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departure, their wealth, children, and "wives, in the caverns of a mountain ; "which, being two days journey from any

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habitable place, and defended by its fitu"ation, and burning folitudes, feemed fafe "from enemies. The Greeks, however, thirsting for gold, took this opportunity "to attack them. Athenæus, a comman"der under Antigonus, left Idumea with a

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body of light armed troops, marched "2200 ftadia in three days and three nights, "arrived at the afylum of the Nabatheans, "forced it, killed a part of the unfortunate people they found, took a great number "of prisoners, and carried off the incenfe, myrrh, and five hundred talents of filver, "which had been there depofited. Heat "and fatigue obliged them to halt 200 stadia "from the rock, where a hafty camp was "formed. The foldiers, overwhelmed with "laffitude, and thinking they had nothing "to fear, yielded to the fweets of fleep. "The Nabatheans, however, hearing of "this invafion, immediately departed, and "arrived at their abode. The complaints "of the wounded, and the blood of the

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aged, infpired horror; they flew to ven66 geance;

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geance, and foon came up with the enemy. Some prifoners, profiting by the negligence of the Greeks, got free, and "informed them of the ftate they were in. "The Arabs, hearing this, attacked the camp on all fides, which, favoured by "darkness, they penetrated, maffacred the fleeping foldiers, and transfixed those with "their darts who rofe to take arms. The flaughter was general, only fifty horse

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efcaping, most of them wounded. The "Nabatheans, having recovered their pri"foners and wealth, brought them back, "and, after giving the Greeks this leffon, "wrote to Antigonus, to complain of Athenæus, and juftify their conduct. The "monarch difclaimed the act of his general, "faid it was undertaken without his know

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ledge, and that they were juftified in their "defence; using this diffimulation to ren"der them unfufpicious, and hoping to find

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a more favourable opportunity to revenge "his army's defeat. But the Arabs, placing little faith in the Greeks, kept "on their guard, and fet centinels on the heights, to give intelligence of the approach of the enemy, and they foon pro"fited

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"fited by their prudence.

Some months having elapfed, Antigonus fent eight thou"fand chofen men against them, command"ed by his fon Demetrius, who marched "his army through unfrequented places, "that he might take them by furprize. "Warned by their spies, the Nabatheans "fent their flocks into the depths of the deferts, and fortified themselves on the mountain, which Demetrius found guard"ed by their brave youth, by whom he was vigorously oppofed. After ineffec

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tually attacking them with his whole

force, he retreated, in feeming flight, but "returned to the affault on the morrow,

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with no greater fuccefs. An Arab, then, "with a loud voice, thus called: Wherefore, O king Demetrius, wouldest thou "war with a people who inhabit a wildernefs, without water, wine, or food, and

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containing none of all the things which excite, among you, avarice and ftrife? "The dread of flavery brought us to the "defert, deprived of all the allurements men "with fuch avidity feek, and has reduced

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us to a wild and folitary life, which makes "us incapable of doing you injury. We

"therefore

"therefore intreat you, and the king your

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father, to moleft us not: nay, we will "fend you prefents, to induce you to retire, "and account the Nabatheans among your "faithful friends; and, fhould not these "motives prevail, neceflity foon will force

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you to forfake a wilderness, where you "will want water and food. We never "will fubject ourselves to other manners. "What, then, do you hope from this ex

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pedition? The moft you can obtain will "be fome few flaves, whom force, only, "can hold in fervitude, and who never will "bend to your modes and cuftoms.-Struck

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by this difcourfe, Demetrius made peace "with the Nabatheans."

Such, Sir, were the Arabs, before and after Alexander, and fuch are they ftill. The love of independance ftill lives in their hearts, and their averfion to all foreign subjection still makes them prefer the dreary desert to the most captivating plains. Liberty has so many charms that, to obtain it, they firmly fupport hunger, thirft, and the fcorching fun. Sometimes humbled, but never enflaved, they have braved all the powers of the earth, and fhook off the chains in which

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Thus,

which other nations have alternately been bound. The Romans, mafters of the world, loft the armies they fent to conquer their country. The Egyptians, Perfians, and Ottomans, never could fubdue them. this proud people is the fole nation which has preserved that haughtiness of character, generofity, and inviolable fidelity, which fo highly honour humanity. Deceit and perjury they know not. Ignorant of, though not defpifing, science, found reafon, uprightness, and elevation of foul, distinguish them from all the orientals. In the presence of ftrangers, as in the presence of their princes, they preserve the dignity of man, which they never debase by vile flattery. Serious, but not furly, acute, but not oftentatious, frank, yet not rude, they are acquainted with the charms of a converfation fometimes chearful and fometimes wife. Their friendfhip is facred, and their friend is their brother. Nor are they ftrangers to delicacy of fentiment their poems are pictures of that ardent paffion they refpire, under their fiery fky; and, fometimes, of that gallantry which feems to belong to people more polifhed. Thefe, Sir, are the Arabs which

the

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