throughout Asia. Haroun caused his sister to be thrown
into a well, commanded that Giaffar should lose his head, and ordered
every relative of the unfortunate Bermacide to be put to death. The
father of the vizier, a venerable old man, respected throughout the
empire, which he had long governed, met his fate with the most heroic
firmness. Before he expired, he wrote these {211} words to the
sanguinary despot: "_The accused departs first; the accuser will
shortly follow. Both will appear in the presence of a Judge whom no
arguments can deceive!_"

The implacable Haroun carried his vengeance so far as to forbid that
any one should mention the names of his hapless victims. One of his
subjects, named Mundir, had the courage to brave this edict, and
publicly to pronounce the eulogy of the beloved Bermacides.

The tyrant commanded that the offending Mussulman should appear before
him, and threatened him with punishment for what he had done.

"You can silence me only by inflicting death upon me!" replied Mundir:
"that you have the power of doing; but you cannot extinguish the
gratitude entertained by the whole empire for those virtuous ministers:
even the ruins you have made of the monuments which they erected, speak
of their fame in spite of you!" It is said that the monarch was
touched by the words of this fearless defender of the dead, and that he
commanded a golden plate to be presented to him.

Such was the famous caliph who bore the name of _the Just_. Almamon,
his son, received no surname; but he deserved to be ranked with the
wisest and the most virtuous of men. Some idea of his character may be
formed from the following anecdote. It is recorded of him, that his
viziers urged him to punish with death one of his relations who had
taken arms against him, and caused himself to be proclaimed caliph.
Almamon, however, rejected this sanguinary counsel, saying at the same
time, "Alas! if they who have injured me, knew how much pleasure I
experience in forgiving my enemies, they would hasten to appear before
me to confess their faults!" This excellent prince was the munificent
{212} patron of science and the arts, and his reign formed the most
brilliant epoch of the glorious days of the Arabs.

D, page 54.

_Wars with the kings of Leon, and incursions into Catalonia, &c._

Historians do not agree concerning the precise period when Charlemagne
entered Spain. It would appear, however, that it was during the