is momentous,
because it deprived the idolaters of their chief means of vituperation
and ensured the gradual dying down of the fire of abuse. Mahomet received
Ka'b with the utmost honour, and threw over him his own mantle as a sign
of his rejoicing at the acquisition of so potent a man. Ka'b thereupon
composed the "Poem of the Mantle" in praise of his leader and lord, a
poem which has rendered him famous and well-beloved throughout the whole
Muslim world.

Now embassies came to Mahomet from all parts of Arabia. Instead of being
the suppliant he became the dictator, for whose favour princes sued.
Hadramaut and Yemen sent tokens of alliance and promises of conversion,
even the far-off tribes upon the borders of Syria were not all equally
hostile and were content to send deputations.

Nevertheless, it was from the North that his power was threatened. Secure
as was his control over Central and Southern Arabia, the northern
feudatories backed by Heraclius were still obdurate and even openly
hostile. They were the one hope that Arabia possessed of throwing off the
Prophet's yoke, which even now was threatening to press hardly upon their
unrestrained natures. All the malcontents looked towards the North
for deliverance, and made haste to rally, if possible, to the side of the
Syrian border states. Towards the end of the year signs were not wanting
of a concerted effort to overthrow his power on the part of all the
northern tribes, who had as their ally a powerful emperor, and therefore
might with reason expect to triumph over a usurper who had put his yoke
upon their brethren of the southern interior, and was only deterred from
attempting their complete reduction to the status of tributary states by
the distance between his capital and themselves, added to the menace of
the imperial legions.

CHAPTER XX

ICONOCLASM

"Oh Prophet, contend against the Infidels and the hypocrites,
and be rigorous with them. Hell shall be their dwelling-place!
Wretched the journey thither."--_The Kuran._

The clouds upon the Syrian border gathered so rapidly that they
threatened any moment to burst during the autumn of 680. When Mahomet
heard that the feudatories were massed under the bidding of Heraclius at
Hims, he realised there was no time to be lost. Eagerly he summoned his
army, and expected from it the same enthusiasm for the campaign as he
himself displayed.

But there was no generous response to his call. Syria was