ADVENTURES OF THE CALIPH HAROUN ALRASCHID, 215

 

people, and hear their reports of his court and government. On one
occasion he and his grand vizier Giafar disguised themselves as foreign
merchants, and went their way through the different parts of the city.
As they entered on a bridge which connected together the two parts of
the city of Bagdad, divided by the River Euphrates, they met an old
blind man, who asked alms. The caliph put a piece of gold into his
hand, on which the blind man caught hold of his hand, and stopped
him, saying, ‘Sir, pray forgive me; I desire you would either give me a
box on the ear, or take your alms back again, for I cannot receive it
but on that condition, without breaking a solemn oath which I have
sworn to God; and if you knew the reason you would agree with me
that the punishment is very slight.’

The caliph, unwilling to be detained any longer, yielded to the impor-
tunity of the blind man, and gave him a very slight blow: whereupon
he immediately let him go, thanked and blessed him.

When they came into the town they found in a square a great crowd
of spectators, looking at a young man who was mounted on a mare,
which he drove and urged full speed round the place, spurring and
whipping the poor creature so barbarously that she was all over sweat
and blood.

The caliph, amazed at the inhumanity of the rider, stopped to ask
the people if they knew why he used the mare so ill, but could learn
nothing except that for some time past he had every day. at the same
hour, treated her in the same manner.

The caliph, on his way to his palace, observed in a street, which he
had not passed through for a long time, an edifice newly built, which
seemed to him to be the palace of some one of the great lords of the
court. He asked the grand vizier if he knew to whom it belonged;
who answered he did not, but would inquire; and thereupon asked a
neighbour, who told him that the house belonged to one Cogia Hassan,
surnamed Alhabbal, on account of his original trade of rope-making,
which he had seen him at work at himself, when poor; that without
knowing how fortune had favoured him, he supposed he must have
acquired great wealth, as he defrayed honourably and splendidly she
expenses he had been at in building.

The grand vizier rejoined the caliph, and gave him a full account of
what he had heard. ‘I must see this fortunate ropemaker,’ said the
caliph, ‘and also this blind beggar, and the young man who treated the
mare so cruelly; therefore go and tell them to come to my palace.’
Accordingly the vizier obeyed.

 

pointed out the hours, struck them by dropping little balls on a bell or drum,
and caused little doors to open and a number of knights on horseback to come
out as corresponded with the hours. He was the last of the caliphs who made
a pilgrimage to Mecca, and he visited the prophet’s shrine eight different times.
He made Bagdad his capital, and the tomb of Zobeide is still shown there. He
reigned a.p. 780 to 805. Gibbon gives a graphic account of the riches and
splendour of Haroupv Alraschid.