228 THE BOY CRUSADERS. -

such as the Gate of the Talisman, a lofty minaret,
built in 785; the tomb of Zobeida, the most beloved
of the wives of Haroun Alraschid; and the famous
Madressa College, founded in 1233 by the. Caliph
Mustenatser. | ;

No traces, however, are left of the palace so long
inhabited by the caliphs; nor does anything mark
the place where, though its glory was about to
depart, it still stood in all its pride, with the black
banner of the Abassides floating over its portals,
when the ambassadors of St. Louis reached Bagdad,
and craved an audience of the heir of the prophet.
It was a sight to impress even men accustomed to
the wealth and splendour of Acre; and they thanked
God for having conducted them in safety to a place
where there was a prospect of food and rest.

But Walter Espec was not thinking of such things; —
his whole mind was occupied with the question,
whether or not his lost brother was a captive within
these walls.