74 THE HISTORY OF TIIE ORDER OF [book i.

France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Prussia, Poland,.Bohemia, Hungary, formed the vast empire of theWest; and like it was the Mahometan of manynations, from the Nile to the Indus. Nor wasreligion an impediment; for Charlemagne crossedthe Pyrenees to assist an Islamite Emir who hadasked for his protection; nor Haroun el Rascid waswithout Christian subjects in numbers, Nestorians,Jacobites, Greeks, and Roman Catholics, and others;whence a liberal toleration was quite as necessaryto him as to Charlemagne, as they no doubt bothfelt.

As soon as the forty-sixth year of Mahometan-ism, the Arabs had besieged Constantinople; and in718 the same, without success, principally fromthe Greek fire, the destructive discovery of a Syrianor Egyptian, who deserted to the Greeks, bringinghis secret with him; since which, these crafty Chris-tians kept hidden the way of making it. It Avas amatter of conscience, a revelation from Heaven.Prince and subject, each religiously bound not todivulge the saving mystery. Grand in the extremeAvas the Grecian Court—its Varangian guards,famous for their splendid costume, and lofty size,and undaunted fidelity, Avere all Danes, NorAve-gians, or English. Its Emperor was the first slave 'of the ceremonial he so rigidly ordained; his every

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