Meat nor drink should be given him,
saying, "Now, Calif, eat of thy treasure as much as thou wilt, since thou
art so fond of it; for never shalt thou have aught else to eat!"
So the Calif lingered in the tower four days, and then died like a dog.
Truly his treasure would have been of more service to him had he bestowed
it upon men who would have defended his kingdom and his people, rather
than let himself be taken and deposed and put to death as he was.[NOTE 7]
Howbeit, since that time, there has been never another Calif, either at
Baudas or anywhere else.[NOTE 8]
Now I will tell you of a great miracle that befell at Baudas, wrought by
God on behalf of the Christians.
NOTE 1. - This form of the Mediaeval Frank name of BAGHDAD, Baudas [the
Chinese traveller, Ch'ang Te, Si Shi Ki, XIII. cent., says, "the kingdom
of Bao-da," H. C.], is curiously like that used by the Chinese
historians, Paota (Pauthier; Gaubil), and both are probably due to the
Mongol habit of slurring gutturals. (See Prologue, ch. ii. note 3.)
[Baghdad was taken on the 5th of February, 1258, and the Khalif
surrendered to Hulaku on the 10th of February.
