Show TRIFLE va alty of ala mla kept him from lead hg moslems at tours the most striking case in history et the importance of trifles Is fur dished by the story 0 musa athe lead er of the moslem host chih won from christendom in three and a halt years doin anions which it tool the sol diers of the cross twenty to win bad he had a red beard this was a trifle musa though a very great general was a very vain man and he dyed his beard black this was another trifle one of his captains chaffed him on the subject and musa forthwith had him stripped and scourged for this at the very ight of ahja conquering career he was recalled by the caliph and disgraced this made it impossible tor him to command the moslem army at the battle of tours on the issue ot which as alt bistor lans agree the destinies ot europe fand perhaps of the who e numan race depended it is almost certain that if the genius of musa had replaced the in competence of the half dozen tribal leaders whose dissensions made vie tory possible the forces of islam would have joined hands from the west to the east and europe in their grasp stray stories |