ferent times, according as his own exigences or those of his followers required, he had a ready way of silencing all cavils, and extricating himself with credit from every difficulty, as nothing forbade the message or mandate of to-day being modified or abrogated by that of to-morrow. In this manner, twenty-three years elapsed before the whole chain of revelations was completed, though the prophet informed his disciples that he had the consolation of seeing the entire Koran, bound in silk and adorned with gold and gems of Paradise, once a year, till, in the last year of his life, he was favoured with the vision twice. A part of these spurious oracles were published at Mecca before his flight, the remainder at Medina after it. The particular mode of publication is said to have been this: When a new chapter had been communicated to the prophet, and was about to be promulgated for the benefit of the world, he first dictated it to his secretary, and then delivered the written paper to his followers, to be read and repeated till it had become firmly imprinted upon their memories, when the paper was again returned to the prophet, who carefully deposited it in a chest, called by him "the chest of his apostleship." The hint of this sacred coffer was doubtless taken from the Ark of the Covenant, the holy chest of the Jewish tabernacle, in which the authentic copy of the law was laid up and preserved. This chest Mohammed left at his death in the care of one of his wives; and from its contents the volume of the Koran was afterward compiled. The first collection and arrangement of

these prophetic relics, more precious than the scattered leaves of all the Sybils, was made by Abubeker, but the whole was afterward revised and new-modelled by Othman, who left the entire volume of the Koran in the order in which we now have it.

Mohammed's first reception by the mass of his fellow-citizens of Mecca was scarcely more hopeful than it had been among his kindred. His alleged divine messages, especially when they assumed a tone of reprehension and reproach towards his countrymen, for their idolatry, obstinacy, and perverseness, were met with indignant scoffs and railings. Some called him a magician and a sorcerer; others, a silly retailer of old fables; and others directly charged him with being a liar and an impostor. The reader will be amused and interested by the insertion of a few out of the scores of allusions, with which the Koran abounds, to the profane and contemptuous treatment shown towards the prophet at this time. "The Meccans say, O thou, to whom the admonition (the Koran) hath been sent down, thou art certainly possessed with a devil: wouldst not thou have come unto us with an attendance of angels if thou hadst spoken the truth? Answer, We send not down the angels but on a just occasion."* "Verily I have permitted these Meccans and their fathers to live in prosperity, till the truth should come unto them, and a manifest apostle: but now the truth is come

*Koran, ch. vi.

unto them, they say, this is a piece of sorcery; and we believe not therein. And they say, Had this Koran been sent down unto some great man in either of the two cities, we would have received it."* "The time of giving up their account draweth nigh unto the people of Mecca. No admonition cometh unto them from their Lord, but when they hear it they turn it to sport. They say, The Koran is a confused heap of dreams: nay, he hath forged it."t "And the unbelievers say, this Koran is no other than a forgery which he hath contrived; and other people have assisted him therein: but they utter an unjust thing and a falsehood. They also say, These are fables of the ancients, which he hath caused to be written down; and they are dictated unto him morning and evening. Say, He hath revealed it who knoweth the secrets.in heaven and earth. And they say, What kind of apostle is this? He eateth food, and walketh in the streets as we do. The ungodly also say, Ye follow no other than a man who is distracted."‡ "When our evident signs are rehearsed unto them, the unbelievers say of the truth, This is a manifest piece of sorcery. Will they say, Mohammed hath forged it? Answer, If I have forged it, verily, ye will not obtain for me any favour from God: he well knoweth the injurious language which ye utter concerning it. -I follow no other than what is revealed unto me; neither am I any more than a public warner."§

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* Koran, ch. xliii. † Ch. xxi.

But these stiff-necked idolaters were plainly taught that they were not to promise themselves impunity in thus pouring contempt upon the testimony of an authorized legate of heaven. The Most High himself was brought in confirming by an oath the truth of his prophet's mission. "I swear by that which ye see and that which ye see not, that this is the discourse of an honourable apostle, and not the discourse of a poet: how little do ye believe! Neither is it the discourse of a soothsayer: how little are ye admonished! It is a revelation from the Lord of all creatures. If Mohammed had forged any part of these discourses concerning us, verily we had taken him by the right hand, and had cut in sunder the vein of his heart; neither would we have withheld any of you from chastising him. And verily, this book is an admonition unto the pious; and we well know there are some of you who charge the same with imposture: but it shall surely be an occasion of grievous sighing unto the infidels; for it is the truth of a certainty."* 66 Because he is an

adversary to our signs, I will afflict him with grievous calamities; for he hath devised contumelious expressions to ridicule the Koran. May he be cursed! I will cast him to be burned in hell. And what shall make thee understand what hell is? It leaveth not any thing unconsumed, neither doth it suffer any thing to escape; it searcheth men's flesh; over the same are nineteen

* Koran, ch. Ixix

angels appointed. We have appointed none but angels to preside over hell-fire."* "Verily we have prepared for the unbelievers chains, and collars, and burning fire." "Verily those who disbelieve our signs we will surely cast out to be broiled in hell-fire: and when their skins shall be well burned, we will give them other skins, in exchange, that they may taste the sharper torment."+

*Koran, ch. Ixxiv.

† Ch. xi.

Ch. iv.