my clothes.”  “From whence?” “From behind me.”  “Where art thou going?” “Before me.”  “Upon what dost thou travel?” “Upon the earth” Hyjauje, vexed at the pertness of the youth, exclaimed, “Quit this trifling, and inform me whence thou comest.”  “From Egypt.”  “Art thou from Cairo?” “Why askest thou?” said the boy?” “Because,” replied Hyjauje, “her sands are of gold, and her river Nile miraculously fruitful; but her women are wanton, free to every conqueror, and her men unstable.”  “I am not from thence, but from Damascus,” cried the youth.”  “Then,” said Hyjauje, “thou art from a most rebellious place, filled with wretched inhabitants, a wavering race, neither Jews nor Christians.”  “But I am not from thence,” replied the youth, “but from Khorassan.”  “That is a most impure country,” said Hyjauje, “whose religion is worthless, for the inhabitants are of all barbarians the most savage.  Plunderers of flocks, they know not mercy, their poor are greedy, and their rich men misers.”  “I am not of them,” cried the youth, “but of Moussul.”  “Then,” exclaimed Hyjauje, “thou art of an unnatural and adulterous race, whose youths are catamites, and whose old men are obstinate as asses.”  “But I am from Yemen,” said the boy.  “If so,” answered the tyrant, “thou belongest to a comfortless region, where the most honourable profession is robbery, where the middling ranks tan hides, and where a wretched poor spin wool and weave coarse mantles.”  “But I am from Mecca,” said the boy.”  “Then,” replied Hyjauje, “thou comest from a mine of perverseness, stupidity, ignorance, and slothfulness; for from among its people God raised up his prophet, whom they disbelieved, rejected, and forced away to a strange nation, who loved, venerated, and assisted him in spite of the men of Mecca.  But whence comest thou, youth? for thy pertness is become troublesome, and my inclination leads me to punish thee for thy impertinence.”  “Had I been assured that thou durst kill me,” cried the youth, “I should not have appeared before thee; but thou canst not.”  “Woe to thee, rash boy,” exclaimed Hyjauje; “who is he that can prevent my executing thee instantly?” “To thee be thy woe,” replied the youth:  “he can prevent thee who directs man and his inmost thoughts, and who never falsifieth his gracious promises.”  “He it is,” cried the tyrant, “who instigates me to put thee to death.”  “Withhold thy blaspheming,” replied the youth; “it is not God, but Satan that prompts thy mind to my murder, and with God I hope for refuge from the accursed:  but know, that I am from the glorious Medina, the seat of religion, virtue, respectability, and honour, descended of the race of Bin Ghalib, and family of Ali, son of Abou Talib, whom God has glorified and approved, and will protect all his posterity, which you would extirpate; but you cannot root it out, for it will flourish even to the last day of the existence of this world.”