THE WAY IN WHICH EL-MÁHDY WAS
ENTERTAINED BY THE ARAB.
TRANSLATOR'S PREFATORY NOTE.
El-Máhdy, the third Khalîfah of the Abbasside dynasty, succeeded his father, Abu-Jaʾafar, el-Mansûr, {{ad 158 ({AD}} 774). He died A.H. 169 (A.D. 786), in the forty-second year of his age, having reigned ten years, one month, and fifteen days. Some writers affirm that his death was caused by an accident while hunting; but the more received opinion is it was in consequence of eating a poisoned pear which was given to him by one of his favourite mistresses, for whom it had been prepared by a rival. He was a liberal and munificent, not to say prodigal, prince, as he dissipated in a short time the immense treasures left him by his father. He applied himself diligently to affairs of state; and was greatly beloved by his subjects on account of his impartial administration of justice and aversion to bloodshed.
IT is recorded that one day el-Máhdy went out hunting, and his horse ran away with him until he came to the hut of an Arab. And el-Máhdy cried, "O Arab! hast thou wherewith to feast a guest?"
The Arab replied, "Yes," and produced for him a barley loaf, which el-Máhdy ate. Then he brought
