speedily sprung up in the eastern church, obliged great numbers to seek for shelter in Arabia, who probably were deeply tinged with the errors prevaÎent in the regions they had abandoned. Many embraced their faith; and so widely did it threaten to prevail, that at length, as the only means of arresting its progress, the advocates of Mosaic institutions, challenged the Christians to a public disputation. This challenge was accepted, and for three days, one Gregentius, bishop of Dhafar, on behalf of the Christians, and one Herbanus on behalf of the Jews, disputed in the open air before the king, the nobility, and great numbers of the people. At length, on the third day, it is said, that Herbanus to end the dispute, demanded that Jesus should appear from heaven in their sight, if he were, as the Christians said he was, actually living, and could hear the prayers of his worshippers: "show us your Christ," said the Jews "and we will become Christians;" whereupon, after a terrible storm of thunder and lightning, he appeared in the air surrounded with rays of glory, walking on a purple cloud, with a diadem of inestimable value on his head, uttering to the astonished assembly these words: "Behold I appear to you in in your sight, I, who was crucified by your fathers;" after which, he was seen no more.

The Christians cried out, Kyrie Eleeson, "Lord have mercy;" the Jews were struck blind, in which condition they remained, till according to their own stipulation, they received Christianity and publicly submitted to its rites.

This story, fabulous as unquestionably it is, shows that Christianity had attracted considerable attention, and, as the event which it records hap

pened before the birth of Mahomet, and near the very centre of his earliest operations, it is perfectly conceivable that he was not unacquainted with the story. Other events also show that Christianity had, at that time, made considerable progress in Arabia. There were bishops in several places, and, most probably, flourishing churches also, though doubtless they were overrun with the erroneous doctrines and superstitious practices which, even in purer regions, came to be engrafted upon the simple and beautiful system of faith, inculcated by the Son of God. There were Ebionites and Nazarenes, who denied the divinity of Christ; Nestorians, who taught that he not only had two natures, but two persons, and Collyridians, who paid divine honours to the Virgin Mary. The Millenarian, the Manicheean, and the Arian heresies; Eutychians, Gnostics, Montanists, Marcianites, Sabellians, Valentinians, and a host of inferior sects, propagated their respective errors, and contributed to the general corruption.

Political liberty and independence are sure, moreover, to encourage freedom of thought: hence various sects were likely to obtain among the Arabs, who had never submitted either to Judaism or Christianity. Zendicism, a system not very unlike the Sadducee heresy among the Jews, or Deism among ourselves, prevailed chiefly among the Koreish, a sect by no means free from idolatry, but yet setting up for reformers of religion, as well as of language. The Zendicists worshipped but one God-they abjured idols;* yet

* Reland. de Relig. Moham. p. 270; Mill. de Molam. ante Moham. p. 311.

they did not embrace either of the other forms of religious faith prevalent in their country.

If then it be found, as undoubtedly it will be, that the doctrines inculcated and the precepts urged by the founder of the Moslem faith, symbolize to a considerable degree, both with Judaism and Christianity, we are not surprised. This fact, which has occasionally startled less attentive observers, ceases to be wonderful when the religious circumstances of Mahomet's early life are considered.

It seems proper to observe in this place further, that of the arts and accomplishments, on account of which the Arabs mostly prided themselves, eloquence and a perfect skill in their own language was one of the principal. Their fondness for poetry and oratory was excessive. "Fine sentiments," they said, "delivered in prose, were like gems scattered at random, but when confined in poetical measure, they resembled bracelets and strings of pearls." The book of Job in the Old Testament, is probably the most ancient specimen of their art in this department. They paid the greatest attention to its cultivation. Assemblies were held in various districts, where rival poets and orators disputed the palm, like the rival combatants in the Grecian games; and once a-year a general assembly was held at Ocadh,* which lasted for a month, during which time poetical compositions were repeated, and those which were judged to excel were laid up among the royal treasures, with seven celebrated poems, called Al Modhahebat, or golden, either from their having

Poc. Spec. 159.

had the honour of being hung up by public order in the Kaaba, or from their being written on Egyptian silk, in letters of gold.

The language of the pure Arabs, or of the Koreish, is exceedingly copious, flexible, and expressive, so that it admirably adapts itself to such exhibitions. Their periods were full, their expressions elegant, their imagery was chaste and striking, and their proverbial sayings were exceedingly acute. So proud were they of excelling in these arts, that they hardly allowed to any other people an understanding of how to speak in public. The Persians were next to themselves, but greatly inferior. The Koran is written in the Koreish, or classical dialect of the Moslems; but whether this be at all surprising, or calculated to support the pretensions of the prophet to direct intercourse with the Deity, when he belonged to that tribe, and, of course, eagerly cultivated its distinguishing peculiarities, we can be at no loss to determine. This subject, however, will have to be again adverted to. At present, it will be sufficient to remark, that, copious as the language was, its nomenclature was confided, in great measure, to the tablet of memory: its preservation is chiefly owing to the extemporaneous eloquence of an acute, though illiterate people. With all its force and beauty, of which we have no manner of doubt; with its remarkable delicacy, its bold and energetic sublimity, adapted equally to the simple pathos of love, the piquancy of satire, and the loftiest efforts of popular oratory, it is a singular fact, that its highest elegance and purity were acquired under the tents of wandering shepherds, and by individuals in common life, not at all re

D

markable for grammatical skill, and laying no claim to divine inspiration.

CHAPTER III.

Adnan.-The Kaaba, or Temple at Mecca.-Birth of Mahomet.-The Koreish.-Mahomet's most celebrated predecessors. -The prophetic lustre.-Prodigies in connexion with Mahomet's birth and infancy.-Death of his parents.-He is committed by his grandfather to Abu Taleb, his 'uncle.—Boheira or Sergius.-How Mahomet was employed up to his twentyfifth year. His marriage with Kadijah.-Account of the mahometan Pilgrimage.

IT has been remarked in the former chapter, that the Arab chroniclers trace the descent of their prophet in a direct line from their patriarchal princes, of whom Ishmael is regarded as one of the chief. Who succeeded this son of the faithful patriarch for a few generations-some say forty, others ten, and others a smaller number-there are now no accounts, till we come to Adnan, who is considered to have lived at about 122 years before the Christian era. The story of Arabian writers is, that Abraham, by divine command, built a temple at Mecca, on the spot where his son's life was preserved when apparently perishing with thirst, and that Ishmael was constituted the first high priest of this temple.

As this sacred edifice will have to be frequently mentioned in the following pages, it cessary to give a brief account of it.*

may be neIt was an

* We are of course compelled, in this description, to take the accounts of the modern temple at Mecca. It is not greatly different, however, from the ancient structure.