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EDICT OF MAHOMET.

329

in the East, or in the West, near and afar off, for all who are eloquent and not eloquent, known and unknown. He who shall not follow what it contains, and will not do what I enjoin, will act contrary to the will of God, and will deserve to be cursed, be he who he may, sultan or any other Mussulman.

"If a priest or a hermit retires to a mountain, cavern, plain, desert, town, village, or church, I shall be behind him as his protector from all enemies, I myself in person, my forces, and my subjects; as those priests are my rayas, I shall avoid doing them any injury. Voluntary contributions only shall be taken from them, and they shall not be constrained to pay any. It is not lawful to drive a bishop from his bishopric, nor a priest from his religion, nor a hermit from his hermitage: nothing belonging to their churches shall be used in the building of mosques, or even in the building of the dwellings of Mussulmans. He who shall not conform to this will violate the law of God and that of his Prophet.

"It is forbidden to impose contributions upon priests, bishops, and religious men. I will maintain their privileges, wherever they may be, on land or on sea, in the east or in the west, in the south or in the north: they shall enjoy my privileges and my safeguard against all disagreeable things. Those who shall sow and plant in the mountains and in the sequestered places, shall pay neither tithes nor contributions, not even voluntarily, when the produce is destined for their own subsistence. If they are in want of corn, they shall be assisted with one measure for each house, and they shall not be obliged to go forth to war, or to pay any taxes.

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EDICT OF MAHOMET.

"Those who possess immoveable property or merchandise, shall not give more than twelve silver drachmas per year. None shall be molested; neither shall any enter into strife with those who follow the precepts of the Gospel, but behave mildly towards them, avoiding all disagreeable things.

"When a Christian woman shall join the Mussulmans, they shall treat her well, and permit her to go and pray in a church, without placing any obstacle between her and her religion. He who does the contrary shall be regarded as a rebel against God and his Prophet.

"The Christians shall be assisted to preserve their churches and their houses, which will assist them to preserve their religion; they shall not be obliged to bear arms, but the Mussulmans shall bear arms for them, and they shall not disobey this ordinance until the end of the world.

"The witnesses who attest the truth of this edict, which has been issued by Mohammed ebn Abdallah, the envoy of God, for all the Christians, and which is the complement of what has been granted to them, are:

"Aly ebn Taleb, Aboubekr Aly Kohafey, Omar ebn el Khattab, Otman ebn Hassan, Abou el Darda, Abou Horeyrah, Abdallah Abou Massaoud, Abbas ebn Abdel Motteb, Fodeyl ebn Abbas, Zobeir ebn Aouân, Talhat ebn Obeydallah, Saad ebn Maôz, Saad ebn Obadey, Thabet ebn Kays Mou Khayetmeth, Hachem ebn Ommyeh, Hâreth ebn Thabet, Abdallah ebn Amrou, Ebn el Ass, Amer ebn Yassin, Meazzam ebn Kerachy, Adel Azim ebn Hassan.

"This edict was written by the hand of Aly ebn Taleb,

TRAVELLERS' BOOK.

331

the 3d of Mohanam, in the second year of the Hegira, and of Jesus Christ, the 1st of August, 622: it is signed by the Prophet himself. Happy he who shall do, and woe to him who shall not do according to its contents."

I turned over with curious eye the book, or kind of register, in which the strangers who visit the monastery write their names. For a long time past travellers have not been numerous. Sometimes six months elapse

Most of those whose sig

without a single visiter. natures I have seen are English or Germans. Here, my friend, is a copy of the names of some, with the observations appended to each: I transcribe them without remark. It will be sufficient to read what they have written, in order to form a judgment of their sentiments and opinions :

"Eucher Eloy, French naturalist, coming from Egypt and going to Mount Lebanon and Constantinople, thence to Persia, and finally to Russia, the 21st of April, 1831."

"On the 9th of September, 1823, arrived here, not to see Mount Sinai, but for an object of utility, Fred. Burckhardt and Charles Falkenstein, from Holstein, with Martin Bretzkec from Moravia."

"Joseph Lane arrived on the 7th of September, 1828, to visit this interesting country. It was his intention to ascend Sinai at once, and to stay only a few days; but the great fatigues which he has undergone, and the unwholesome waters which he drank while crossing the desert, have made him so ill that he cannot leave the monastery till his health permits."

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TRAVELLERS' BOOK.

"At Mount Sinai, at Mount St. Bernard in Europe, I have received the kindest hospitality. In the Alps, among the catholic monks, my name caused me to be taken for a Protestant; in Asia, among Greek monks, I was known to be of the catholic religion: a liberal, sublime religion, which teaches men to practise such toleration, such charity.

"June 19th, 1830.

"Baron Taylor."

"R. Moresby, commander of the East India Company's ship Palinurus, Nander, lieutenant, H. Mooring, surgeon, J. T. Jones, of the Marines, visited these parts so interesting for a Christian, and read the Decalogue on the most elevated point, where, it is said, the Law was given to Moses."

"Dr. William Holt Kater, of London, arrived at this convent, in company with Mr. Bradford, on the 5th of October, 1829; and left it on the 8th, to go to Cairo, and thence to Syria. They have been exceedingly gratified with their sojourn in this interesting country. The world is a kind of book, of which he has read but the first page who has seen no other than his native land."

"This is the third time that I have been at this monastery.

"April 15th, 1826.

"Martin Bretzkec."

"Captain Don Manuel Valdes Alquer, in the service of H. M. Ferdinand VII. King of Spain and the Indies, visited these holy places with the liveliest pleasure in

TRAVELLERS' BOOK.

333

the month of February, 1824. He confesses that, with great admiration, he has deeply felt in his soul the marvellous things which it pleased God to do by the hand of his servant Moses.

"Long live the king, whose subject I am!"

"J. Cohen, of the United States of America, arrived at the convent on the 4th of September, 1832; and left it on the 7th, to proceed to Syria, through the desert leading to Gaza. He has been visiting the four quarters of the globe, has ascended Mount Sinai, and been kindly received by the inmates of the monastery."

Adieu, my friend; my next letter will conduct you with me to the top of Sinai.

LETTER LIII.

DEPARTURE FOR SINAI-ICE AND SNOW-CHAPEL DEDICATED TO THE PROPHET ELIJAH TOP OF SINAI RUINS OF CHURCHES

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- MOSQUE - CLIFT OF THE ROCK, IN WHICH MOSES WAS PLACED TILL THE GLORY OF THE LORD PASSED BY - MOUNT ST. CATHERINE RETURN TO THE MONASTERY VALLEY OF REPHIDIM MOULD OF THE GOLDEN CALF ROCK FROM · EXCAVATIONS WHICH MOSES PRODUCED WATER FORMED BY THE WATER IN THE ROCK EXCURSION IN THE DESERT SURROUNDING HOREB AND SINAI-PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE LAST CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPERIOR.

Cairo, March 27th, 1833.

My journey in the Desert, my dear friend, had so fatigued me, and my legs were so stiff from the position in which I was obliged to keep them while upon my dromedary, that I could not walk without great difficulty. After some days' rest at the monastery, I could not think with

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