means to break in upon them, at a time they were not expected, and when indisputable proofs of his infidelity were not wanting.

Such upbraidings as usually fall from the lips of wives on such provocations, were heaped without measure upon the head of the erring prophet. However, upon their promifing never to divulge the affair, lest it should draw on him the censure and contempt of his pious Musselmans, he on his part solemnly swore to discard his fair companion, and never more to be guilty of the defection from his duty they had just been witness to.

But, alas! of what a baseless confistence are the vows or oaths of lovers! Mahomet's paffion for the fair Egyptian was neither to be restrained by oaths, nor by an apprehenfion of the consequences. He is again detected by his jealous wives, and again severely upbraided for his infidelity. To fuch a height did the enraged ladies carry their resentment, that they left his house, and went each of them home to her father.

This public secession of his two principal wives caufing a general outcry against him, he again had recourse to his ufual method of salving salving his frailties. He immediately issued forth a new revelation, called the Chapter of Prohibition, wherein he introduces God as allowing him and all his faithful adherents to take their maidens to their bed, whenever they preferred their company to that of their wives.

A permiffion of this nature was no fooner published, than it gave such general fatisfaction to his licentious followers, that nothing more was faid relative to Mahomet's frailty, but all gladly laid hold of the liberty he had now granted. And ever since, it has been an established law among all the professors of his faith, to keep as many female slaves as they shall think fit to buy; the children of whom are esteemed as legitimate as the children of their wives. The Grand Signior, who never marries, keeps only slaves in his seraglio; and those who bear him a son, he sometimes dignifies with the title of Sultana,

or queen.

Ayesha and Haphsa finding that their resentment was rendered, by this manœuvre of their husband, of no effect, they thought it prudent to lay it aside; and being permitted, through the intercession of their fathers, to

return home, they ever after submitted themselves to his will in all things. So that from henceforth Mahomet indulged his falacious inclinations, without further contradiction of restraint.

The chief competitors for the high dignity of fucceeding Mahomet, seem to have been Abu Beker, Omar, and Ali. The latter had certainly the beft-grounded pretenfions, on account of his early converfion, his zeal, his services, and his double relationship of fon-inlaw and coufin-german to the prophet; but being at that time too much employed to canvas for his election, and having befides incurred the displeasure of Ayesha, Abu Beker was chofen Caliph; and by his great abilities both in peace and war, justified the partiality that Mahomet had always thewn in his favour.

To Abu Beker succeeded Omar; who was honoured by the Moslems (or as they are improperly called, the Musselmans) with the title of Emperor of the Faithful. During his reign, all Syria and Egypt, most parts of Perfia, with many other countries and territories, were subjugated to the Mahometans sway and religion.

Upon Upon the death of Omar, Othman fucceeded to the throne of the Caliphs, and continued to extend the conquests of his predecessors; but growing avaricious, and heaping too many favours on his relations, he excited the jealousy of the great generals that served him, and was assassinated in his palace, at the age of thirty-two. By his command the brazen colossus at Rhodes, so celebrated for being one of the seven wonders of the world, which had been thrown down by an earthquake eight hundred and feventy years before, and had remained upon the ground ever fince, was feized upon by his troops, and broken to pieces in order to be fold. The materials of this wonderful statue, we are told, were purchased by a Jew of Edefah; and of such an amazing weight were they, that they loaded nine hundred camels. Thus the spoils which had escaped the rapaciousness even of the Romans, were plundered by the Arabs.

Notwithstanding Ali was, as before observed, the favourite fon-in-law and nephew of Mahomet, and greatly resembled him in his person, his enthusiasm, his abilities, his virtues, and even his vices, Ayesha, by her intrigues and power, had till now been able

to

to defeat his advancement to the caliphat. However, upon the death of Othman, he fucceeded to the throne of the Faithful; and after a reign of about five years, during which he met with continual oppofition and disturbance from Ayesha and her party, was affaffinated in the mosque at Medina.

The character of Ali seems to have been greatly superior to any of the preceding caliphs. His magnanimity, his courage, and conduct in war, were as much above all competition, as were the sanctity of his life. But that which gives the character of Ali a fuperiority to that of even the prophet himself, is, that in him enthusiasm was foftened into philosophy; nor had he the least of an Arab about him, but the lively imagination and the fublime expreffions peculiar to that people. A collection of fentences, confifting chiefly of divine and moral maxims, have been published as his, which would grace the purest Christian page; and these were not only the transcript of his mind, but of his practice. The Shirites, of which sect he was the head, have done justice to his memory, giving him, as a proof of their respect and veneration, the title of "The Lion of God;" The Foundation of Light and Graces;" and

66