The Table Of Solomon
We have told how King Roderic, when he invaded the enchanted palace of
Toledo, found in its empty chambers a single treasure,--the famous table of
Solomon. But this was a treasure worth a king's ransom, a marvellous
talisman, so splendid, so beautiful, so brilliant that the chroniclers can
scarce find words fitly to describe its richness and value. Some say that
it was made of pure gold, richly inlaid with precious stones. Others s
that it was a mosaic of gold and silver, burnished yellow and gleaming
white, ornamented with three rows of priceless jewels, one being of large
pearls, one of costly rubies, and a third of gleaming emeralds. Other
writers say that its top was made of a single emerald, a talisman
revealing the fates in its lucid depths. Most writers say that it stood
upon three hundred and sixty-five feet, each made of a single emerald,
though still another writer declares that it had not a foot to stand upon.
Evidently none of these worthy chroniclers had seen the jewelled table
except in the eye of fancy, which gave it what shape and form best fitted
its far-famed splendor. They varied equally in their history of the
talisman. A mildly drawn story says that it first came from Jerusalem to
Rome, that it fell into the hands of the Goths when they sacked the city
of the Caesars, and that some of them brought it into Spain. But there was
a story more in accordance with the Arabian love of the marvellous which
stated that the table was the work of the Djinn, or Genii, the mighty
spirits of the air, whom the wise king Solomon had subdued and who obeyed
his commands. After Solomon's time it was kept among the holy treasures of
the temple, and became one of the richest spoils of the Romans when they
captured and sacked Jerusalem. It afterwards became the prize of a king of
Spain, perhaps in the way stated above.
Thus fancy has adorned the rich and beautiful work of art which Don
Roderic is said to have found in the enchanted palace, and which he placed
as the noblest of the treasures of Spain in the splendid church of Toledo,
the Gothic capital. This city fell into the hands of Tarik el Tuerto in
his conquering progress through the realm of Spain, and the emerald table,
whose fame had reached the shores of Africa, was sought by him far and
near.
It had disappeared from the church, perhaps carried off by the bishop in
his flight. But fast as the fugitives fled, faster rode the Arab horsemen
on their track, one swift troop riding to Medina Celi, on the high road to
Saragossa. On this route they came to a city named by them
Medinatu-l-Mayidah (city of the table), in which they found the famous
talisman. They brought it to Tarik as one of the choicest spoils of Spain.
Its later history is as curious and much more authentic than its earlier.
Tarik, as we have told in the previous tale, had been sent to Andalusia by
Musa, the caliph's viceroy in Africa, simply that he might gain a footing
in the land, whose conquest Musa reserved for himself. But the impetuous
Tarik was not to be restrained. No sooner was Roderic slain and his army
dispersed than the Arab cavaliers spread far and wide through Spain, city
after city falling into their hands, until it seemed as if nothing would
be left for Musa to conquer.
This state of affairs was far from agreeable to the jealous and ambitious
viceroy. He sent messengers to the caliph at Damascus, in which he claimed
the conquest of Spain as his own, and barely mentioned the name of the
real conqueror. He severely blamed Tarik for presuming to conquer a
kingdom without direct orders, and, gathering an army, he crossed to
Spain, that he might rightfully claim a share in the glory of the
conquest.
Tarik was not ignorant of what Musa had done. He expected to be called
sharply to account by his jealous superior, and knew well that his
brilliant deeds had been overlooked in the viceroy's despatches to
Damascus, then the capital of the Arab empire. The daring soldier was
therefore full of joy when the table of Solomon fell into his hands. He
hoped to win favor from Al-Walid, the caliph, by presenting him this
splendid prize. Yet how was he to accomplish this? Would not Musa, who was
well aware of the existence and value of the table, claim it as his own
and send it to Al-Walid with the false story that he had won it by the
power of his arms?
To defeat this probable act Tarik devised a shrewd stratagem. The table,
as has been stated, was abundantly provided with feet, but of these four
were larger than the rest. One of the latter Tarik took off and concealed,
to be used in the future if what he feared should come to pass.
As it proved, he had not misjudged his jealous lord. In due time Musa came
to Toledo and rode in state through the gate-way of that city, Tarik
following like a humble servitor in his train. As soon as he reached the
palace he haughtily demanded a strict account of the spoils. These were at
hand, and were at once delivered up. Their number and value should have
satisfied his avarice, but the wonderful table of Solomon, of which he had
heard such marvellous accounts, was not among them, and he demanded that
this, too, should be brought forward. As Tarik had foreseen, he designed
to send it to the caliph, as an acceptable present and an evidence of his
victorious career.
The table was produced, and Musa gazed upon it with eyes of delight. His
quick glance, however, soon discovered that one of the emerald feet was
missing.
"It is imperfect," he said. "Where is the missing foot?"
"That I cannot tell you," replied Tarik; "you have the table as it was
brought to me."
Musa, accepting this answer without suspicion, gave orders that the lost
foot should be replaced with one of gold. Then, after thanking the other
leading officers for their zeal and valor, he turned upon Tarik and
accused him in severe tones of disobedience. He ended by depriving him of
his command and putting him under arrest, while he sent the caliph a
report in which Tarik was sharply blamed and the merit of his exploits
made light of. He would have gone farther and put him to death, but this
he dared not do without the caliph's orders.
As it proved, Al-Walid, the Commander of the Faithful, knew something of
the truth. Far distant as Damascus was from Toledo, a report of Tarik's
exploits had reached his august ears, and Musa received orders to replace
him in his command, since it would not do "to render useless one of the
best swords of Islam." Musa dared not disobey; and thus, for the time
being, Tarik triumphed.
And now, for the end of the trouble between Musa and Tarik, we must go
forward in time. They were left in Spain until they had completed the
conquest of that kingdom, then both were ordered to appear before the
caliph's judgment seat. This they did in different methods. Tarik, who had
no thirst for spoil, made haste, with empty hands, to Damascus, where,
though he had no rich presents for the commander of the faithful, he
delighted him with the story of his brilliant deeds. Musa came more slowly
and with more ostentation. Leaving his sons in command in Spain and
Africa, he journeyed slowly to Syria, with all the display of a triumphal
march. With him were one hundred of his principal officers, as many sons
of the highest Berber chiefs, and the kings of the Balearic Islands in all
their barbaric state. In his train rode four hundred captive nobles, each
wearing a crown and girdle of gold, and thirty thousand captives of lower
rank. At intervals in the train were camels and wagons, richly laden with
gold, jewels, and other spoils. He brought to the East the novelties of
the West, hawks, mules, and Barbary horses, and the curious fruits of
Africa and Spain, "treasures," we are told, "the like of which no hearer
ever heard of before, and no beholder ever saw before his eyes."
Thus the proud conqueror came, by slow marches, with frequent halts. He
left Spain in August, 713. It was February, 715, when he reached the
vicinity of Damascus, having spent a year and a half on the way.
Meanwhile, changes had taken place in Syria. Al-Walid, the caliph, was
sick unto death, suffering from a mortal disease, Soliman, his brother and
heir, wrote to Musa when at Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee, asking him to
halt there, as his brother could live but a few days. He, as the new
caliph, would receive him. Al-Walid in turn ordered him to hasten his
march. Musa was in a quandary. If Al-Walid should live, delay might be
fatal. If he should die, haste might be fatal. He took what seemed to him
the safest course, hastened to Damascus, and met with a brilliant
reception. But a change soon came; in forty days Al-Walid died; Soliman,
whom he had disobeyed, was caliph of the empire. Musa's sun was near its
setting.
It was not long before the conqueror found himself treated as a criminal.
He was charged with rapacity, injustice to Tarik, and the purpose of
throwing all power into the hands of his sons. He was even accused of
"disobedience" for making a triumphal entry into Damascus before the death
of Al-Walid. These and other charges were brought, Soliman being bent on
the ruin of the man who had added Africa to the Arabian empire.
When Musa was brought before the caliph for a final hearing Tarik and many
other soldiers from Spain were present, and there stood before the
monarch's throne the splendid table of Solomon, one of the presents which
Musa had made to Al-Walid, declaring it to be the most magnificent of all
the prizes of his valor.
"Tell me," said the caliph to Tarik, "if you know whence this table came."
"It was found by me," answered Tarik. "If you would have evidence of the
truth of my words, O caliph, have it examined and see if it be perfect."
Soliman gave orders, the table was closely examined, and it was soon
discovered that one of its emerald feet was gone and that a foot of gold
occupied its place.
"Ask Musa," said Tarik, "if this was the condition of the table when he
found it."
"Yes," answered Musa, "it was as you see it now."
Tarik answered by taking from under his mantle the foot of emerald which
he had removed, and which just matched the others.
"You may learn now," he said to the caliph, "which of us is the
truth-teller. Here is the lost leg of the table. I found the table and
kept this for evidence. It is the same with most of the treasures Musa has
shown you. It was I who won them and captured the cities in which they
were found. Ask any of these soldiers if I speak the truth or not."
These words were ruinous to Musa. The table had revenged its finder. If
Musa had lied in this case, he had lied in all. So held the angry caliph,
who turned upon him with bitter abuse, calling him thief and liar, and
swearing by Allah that he would crucify him. In the end he ordered the old
man, fourscore years of age, corpulent and asthmatic, to be exposed to the
fierce sun of Syria for a whole summer's day, and bade his brother Omar to
see that the cruel sentence was executed.
Until high noon had passed the old warrior stood under the scorching solar
rays, his blood at length seeming to boil in his veins, while he sank
suffocated to the earth. Death would soon have ended his suffering had not
Omar, declaring "that he had never passed a worse day in his life,"
prevailed upon the caliph to abridge his punishment.
Bent upon his utter ruin, the vindictive Soliman laid upon him the
enormous fine of four million and thirty thousand dinars, equal to about
ten million dollars. His sons were left in power in Spain that they might
aid him in paying the fine. Great as the sum was, Musa, by giving up his
own fortune, by the aid of his sons in Africa and Spain, and by assistance
from his friends, succeeded in obtaining it. But even this did not satisfy
the caliph, who now banished him to his birthplace, that his early friends
might see and despise him in his ruin. He even determined to destroy his
sons, that the whole family might be rooted out and none be left in whose
veins the blood of Musa ran.
The ablest of these sons, Abdul-Aziz, had been left in chief command over
Spain. Thither the caliph sent orders for his death. Much as the young
ruler was esteemed, wisely as he had ruled, no one thought of questioning
an order of the Commander of the Faithful, the mighty autocrat of the
great Arabian empire, and the innocent Abdul was assassinated by some who
had been among his chief friends. His head was then cut off, embalmed, and
sent to Soliman, before whom it was laid, enclosed in a casket of precious
wood.
Sending for Musa, the vindictive caliph had the casket opened in his
presence, saying, as the death-like features appeared, "Do you know whose
head that is?"
The answer of Musa was a pathetic one. Never was there a Moslem, he said,
who less deserved such a fate; never a man of milder heart, braver soul,
or more pious and obedient disposition. In the end the poor old man broke
down, and he could only murmur,--
"Grant me his head, O Commander of the Faithful, that I may shut the lids
of his eyes."
"Thou mayest take it," was Soliman's reply.
And so Musa left the caliph's presence, heart-broken and disconsolate. It
is said that before he died he was forced to beg his bread. Of Tarik we
hear no more. He had fully repaid Musa for his injustice, but the caliph,
who perhaps feared to let any one become too great, failed to restore him
to his command, and he disappeared from history. The cruel Soliman lived
only a year after the death of the victim of his rage. He died in 717, of
remorse for his injustice to Musa, say some, but the record of history is
that he was defeated before Constantinople and died of grief.
Thus ends our story of the table of Solomon. It brought good to none who
had to do with it, and utter disaster to him who had made it an agent of
falsehood and avarice. Injustice cannot hope to hide itself behind a
talisman.
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Never had excitable Paris been more excited. Only one man was talked of, only one subject thought of; there was no longer interest in rumors of war, in political quarrels, in the doings at the king's court; all admiration and all sympathy were turne... Walker The Filibuster And The Invasion Of Nicaragua
On the 15th of October, 1853, a small and daring band of reckless adventurers sailed from San Francisco, on an enterprise seemingly madder and wilder than that which Cortez had undertaken more than three centuries before. The purpose of this handf... Wallace The Hero Of Scotland
On a summer's day, many centuries ago, a young gentleman of Scotland was fishing in the river Irvine, near Ayr, attended by a boy who carried his fishing-basket. The young man was handsome of face, tall of figure, and strongly built, while his ski... Wat Tyler And The Men Of Kent
In that year of woe and dread, 1348, the Black Death fell upon England. Never before had so frightful a calamity been known; never since has it been equalled. Men died by millions. All Europe had been swept by the plague, as by a besom of destruct... William Tell And The Swiss Patriots
"In the year of our Lord 1307," writes an ancient chronicler, "there dwelt a pious countryman in Unterwald beyond the Kernwald, whose name was Henry of Melchthal, a wise, prudent, honest man, well to do and in good esteem among his country-folk, m... Wittekind The Saxon Patriot
As Germany, in its wars with the Romans, found its hero in the great Arminius, or Hermann; and as England, in its contest with the Normans, found a heroic defender in the valiant Hereward; so Saxony, in its struggle with Charlemagne, gave origin t...