on earth; the Manichæan, with his incongruous mixture of Persian philosophy; Arians, Eutychians, Gnostics, Montanists, Marcianites, Sabellians, Valentinians, and a host of obscurer sects, all rose up in the theological arena, to foment new divisions, and perplex religion with trivial and unintelligible distinctions. Each of these had their leaders and abetters, whose names gave a sanction to the wildest reveries that human imagination could invent. Of their deluded followers, some macerated their bodies with hunger and thirst; some tore their flesh with scourges of whipcord; and others, tired of terrestrial vanities, shut themselves up in dens and holes of the earth, leading a life more worthy of a savage animal than a rational being. To this universal degeneracy of manners and opinions were added the vices that degraded the character of the clergy. The primitive examples of peace, love, and charity, of singleness of heart and disinterested zeal, had vanished amid the struggles of jarring factions and ambitious prelates. The infatuated disputants contended with implacable fury about points the determination of which lay beyond the reach of human intellect. It was the remark of a heathen writer, not more severe than true, concerning the Christians of the fourth century, "that their animosity towards each other exceeded the ferocity of the beasts against man. The quarrels of rival dignitaries cast a reproach on the faith of which they were the unworthy defenders. So keenly were the supreme honours of the church contested, that episcopal elections became scenes of bribery, violence, and murder. Damasus and Ursicinus, at Rome, in the year 366, carried their priestly strife to such an extreme, that the city was given up for the time to anarchy and massacre, not fewer than 137 persons being found killed in one day in the church of Sicininus. Such was the lamentable state * Ammian. Marcellin. lib. xxi. xxvii,

of religion and morals,-of heretical divisions and clerical degeneracy, which paved the way for the downfall of the Eastern Church; and such were the favourable opportunities held out to the daring fana ticism of the Arabian Prophet for establishing that gigantic superstition, which so soon threw its baleful shadow over the first conquests of the apostles, and the fairest provinces of Christianity.

CHAPTER VI.

LIFE OF MOHAMMED.

Contradictory Views of Mohammed's Life and Character-His Birth and Education-Visits Syria as a Merchant-Marries Kadijah-Affects an austere and retired Life-Proposes to reform Religion-Assumes the Title and Office of the Apostle of God-His first Converts-Announces publicly his prophetic Mission His unfavourable Reception-His Proselytes increase-Miracle of splitting the Moon-The famous Night Journey to Heaven-His Secret League with the Medinian Converts-The Koreish resolve to put him to Death-His Escape and Flight to Medina-Proclaims a Holy War against the Infidels-Battle of Bedr-Defeat of the Moslems at Ohud -Quarrel with the Jews-Siege of Medina-Expedition to Mecca, and Truce with the Koreish-Siege and Capitulation of Khaibar-Attempt to poison the Prophet-Mohammed sends Letters and Ambassadors to Foreign Courts-Respect shown him by his Followers-Battle of Muta-Capture of Mecca by the Moslems-Demolition of Idols and ImagesBattle of Honain-Surrender of Taïf-Expedition to TabucIncreased Power and Success of Mohammed-His valedictory Pilgrimage to Mecca-His Sickness and Death-His personal Appearance-His private Character and Habits-His Wives and Concubines-His supposed Ignorance of Letters-Concluding Reflections.

THE life of Mohammed, and the peculiar institutions of which he was the author, have been treated at great length, and by an infinite number of writers; some of whom have spoken of them in a tone of

bitter hostility, others in a style of panegyric, that destroys all confidence in their veracity. The narratives of the Mussulmans themselves, from whom it was natural to expect the most authentic and satisfactory accounts, as being the collectors, if not the actual witnesses, of the circumstances they relate, are unsafe guides. These writers had a deep interest in the fame of their prophet, which has tinged their histories with extreme partiality, and must greatly depreciate the value of their testimony. The Christian annalists we can hardly suppose to be more trustworthy in this particular than their Mohammedan opponents. Hating both the creed and the apostle of the infidels, it is not likely they would give a fair representation even of the truth; or that they would spread any reports but such as were to his prejudice, and which might tend to bring his impious forgeries into derision.

Though much uncertainty on this subject has been removed by our increased acquaintance with the literature of the East, and a more candid spirit of investigation introduced, there still remains considerable obscurity respecting the personal history of Mohammed. The narratives of his life are broken and disjointed, resting sometimes on equivocal evidence, and very often enveloped in a thick cloud of supernatural wonders, that makes it difficult to separate between earth and heaven, or discriminate the exact bounds of truth and fiction.* To dignify

* The authors who have written Lives of Mohammed it would be tedious to enumerate. The best Arabic biography yet discovered is that by Abulfeda, which was translated into Latin in 1723, and illustrated with copious notes by John Gagnier, Professor of Arabic at Oxford. This work, for a Mussulman, is candid and judicious. Al Beidawi, Shahrestani, Al Jannabi Nuvairi, Mircond, and most of the other oriental historians, are full of legends, and not worth noticing here: they have been consulted and copiously used by D'Herbelot and the authors of the Universal History (Mod. Part, vol. i.). The Lives of Mohammed, not mere translations, but compiled from various

these reveries with the name of history would be an insult to common sense; while to discard them entirely would have shorn, in the opinion of all true Mussulmans, the character of their prophet of its greatest glory. We have deemed it the more proper course to record the statements of these authors as we found them; satisfied that the broad line of separation, between the probable and the miraculous, will of itself point out to the reader what he ought to reject and what to believe. It falls not to the lot of ordinary mortals, for instance, to be exempted from original sin, to converse familiarly with angels, to split the moon, or make a personal excursion through the seven heavens; yet these and other marvellous exploits are gravely ascribed to the Arabian apostle. Such ridiculous extravagance stands self-refuted, and requires no antidote or contradiction.

Mohammed (or Mahomet, as he is improperly called) was born at Mecca; but the precise date of his birth has been disputed. The computation most generally approved has fixed it in the 569th year of our chronology.* The calumny of his early Chris

authors, are innumerable. That by Dean Prideaux, published in 1697, has been long popular; it is learned but dull, compiled from suspicious authorities, and tainted with prejudice. The one by the Count de Boulainvilliers, which appeared in 1730, is deserving of no credit, either for its sentiments or its consistency with fact. It is a preliminary essay or romance rather than a history, being a mere fragment, and bringing the life of the Prophet only down to the fifth year of his mission. The learned Abbé Maracci prefixed a life, full of bitter invective, to his Translation and Refutation of the Koran (in 1698). Gagnier compiled a biography, in 2 vols., from the Koran and the best Arabic authors, in 1732. He is impartial; but he writes like a Mussulman,-recording facts and fables, miracles and visions, with the same imperturbable solemnity, and without a single remark. That prefixed to Savary's Translation of the Koran is an excellent abridgment of the Prophet's Life.

*Or in 571, the lunar reckoning of the Arabs making a difference of more than two years. Elmacin and Abulfarage adopt

tian adversaries, who sought to debase him into a man of low plebeian origin, has long been exploded; for whatever uncertainty may rest on the first gradations of his pedigree, he could, without doubt, number among his ancestors in a direct line many generations of pure and genuine nobility.

The Arabs glory in the number of their children; it is the highest honour and ambition of their wives.* In this respect Providence had richly crowned the domestic happiness of Abdolmotalleb; he was the father of six daughters and thirteen sons. Abdallah was a younger son,-the best beloved of his father, the most beautiful and amiable of the Arabian youth. His personal charms are said to have exposed him to many temptations, similar to what the virtuous Hebrew captive encountered in the service of Potiphar. The maidens of the Koreish pined in secret admiration, and eagerly courted his alliance. About his twenty-fifth year he was united to Amina, daughter of Waheb, chief of the Zahrites, a family of princely rank, being also descended from the Koreish. She was famed for her wisdom and beauty, and had been sought in marriage by the wealthiest of her kinsmen. The consummation of their nuptials was fatal to many languishing hopes; for the tradition of Ibn Abbas assures us, that on the same night 200 virgins expired of jealousy and despair. There was not a soothsayer, we are told, or prophetess, in all Arabia, but had intimation of the auspicious event; and not

571; Reiske, 572. The Benedictine monks (Art. de Verif. des Dates) fix it on the 10th of November, 570. Prideaux and Hottinger, on the authority of Arabian writers, remove it to May, 571. Gagnier makes it 569 of the vulgar era, or 578 from the birth of Christ.

"It was the custom, that when a woman brought forth ten male children, she should be called Munejeba (or the ennobled), and her name be published among the Arabs; and they used to say that the wife of such a one is ennobled."—Romance of Antar, p. 21.