This is a directive in the [Muslim] tongue sent to the great Pope; may he may take note and comprehend it, what has been written. The petition of the assembly convened in the lands of the Emperor [seeking our support], has been heard from your emissaries. If bearer of this petition reaches you with his own report, you, who are the great Pope, together with all the Princes, must come in person to serve us. At that time, I shall make known all the commands of the Yasa.

Through the power of God, all empires from the rising of the sun to its setting have been given to us and we own them. How could anyone achieve anything except by God’s order? Now, however, you must say with a sincere heart: “We shall be obedient, we, too, make our strength available. You personally, at the head of the Kings, you shall come, one and all, to pay homage to me and to serve me. Then we shall take note of your submission. If, however, you do not accept God’s order and act against our command, we shall know that you are our enemies.

Seeing that not only men but even irrational animals, nay, the very elements which go to make up the world machine, are united by a certain innate law after the manner of the celestial spirits, all of which God the Creator has divided into choirs in the enduring stability of peaceful order, it is not without cause that we are driven to express in strong terms our amazement that you, as we have heard, have invaded many countries belonging both to Christians and to others and are laying them waste in a horrible desolation, and with a fury still unabated you do not cease from stretching out your destroying hand to more distant lands, but, breaking the bond of natural ties, sparing neither sex nor age, you rage against all indiscriminately with the swo

Yesterday, having drunk too much, I was so intoxicated as to pass all bounds; but none of the rude and course language I used was uttered in a conscious state. The next morning, after hearing others speak on the subject, I realized what had happened, whereupon I was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the earth with shame. It was due to a vessel of small capacity being filled for the nonce too full. I humbly trust that you in your wise benevolence will not condemn me for my transgression. Soon I will come to apologize in person, but meanwhile I beg to send this written communication for your kind inspection. Leaving much unsaid, I am yours respectfully.

After the party of Normans had passed through Rome, unarmed, they made a halt in Campania, worn out by the rigours of their journey. The news of the Normans’ arrival spread quickly in Italy. When Melus learned that the Gauls had arrived there he hurried to them. He gave them the arms which they lacked and then ordered them to follow him.

So after they had returned to their native land, they immediately started to encourage their relatives to come with them to Italy. They talked of the fertility of Apulia and of the cowardice of those who lived there. They advised them to carry with them only what was necessary for the journey; for they promised that once there they would find a wise patron, under whose leadership they would gain an easy victory over the Greeks. By such means they persuaded many to go; some because they possessed little or no wealth, others because they wished to make the great fortune they had greater still. All of them were greedy for gain. They started their journey, each of them carrying what supplies they felt necessary, so far as was possible, for the road they were travelling.

Some of these men had climbed to the summit of Monte Gargano, to you, Michael the Archangel, to fulfil a vow which they had made. There they saw a man clad in the Greek manner, called Melus. They were amazed at the peculiar costume of this stranger, one which they had never seen before, with his head tied up in a bonnet wrapped around it. On seeing him they asked who he was and where he came from. He replied that he was a Lombard, a citizen of noble birth from Bari, and that he had been forced to flee from his native land by the cruelty of the Greeks. When the Gauls sympathised with his fate he said, ‘If I had the help of some of your people, it would be easy for me to return, provided that you were willing’. Indeed he assured them that with their help the Greeks could rapidly and with no great effort be put to flight. They promised him that they would swiftly provide this help, along with others from their country, to which they were about to return.

Do you know that, east of China’s mountains, in two hundred districts And in thousands of villages, nothing grows but weeds, And though strong women have bent to the ploughing, East and west the furrows all are broken down? … Men of China are able to face the stiffest battle, But their officers drive them like chickens and dogs. Whatever is asked of them, Dare they complain? For example, this winter Held west of the gate, Challenged for taxes, How could they pay? … We have learned that to have a son is bad luck- It is very much better to have a daughter Who can marry and live in the house of a neighbour, While under the sod we bury our boys. … Go to the Blue Sea, look along the shore At all the old white bones forsaken— New ghosts are wailing there now with the old, Loudest in the dark sky of a stormy day.

We remember others at fifteen sent north to guard the river And at forty sent west to cultivate the campfarms. The mayor wound their turbans for them when they started out. With their turbaned hair white now, they are still at the border, At the border where the blood of men spills like the sea— And still the heart of Emperor Wu is beating for war.

The war-chariots rattle, The war-horses whinny. Each man of you has a bow and a quiver at his belt. Father, mother, son, wife, stare at you going, Till dust shall have buried the bridge beyond Changan. They run with you, crying, they tug at your sleeves, And the sound of their sorrow goes up to the clouds; And every time a bystander asks you a question, You can only say to him that you have to go.

Zayd ibn Thabit added, “A verse from Surat Ahzab was missed by me when we copied the Qur’an and I used to hear Allah’s Messenger reciting it. So we searched for it and found it with Abu’l-Khuzayma al-Ansari. That verse was: “Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allah.”

Anas ibn Malik said: Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman went with ‘Uthman when he was preparing the army of Syria to conquer Armenia and Adharbayjan together with the army of Iraq. Hudhayfa was shocked by the difference in their reading of the Qur’an and aid to ‘Uthman “O Commander of the Faithful catch this community before they differ about their book as do the Jews and Christians.” ‘Uthman sent to Hafsa to say “Send us the leaves. We shall copy them in codices and return them to you.” Hafsa sent them to ‘Uthman, who ordered Zayd ibn Thabit, ‘Abdallah ibn al-Zubayr, Sa’id ibn al-‘As, and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham to copy them into codices. ‘Uthman said to the three of them who were of the tribe of Quraysh, “If you differ from Zayd ibn Thabit on anything in the Qur’an, write it according to the language of Quraysh, for it is in their language that the Qur’an was revealed.” They did this, and when they had copied the leaves into codices, ‘Uthman returned the leaves to Hafsa. He sent copies of the codex which they made in all direction and gave orders to burn every leaf or codex which differed from it.

Sahih al-Bukhari 4986 Zayd ibn Thabit said: Abu Bakr sent for me at the time of the battle of al-Yamama, and ‘Umar ibn al-Kattab was with him. Abu Bakr said: ‘Umar has come to me and said, “Death raged at the battle of al-Yamama and took many of the reciters of the Qur’an. I fear lest death in battle overtake the reciters of the Qur’an in the provinces and a large part of the Qur’an be lost. I think you should give orders to collect the Qur’an.” “What?” I asked ‘Umar, “Will you do something which the Prophet of God himself did not do?” “By God,” replied ‘Umar, “it would be a good deed.” ‘Umar did not cease to urge me until God opened my heart to this and I thought as ‘Umar did. Zayd continued: Abu Bakr said to me, “You are a young man, intelligent, and we see no fault in you, and you have already written down the revelation for the Prophet of God, may God bless and save him. Therefore go and seek the Qur’an and assemble it.” By God, if he had ordered me to move a mountain it would not have been harder for me than his order to collect the Qur’an. “What?” I asked, “Will you do something which the Prophet of God himself, may God bless and save him, did not do?” “By God,” replied Abu Bakr, “it would be a good deed.” And he did not cease to urge me until God opened my heart to this as he had opened the hearts of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Then I sought out and collected the parts of the Qur’an, whether written on palm leaves or flat stones or in the hearts of men. Thus I found the end of the Surah of Repentance, which I had been unable to find anywhere else, with Abu’l-Khuzayma al-Ansari. These were the verses: “There came to you a Prophet from among yourselves. It grieves him that you sin . . .” to the end. The leaves were with Abu Bakr until his death, then with ‘Umar as long as he lived, and then with Hafsa the daughter of ‘Umar.

Having waited for some time until Attila advanced in front of us, we proceeded, and having crossed some rivers we arrived at a large village, where Attila’s house was said to be more splendid than his residences in other places. It was made of polished boards, and surrounded with a wooden enclosure, designed, not for protection, but for appearance. The house of Onegesius was second to the king’s in splendour, and was also encircled with a wooden enclosure, but it was not adorned with towers like that of the king. Not far from the enclosure was a large bath which Onegesius–who was the second in power among the Scythians– built, having transported the stones from Pannonia; for the barbarians in this district had no stones or trees, but used imported material. The builder of the bath was a captive from Sirmium, who expected to win his freedom as payment for making the bath. But he was disappointed, and greater trouble befell him than mere captivity among the Scythians, for Onegesius appointed him bathman, and he used to minister to him and his family when they bathed.

Having advanced a distance of seven days farther, we halted at a village; for as the rest of the route was the same for us and Attila, it behoved us to wait, so that he might go in front. Here we met with some of the “western Romans,” who had also come on an embassy to Attila–the count Romulus, Promotus governor of Noricum, and Romanus a military captain. With them was Constantius whom Aetius had sent to Attila to be his secretary, and Tatulus, the father of Orestes; these two were not connected with the embassy, but were friends of the ambassadors. Constantius had known them of old in the Italies, and Orestes had married the daughter of Romulus.

We set out with the barbarians, and arrived at Sardica, which is thirteen days for a fast traveller from Constantinople. Halting there we considered it advisable to invite Edecon and the barbarians with him to dinner. The inhabitants of the place sold us sheep and oxen, which we slaughtered, and we prepared a meal. In the course of the feast, as the barbarians lauded Attila and we lauded the Emperor, Bigilas remarked that it was not fair to compare a man and a god, meaning Attila by the man and Theodosius by the god. The Huns grew excited and hot at this remark. But we turned the conversation in another direction, and soothed their wounded feelings; and after dinner, when we separated, Maximin presented Edecon and Orestes with silk garments and Indian gems….

For there is no doubt that it is impossible to efface everything at once from their obdurate minds; because he who endeavours to ascend to the highest place, rises by degrees or steps, and not by leaps. Thus the Lord made Himself known to the people of Israel in Egypt; and yet He allowed them the use of the sacrifices which they were wont to offer to the Devil, in his own worship; so as to command them in his sacrifice to kill beasts, to the end that, changing their hearts, they might lay aside one part of the sacrifice, whilst they retained another; that whilst they offered the same beasts which they were wont to offer, they should offer them to God, and not to idols; and thus they would no longer be the same sacrifices.

For if those temples are well built, it is requisite that they be converted from the worship of devils to the service of the true God; that the nation, seeing that their temples are not destroyed, may remove error from their hearts, and knowing and adoring the true God, may the more familiarly resort to the places to which they have been accustomed.

To his most beloved son, the Abbot Mellitus; Gregory, the servant of the servants of God. We have been much concerned, since the departure of our congregation that is with you, because we have received no account of the success of your journey. When, therefore, Almighty God shall bring you to the most reverend Bishop Augustine, our brother, tell him what I have, upon mature deliberation on the affair of the English, determined upon, viz., that the temples of the idols in that nation ought not to be destroyed; but let the idols that are in them be destroyed

When Ardashir reached the age which was the time for higher instruction he became so proficient in literary knowledge, riding, and other arts that he was renowned throughout Pars. When Ardashir attained the age of fifteen years information reached Artabanus that Papak had a son proficient and accomplished in learning and riding. He wrote a letter to Papak to this effect: “We have heard that you have a son, who is accomplished and very proficient in learning and riding; our desire has been that you should send him to our court, and he shall be near us, so that he will associate with our sons and princes, and we might order for him position and reward according to the learning which he possesses.”

The interpreters of dreams spoke thus: “The person that was seen in that dream, he or somebody from among the sons of that man will succeed to the sovereignty of this world, because the sun and the richly adorned white elephant that you observed represented vigor and the triumph of opulence; the sacred fire of Frobag, the religious intelligence of the great men among the Mobads; and the sacred fire Gushasp, warriors and military chieftains; and the sacred fire Burzin-Mitro, the farmers and agriculturists of the world: and thus this sovereignty will fall to that man or the descendants of that man.”

During the evil reign of Alexander, the descendants of Darab privately lived in distant lands, wandering with Kurdish shepherds. Papak did not know that Sasan was descended from the family of Darab, son of Darae. One night Papak saw in a dream as though the sun was shining from the head of Sasan and giving light to the whole world. Another night he dreamt that Sasan was seated on a richly adorned white elephant, and that all those that stood around him in the kingdom made obeisance to him, praised, and blessed him. The next third night he, accordingly, saw as if the sacred fires Frobag, Gushasp, and Burzin-Mitro were burning in the house of Sasan and giving light to the whole world. He wondered at it, and directly invited to his presence the sages and interpreters of dreams, and narrated to them the visions he had seen in his dreams during those three nights.

The Inspector of Jiaozhou, one Zhu Fu, was killed by the Yi bandits and the provinces and commanderies rose up in rebellion. Xie thereupon recommended that Yi take over as Grand Administrator of Hebu. His second brother, Hui, formerly the Prefect of Xuwen, was made Grand Administrator of Jiuzhen. And Hui’s younger brother, Wu, was appointed Grand Administrator of Nanhai.

Shi Xie’s brothers were all commandery notabilities and they occupied a dominating position throughout the province; ten thousand li away from the court, their majestic influence was incomparable. Whenever (Xie) entered and whenever he went out, the reverberation of bells and stone chimes was heard; pomp and decorum were fully observed and the flutes and pipes were sounded. Chariots and outriders filled the road while men of Hu by the dozen, with incense smoldering, marched close beside the wheels of his carriage. Then there came the curtained coaches of his wives and concubines and then his sons and younger brothers, followed by the cavalry. All this while, his splendor awed the hundred Man and kept them at bay; even Commandant To could not compare with him.

. Between these two Spirits the Demon-worshipers could not discern aright. To them Deception came at the time of decision, And they chose the Worst Mind. With violence then they rushed together, Life, in the world, to destroy.

. And when these Twin Spirits came together at first, They established Life and the Denial of Life; And so shall it be till the world will last. The worst existence shall be the lot of the followers of evil, And the state of Best-Consciousness be the reward of the righteous.

. In the beginning there were two primal spirits, Twins spontaneously active, These are the Good and the Evil, in thought, and in word, and in deed. Between these two, let the wise choose aright. Be good, not base!