mitted into the immediate presence of God,

tells us that he crows before the Lord. And the Chaldee Paraphrast on Job also tells us of him, and of his crowing every morning before the Lord, and that God giveth him wisdom for this purpose. What is farther said of this bird of the Talmudists, may be seen in Buxtorf's Synagoga Judaica, cap. 50, and in Purchas's Pilgrimage, lib. ii. cap. 20.

From this first heaven, the Impostor tells us, he ascended up into the second, which was at the distance of five hundred years' journey above it, and this he makes to be the distance of every one of the seven heavens each above the other. Here the gates being opened unto him, as in the first heaven, at his entrance he met Noah, who rejoicing much at the sight of him, recommended himself to his prayers. In this heaven which was all made of pure gold, the Impostor tells us he saw twice as many angels as in the former, and among them one of a prodigious greatness. For his feet being placed on this second heaven, his head reached to the third.

From this second heaven he ascended up into the third, which was made of precious stones; where at the entrance he met Abraham, who also recommended himself to his prayers. And there he saw a vast many more angels than in the former heaven, and among them another great one of so prodigious a size, that the distance between his two eyes was as much as seventy thousand days' journey, according to our rate of travelling here on earth. But here Mahomet was out in his mathematics; for the distance between a man's eyes being in proportion to his height but as one to seventy-two, according to this rate, the height of this angel must have been near fourteen thousand years' journey, which is four times as much as the height of all his seven heavens together, and therefore

he was favoured with particular regard: from

it is impossible such an angel could ever stand within any one of them. But notwithstanding this, here he placeth him, and in his description of him, tells us, that he had before him a large table, in which he was continually writing and blotting out; and that having asked the angel Gabriel of him, he was informed by him, that this was the angel of death, who continually writes into the table, which he had before him, the names of all that are to be born, and there computes the days of their life, and as he finds they have completed the number assigned them, again blots them out, and that whoever hath his name thus blotted out by him, immediately dies.

From hence he ascended up into the fourth heaven, which was all of emerald; where at the entrance he met Joseph, the son of Jacob, who recommended himself to his prayers. And in this heaven he after saw a vastly larger number of angels than in the former, and among them another great angel, as high as from this fourth heaven to the fifth, who was continually weeping, and making great lamentation and mourning; and this, the angel Gabriel told him, was for the sins of and the destruction which they did thereby bring upon themselves.

men,

From hence he ascended up into the fifth heaven, which was made of adamant, where he found Moses, who recommended himself to his prayers; and there also he saw a much greater number of angels than in the former heaven.

From hence he ascended up into the sixth heaven, which was all of carbuncle, where he found John the Baptist, who recommended himself to his prayers. And here he also saw the number of angels much increased beyond what he had seen in any of the former heavens.

heaven he returned again to Jerusalem, and

From hence he ascended up into the seventh heaven, which was all made of divine light, and here he found Jesus Christ, where it is to be observed, he alters his style. For he saith not, that Jesus Christ recommendeth himself to his prayers, but that he recommended himself to Jesus Christ, desiring him to pray for him; whereby he acknowledged him certainly to be the greater. But it was his usage, through the whole scene of his imposture, thus to flatter the Christians on all occasions. Here he saith, he found a much greater number of angels than in all the other heavens besides, and among them one extraordinary angel having seventy thousand heads, and in every head seventy thousand tongues, and every tongue uttering seventy thousand distinct voices at the same time, with which he continued day and night incessantly praising God.

The angel Gabriel having brought him thus far, told him, that it was not permitted him to go any farther, and therefore directed him to ascend up the rest of the way to the throne of God by himself, which, he saith, he performed with great difficulty, passing through waters and snow, and many other such difficult passages, till he came where he heard a voice saying unto him, "O Mahomet, salute thy Creator;" from whence ascending higher, he came into a place where he saw a vast extension of light, of that exceeding brightness, that his eyes could not bear it, and this was the habitation of the Almighty, where his throne was placed, on the right side of which, he says, God's name and his own were written in these Arabic words, La ellah ellallah Mohammed resul ellah, i. e. There is no God but God, and

Mahomet is his Prophet; which is the creed of the Maho

ཞི་

afterwards to Mecca, performing in the tenth

metans, which words, he also says, he found written upon all the gates of the seven heavens, which he passed through. Being approached to the presence of God, as near as within two bow-shots, he tells us he saw him, sitting on his throne, with a covering of seventy thousand veils before his face; that on his drawing thus near, in sign of his favour, he put forth his hand, and laid it upon him, which was of that exceeding coldness, that it pierced to the very marrow of his back, and he could not bear it. That after this, God entering into a very familiar converse with him, revealed unto him a great many hidden mysteries, made him understand the whole of his law, and gave him many things in charge concerning his instructing men in the knowledge of it; and, in conclusion, bestowed on him several privileges above the rest of mankind. As that he should be the perfectest of all creatures; that at the day of judgment he should be honoured and advanced above the rest of mankind; that he should be the redeemer of all that believe in him; that he should have the knowledge of all languages; and, lastly, that the spoils of all whom he should conquer in war, should belong to him alone. And then returning, he found the angel Gabriel tarrying for him, in the place where he left him, who, conducting him back again through all the seven heavens the same way that he brought him, did set him again upon the Alborak, which he left tied at Jerusalem; and then taking the bridle in his hand, conducted him back to Mecca in the same manner as he brought him thence, and all this within the space of the tenth part of one night.-See Prideaux's Life of Mahomet.

part of a night the journey of many thousand

years'.

Great as was the credulity of his followers, many were offended and left, but Abu-beker, his successor in the regal and pontifical dignity, vouching for the veracity of the Prophet, preserved his tottering reputation at this critical juncture, and saved his sinking cause. Mohammed perceived affairs taking such a turn at Mecca, that longer continuance there would be perilous in the extreme: at first he was undecided as to the place of retreat, but at length Medina appeared the most eligible asylum. His retreat is considered as miraculous by the Musulmans, and frequently adverted to in the Koran', a regular conspiracy had been formed by the Koreish for his assassination, and he was preserved only by the magnanimity of Ali, who