When the house was plundered, Mohammed ordered the civil magistrates to raze the house and monument; and, whilst that was doing, he carried away Alcolomb and her mother to his palace. There it was he redoubled their affliction, acquainting them with the caliph’s will. He commands me, said he to them, to cause you to be stripped, and expose you naked for three days to the view of the people. It is with the utmost reluctance that I execute that cruel and ignominious sentence. The king delivered these words with such an air, as plainly made it appear his heart was really pierced with grief and compassion. Though the fear of being dethroned obstructed his following the dictates of his pity, yet he in some measure moderated the rigour of Haroun Alraschid’s orders, causing coarse sacks, like smocks with sleeves, to be made of horse-hair, for Ganem’s mother, and his sister Alcolomb, or Ravisher of Hearts. The next day, these two victims of the caliph’s rage were stripped of their clothes, and their horse-hair smocks put upon them; their head-dress was also taken away, so that their dishevelled hair hung upon their backs. Alcolomb had the finest hair in the world; and it hung down to the ground. In that condition, they were exposed to the people. The civil magistrate, attended by his officers, went along with them; and they were conducted throughout all the city. A crier went before them, who, every now and then, cried, This is the punishment due to those who have drawn on themselves the indignation of the chief of the believers. When they walked in this manner along the streets of Damascus, with their arms and feet naked, clad in such a strange garment, and endeavouring to hide their shame under their hair, with which they covered their faces, all the people were dissolved in tears; more especially the ladies, looking on them as innocent persons, through their lattice-windows, and being particularly moved by Alcolomb’s youth and beauty, made the air ring with their dreadful shrieks, as they passed before their houses. The very children, frightened at those shrieks, and at the spectacle that occasioned them, mixed their cries with that general lamentation, and added new horror to it. In short, had an enemy been at Damascus, and then putting all to fire and sword, the consternation could not have been greater. It was near night when that dismal scene concluded. The mother and daughter were both conducted back to king Mohammed’s palace. Not being used to walk barefoot, they were so spent, that they lay a long time in a swoon. The queen of Damascus, highly afflicted at their misfortunes, notwithstanding the caliph’s prohibition to relieve them, sent some of her women to comfort them with all sorts of refreshments, and wine to raise their spirits.