ions from Medina, he was informed by his scouts of the caravan that
approached on one side; of the Koreish, one hundred horse, eight hundred
and fifty foot, who advanced on the other. After a short debate, he
sacrificed the prospect of wealth to the pursuit of glory and revenge,
and a slight intrenchment was formed, to cover his troops, and a stream
of fresh water, that glided through the valley. "O God," he exclaimed,
as the numbers of the Koreish descended from the hills, "O God, if these
are destroyed, by whom wilt thou be worshipped on the earth?--Courage,
my children; close your ranks; discharge your arrows, and the day is
your own." At these words he placed himself, with Abubeker, on a throne
or pulpit, [130] and instantly demanded the succor of Gabriel and
three thousand angels. His eye was fixed on the field of battle: the
Mussulmans fainted and were pressed: in that decisive moment the prophet
started from his throne, mounted his horse, and cast a handful of sand
into the air: "Let their faces be covered with confusion." Both armies
heard the thunder of his voice: their fancy beheld the angelic warriors:
[131] the Koreish trembled and fled: seventy of the bravest were slain;
and seventy captives adorned the first victory of the faithful. The
dead bodies of the Koreish were despoiled and insulted: two of the most
obnoxious prisoners were punished with death; and the ransom of the
others, four thousand drams of silver, compensated in some degree the
escape of the caravan. But it was in vain that the camels of Abu Sophian
explored a new road through the desert and along the Euphrates: they
were overtaken by the diligence of the Mussulmans; and wealthy must
have been the prize, if twenty thousand drams could be set apart for
the fifth of the apostle. The resentment of the public and private loss
stimulated Abu Sophian to collect a body of three thousand men, seven
hundred of whom were armed with cuirasses, and two hundred were mounted
on horseback; three thousand camels attended his march; and his wife
Henda, with fifteen matrons of Mecca, incessantly sounded their timbrels
to animate the troops, and to magnify the greatness of Hobal, the most
popular deity of the Caaba. The standard of God and Mahomet was upheld
by nine hundred and fifty believers: the disproportion of numbers was
not more alarming than in the field of Beder; and their presumption of
victory prevailed against the divine and human sense of the apostle