Ringing of arms, and flapping in the breeze Of the Abyssinian trumpet*, swell and float. "who?" Who leads this mighty army? - Rous'd in his Palace by the dread alarms, Defiance fierce at Islam and the world, "This trumpet is often called, in Abyssinia, nesser cano, which signifies the Note of the Eagle."-Note of Bruce's Editor. The two black standards borne before the Caliphs of the House of Abbas were called, allegorically, The Night and The Shadow. See Gibbon. The Mahometan religion. § "The Persians swear by the Tomb of Shah Besade, who is buried at Casbin; and when one desires another to asseverate a matter, he will ask him, if he dare swear by the Holy Grave." -STRUY. His shadowy banners proudly to the breeze, Ne'er did the march of MAHADI display On their light mountain steeds, of royal stock: § The flashing of their swords' rich marquetry; * Mahadi, in a single pilgrimage to Mecca, expended six millions of dinars of gold. "Nivem Mcccam apportavit, rem ibi aut nunquam aut raro visam.”— Abulfeda. The inhabitants of Hejaz or Arabia Petræa, called by an Eastern writer "The People of the Rock." See Ebn Haukal. "Those horses, called by the Arabians Kochlani, of whom a written genealogy has been kept for 2000 years. They are said to derive their origin from King Solomon's steeds." — NIEBUHR. "Many of the figures on the blades of their swords are wrought in gold or silver, or in marquetry with small gems."— Asiat. Misc. v. i. Men, from the regions near the VOLGA's mouth, Nor less in number, though more new and rude Burning and headlong as the Samiel wind- Flock'd to his banner;- Chiefs of the' UZBEK race, * Azab or Saba. "The chiefs of the Uzbek Tartars wear a plume of white heron's feathers in their turbans."-Account of Independent Tartary. ‡ "In the mountains of Nishapour and Tous (in Khorassan) they find turquoises." "-EBN HAUKAL. § For a description of these stupendous ranges of mountains, see Elphinstone's Caubul. But none, of all who own'd the Chief's command, Or sterner hate, than IRAN's outlaw'd men, Vengeance at last for their dear country spurn'd, Such was the wild and miscellaneous host, That high in air their motley banners tost Around the Prophet-Chief- all eyes still bent Upon that glittering Veil, where'er it went, *The Ghebers or Guebres, those original natives of Persia, who adhered to their ancient faith, the religion of Zoroaster, and who, after the conquest of their country by the Arabs, were either persecuted at home, or forced to become wanderers abroad. "Yezd, the chief residence of those ancient natives, who worship the Sun and the Fire, which latter they have carefully kept lighted, without being once extinguished for a moment, about 3000 years, on a mountain near Yezd, called Ater Quedah, signifying the House or Mansion of the Fire. He is reckoned very unfortunate who dies off that mountain."- STEPHEN'S Persia. "When the weather is hazy, the springs of Naphtha (on an island near Baku) boil up the higher, and the Naphtha often takes fire on the surface of the earth, and runs in a flame into the sea to a distance almost incredible."HANWAY on the Everlasting Fire at Baku. That beacon through the battle's stormy flood, That rainbow of the field, whose showers were blood! Twice hath the sun upon their conflict set, And risen again, and found them grappling yet; In the red Desert, when the wind's abroad. "On, Swords of God!" the panting CALIPH calls, "And EBLIS blast the recreant slave that flies!" Now comes the brunt, the crisis of the day They clash-they strive-the CALIPH'S troops give way! MOKANNA's self plucks the black Banner down, Is just within his grasp — when, hark, that shout! A warrior (like those angel youths who led, In glorious panoply of Heav'n's own mail, The Champions of the Faith through BEDER'S valet,) * Savary says of the south wind, which blows in Egypt from February to May, "Sometimes it appears only in the shape of an impetuous whirlwind, which passes rapidly, and is fatal to the traveller, surprised in the middle of the deserts. Torrents of burning sand roll before it, the firmament is enveloped in a thick veil, and the sun appears of the colour of blood. Sometimes whole caravans are buried in it." + In the great victory gained by Mahomed at Beder, he was assisted, say the |