A history of Egypt in the Middle Ages

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ...up. He had succeeded in all his plans. Every part of Saladin's empire, except northern Syria, was under his control and governed by one or other of his many sons. Cairo, Damascus, Edessa, Harriin, G'a'bar, Mayyafarikin, even the Yemen, had each a son of the great sultan for its governor, and his frequent journeys from end to end of his empire kept each and all in a high state of efficiency and preparedness:--A Monarch, whose majestic air Fills all the range of sight, whose care Fills all the regions everywhere; Who such a watch doth keep That, save where he doth fet his lance In rest to check the foe's advance, His eye with bright and piercing glance Knows neither rest nor sleep.1 The Franks had been powerless against him; their little raids bad scarcely injured him; and the few sacrifices of territory he had made--Beyrut, Jaffa, Nazareth--were well repaid by long intervals of tranquillity, during which he was continually increasing his strength. His personal character must have been attractive, for he won the admiration and friendship of King Richard and many otherCrusaders. His oriental biographer2 describes him as a man of extraordinary prudence and foresight, armed with information and fortified by experience, and therefore fortunate in all his undertakings. He was endowed 1 Baha-ed-din Zuheyr, ii. 258, paraphrased by Falmer to preserve the play upon the Arabic word for slumber or rest. Baha-ed-din was a contemporary poet, who afterwards became the confidant and court poet of es-Sabh Ayyub, 'Adil's grandson.-Ibn-Khallikan, iii. 235 IT. SIEGE OF DAMIETTA 221 with remarkable physical powers, sound health, and high spirits; a great eater, who could finish off a roast lamb at a meal; passionately fond of women: he indulged in pleasure with his whole soul, a...