sim. He
was therefore rolled in a carpet, just as carpets are usually rolled up,
insomuch that his limbs were crushed."

The avarice of the Khalif was proverbial. When the Mongol army was
investing Miafarakain, the chief, Malik Kamal, told his people that
everything he had should be at the service of those in need: "Thank God, I
am not like Mosta'sim, a worshipper of silver and gold!"

(_Hayton_ in _Ram._ ch. xxvi.; _Per. Quat._ 121; _Pachym. Mic. Palaeol._
II. 24; _Joinville_, p. 182; _Sanuto_, p. 238; _J. As._ ser. V. tom. xi.
490, and xvi. 291; _D'Ohsson_, III. 243; _Hammer's Wassaf_, 75-76; _Quat.
Rashid._ 305.)

NOTE 8.--Nevertheless Froissart brings the Khalif to life again one
hundred and twenty years later, as "_Le Galifre de Baudas_." (Bk. III. ch.
xxiv.)

[1] Not that Alaue (_pace_ Mr. Longfellow) ever did see Cambalu.

CHAPTER VII.

HOW THE CALIF OF BAUDAS TOOK COUNSEL TO SLAY ALL THE CHRISTIANS IN HIS
LAND.

I will tell you then this great marvel that occurred between Baudas and
Mausul.

It was in the year of Christ[NOTE 1] ... that there was a Calif at Baudas
who bore a great hatred to Christians, and was taken up day and night with
the thought how he might either bring those that were in his kingdom over
to his own faith, or might procure them all to be slain. And he used daily
to take counsel about this with the devotees and priests of his
faith,[NOTE 2] for they all bore the Christians like malice. And, indeed,
it is a fact, that the whole body of Saracens throughout the world are
always most malignantly disposed towards the whole body of Christians.

Now it happened that the Calif, with those shrewd priests of his, got hold
of that passage in our Gospel which says, that if a Christian had faith as
a grain of mustard seed, and should bid a mountain be removed, it would be
removed. And such indeed is the truth. But when they had got hold of this
text they were delighted, for it seemed to them the very thing whereby
either to force all the Christians to change their faith, or to bring
destruction upon them all. The Calif therefore called together all the
Christians in his territories, who were extremely numerous. And when they
had come before him, he showed them the Gospel, and made them read the
text which I have mentioned. And when they had read it he asked them if
that was the truth? The Christians answered that it assuredly was so.
"Well," said the Calif, "since you say that it is