'Omeyyah forced from the people. For surely the Commander of the Faithful is aware that the Benu-'Omeyyah had wealth of their own besides that which, according to the statement of the Commander of the Faithful, they forced from the Muslims."

So el-Mansûr reflected for a space, and presently said, "O Rabîià! the man has spoken the truth. We

do not want anything from him." Then addressing the man, he added, "Hast thou a wish?"

"Yes," he replied.

"What is it?" asked el-Mansûr.

"That thou," said he, "shouldst judge between me and him who denounced me to thee. For by Allâh! O Commander of the Faithful! I have neither money nor arms belonging to the Benu-'Omeyyah. But I was brought before thee, and I knew what thou art in justice and equity, and in following after right and forsaking oppression, and I was therefore confident that the speech of which I made use when thou didst ask me about the goods would be the surest and the safest."

Then cried el-Mansûr, "O Rabîiả! let him be confronted with the man who denounced him."

So they were brought face to face. And the man who had been accused, said, "O Commander of the Faithful! this one took five hundred dinârs from me and ran away, and I have a legal document against him."

Then el-Mansûr questioned the other man, and he acknowledged the debt. So el-Mansûr asked, "What possessed thee to accuse him falsely?"

He replied, "I wished his death, in order that the money might be mine."

Then said the first man, "Verily, O Commander of the Faithful! I make a free gift to him thereof because that he has caused me to stand before thee, and has brought me into the presence of thy Council. And I give him another five hundred dinârs by reason of the words thou hast spoken to me."

So el-Mansûr praised his deed, and extolled him, and. sent him back to his country highly honoured. And el-Mansûr always said, "I never in my life saw any one like this old man, nor one possessing greater firmness of mind, nor one who could overcome me in argument as did he; nor have I ever seen clemency and generosity equal to his.

THE WAY IN WHICH EL-MÁHDY WAS ENTERTAINED BY THE ARAB.

TRANSLATOR'S PREFATORY NOTE.

El-Máhdy, the third Khalîfah of the Abbasside dynasty, succeeded his father, Abu-Ja'afar, el-Mansûr, A.H. 158 (A.D. 774). He died a.H. 169 (A.D. 786), in the forty-second year of his age, having reigned ten years, one month, and fifteen days. Some writers affirm that his death was caused by an accident while hunting; but the more received opinion is that it was in consequence of eating a poisoned pear which was given to him by one of his favourite mistresses, for whom it had been prepared by a rival. He was a liberal and munificent, not to say prodigal, prince, as he dissipated in a short time the immense treasures left him by his father. He applied himself diligently to affairs of state; and was greatly beloved by his subjects on account of his impartial administration of justice and aversion to bloodshed.

T is recorded that one day el-Máhdy went out

IT

hunting, and his horse ran away with him until he came to the hut of an Arab. And el-Máhdy cried, "O Arab! hast thou wherewith to feast a guest?"

The Arab replied, "Yes," and produced for him a barley loaf, which el-Máhdy ate. Then he brought