messages passed between the parties-and Hossein being now well aware that the Kufans had deserted him, offered to abandon his enterprise and return home; but this, or any other condition, was now refused, unless he would first acknowledge Yezid to be the true and only caliph of the Moslems. Amer then proceeded to cut off the communications between Hossein's camp and the Euphrates, or rather with those branches of it called the rivers of Kerbelah," whereby, as intended, his people were in that burning climate reduced to the most dreadful extremities from thirst, with refreshing streams before their eyes. This led to a conference between Hossein and Amer, attended by twenty men each, in the space between the two camps. But nothing came of it, as the governor of Kufah would not authorize Amer to accept any other terms than unconditional submission, or the decision of the sword; and at the same time he dispatched a reinforcement of five thousand men under Shamer. The governor also sent the offer of his protection to four sons of Ali in Hossein's camp, if they chose to separate their cause from their brother's; but they refused it, saying that "the protection of God was better than that of the son of Somyah." Amer being thus reinforced, and having received a reprimand for his dilatoriness, drew up his ten thousand men in order of battle, and advanced towards the camp of Hossein, which lay there before this great army like a small fold of sheep in the wilderness. It was then past the hour of evening prayer, and Hossein, who was in the tent with his brother Abbas, asked and obtained a truce till the following day. The night was spent in prayers and supplications, broken by the wailings of women-Hossein's sister and daughters-over the approaching doom of their brother and father, which their fears foresaw. At the break of day, both sides made the usual movements before a battle. Amer arranged his troops in battle array, and advanced to the camp to begin the attack. Upon this Hossein mounted his horse, and laying before him the Koran, which he vainly reverenced as the book of God, he conjured his soldiers, by all they held dear in this life and in the life to come, to attend him in the path of duty. This drew floods of tears from Hossein's sister and daughters, who rent the air with their lamentations, upon which he sent his son Ali and his brother Abbas to pacify them, declaring that he would rather die on the field of battle than renounce his rights in the servile manner required. At this moving scene Harro, who has already been mentioned as one of Yezid's commanders, was so overcome, that he declared aloud his grief at having intercepted Hossein, and rode over to his side, followed by thirty of his men, declaring his determination to die with the grandson of "the prophet." A final effort was then made to mollify Amer; but he alleged that the orders he had received precluded all pacific measures -on which Harro upbraided him and all the Kufans with having imposed upon Hossein to his ruin, and reproached him with having deprived the heir of the prophet of the water of the Euphrates, which Christians, Jews, and Sabians were allowed to drink, and in which even swine and dogs might disport their unclean carcases. Then, as usual in eastern battles, the fight began in single combats, see 2 Sam. ii. 13-17; 1 Sam. xvii. 23, in which the champions of Hossein performed such exploits, that Amer hastened to secure the advantage of his numbers in a general action. In this, also, the force of Hossein performed prodigies of valour. But what could even the valour of despair avail against such fearful odds? At midday, although the battle had then become hot in all parts, Hossein performed his noontide devotions with great fervency, in the midst of the shattered remains of his little army-adding the prayer of Fear, which is never used but in the last emergencies of adverse fortune. The fight had already, in fact, been almost fatal to Hossein, who had lost his best men, and the greater number of his troops. The renewed attack made frightful havoc of the small remainder, and before evening scarcely any remained but Hossein himself, his little son Abdallah, and his nephew, also a child. The last had his hand struck off in the act of embracing his uncle, and was forthwith slain; and the little Abdallah was struck dead by an arrow while in his father's lap. All was then nearly over. Hossein received first a wound in the head, which filled his helmet with blood, and was afterwards shot in the mouth with an arrow while quenching his burning thirst. But he still continued to defend himself like a man impelled by despair-insomuch that no one of his enemies ventured for a time to give to the smitten lion at bay the last mortal blow. At length his sister Zeinab made a desperate effort to save him, by asking Amer how he could have the heart to see Hossein slain. Upon this appeal, large tears were seen to run down his beard, and he turned his face away from her. But the other commander, who was of a more fierce temper, cursed and upbraided his men for not approaching Hossein; where-upon one advanced, and wounded him in the hand, another smote him in the neck, a third thrust him through with his spear, and he sank to the ground after having received thirty-three wounds, and thirty-four contusions. After he fell, his head was struck off, and the conquering soldiers rode over his body so often that it was trodden into the very ground. The head was the next day presented to Obeidallah the governor of Kufah, who struck it over the mouth with his staff, and treated it with much contempt. The enmity with which this person had acted was, however, not approved by his master Yezid; who, upon the arrival of the express sent from Kufah to apprise him of what had happened, and to congratulate him on the success of his arms, is reported to have shed tears, and said, "May God refuse his blessing to the son |