Moavia II.

year of the hegira. If two caliphs were fince feen in the Mahometan empire, this divifion fhould be imputed to Abdallah's bad conduct, who did every thing that could alienate the Syrians from him, who were willing to throw themselves into his arms.

Immediately after the death of Iefid, his fon, Moavia II. had been placed on the throne of the caliphs. This prince defcended from it fix weeks after, to shut himself up in folitude. The day on which he published his abdication, he faid to the people: Moavia 1. my grandfather, wrested the fceptre of Syria from the fon-in-law of the prophet, the lawful caliph, mòre noble, more great, and more virtuous,than Moavia, who was nothing but an ufurper. My father Iefid put to death Ofein, the prophet's grandJon, whom he ought to have revered and ferved. I will not fucceed to an authority fo unjust, but go and weep in filence, and ask forgiveness of the prophet for the crimes committed by my family against his. The Syrians, enraged at the abdication of their caliph, vented their fury, as it is faid, on the prince's preceptor, whom they accufed of having infpired him with fuch moderate fentiments. This man was buried alive by the people. The difpoffeffed caliph perfifted in the refolution which he had taken, and died at Damafcus a fhort time after his abdication, the Syrians not having been willing to admit him, nor indeed would they afterward have been able to prevail on Moavia II. to execute any of the functions of the priesthood, or

of

1

They then turned their eyes on

of the empire. Abdallah. The principal Syrians, feeing all the advantages of a lafting union between the forces of the Mahometan empire, were on the point of prevailing on the people to acknowledge the Arabian caliph, when they were informed of Abdallah's having put to death all that remained at Mecca of the house of Ommias, and its numerous servants, and that the cruelties which the caliph daily exercised had neither motives nor measures. The Syrians foon dropt all thoughts of placing this barbarian on the throne. Mervan, of the Abdallah. race of Ommias, who had been the firft that pro- Mervan. pofed fubmitting themselves to Abdallah, was elected caliph at Damafcus in the room of Moavia II.; but Abdallah ftill maintained himself in Arabia, notwithstanding his cruelties. Mervan reigned only ten months. Abdalmalec, his fon Abdalmaand fucceffor, immediately after his advancement, ordered, that the pilgrimage, which 'till then the Syrians had made to Mecca, fhould, for the future, be made to Jerufalem. He was unwilling to have the territories of his enemy enriched by the immense fums which his fubjects carried every year to Mecca. Thus, in thofe times of enthusiasm and fervor, religion already gave way to intereft,

Though the empire of Mahomet feemed to be divided between the Ommiafians and Aliians, the children of Ali lived in obfcurity at Medina, whilft Abdallah, their diftant relation, ufurped

the

lec.

the throne, which he had appeared at first to defend only for them. Mahomet and his brothers, grandfons to Ofein, (for history does not again mention his fons,) were defcended in a direct line from the founder of the Muffulman law, by Fatima his only daughter, wife of Ali I. Such indifputable pretenfions to the califate difturbed Abdallah, though the young prince, who had this apparent right, did not feem to think of it. The caliph then reigning attempted to extort from the young Mahomet an oath of fidelity, which the defcendant of the prophet, was too high fpirited to take to any one. Abdallah immediately had all the Aliians imprisoned, giving them but a few days to fubmit, or to prepare to die. A great number of Muffulmen, faithful to the memory of Ali, affembled together. Their chief, called Moctar, raised the people of Mecca and feveral towns of Arabia. Abdallah was compelled to negociate; and the Aliians were released from captivity the very day that Abdallah had fixed on to demand their heads, if they perfifted in refusing the oaths. This faction, strong enough to enforce refpect to the defcendants of the prophet, was not fufficiently fo to place them on the throne; the neceffity of defending Arabia against the enterprises of Abdalmalec, caliph of Syria, foon reunited all the Arabians under the authority of their caliph Abdallah, and the interefts of the house of Ali gave way to the common

caufe.

eaufe. But Abdallah's efforts only precipitated his fall. He perifhed in a battle, after having loft Medina and Mecca. His generals attempted in vain to defend Irac. Abdalmalec, more va

liant, or more fortunate, than all of them, reduced to one fceptre all thofe who had the' fame faith; and whilft the defcendants of Mahomet were reduced to a private ftation, no more than one caliph was known, ufurper of the empire which the falfe prophet had founded.

Thus far the Arabians and all the Muffulmen had made ufe of the money of the Greeks. The Mahometan princes had not yet ftruck their own coin. Abdalmalec was the firft, who made ufe of this fovereign right: the occafion of it was as follows. In fome tranfactions which the caliph had with the Greek emperor, refpecting the bounds of the two empires, the Muffulman prince always began his difpatches with the form prefcribed by his religion: There is no other God but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet. "The Chriftian monarch, offended, fent word to Abdalmalec, that if he did not change this form, he, the Greek emperor, would have legends put on his coin in which Mahomet fhould be defcribed by titles difpleafing to his followers. The caliph immedi-/ ately forbade the circulation of the Greek money in his territories, and caufed drachms to be ftruck, of which the Arabic legend was, God is eternal. The fuperftitious Muffulmen complained at first

against

14

Walid I.

against the expofing of the holy name of God to the touch of prophane and impure hands; but they comprehended, in the sequel, that it was for the dignity of an empire like theirs to have a particular coin. There were feveral wars between these two powerful states under the caliph Abdalmalec; but as we propofe in this discourse to give only the hiftory of the Mahometan religion, the origin and foundation of the Ottoman empire, it will fuffice to fay, that Abdalmalec took Carthage and all Africa proper; and that thefe conquefts were not made without the fhedding of much blood. Abdalmalec died, after a reign of twenty-one years more brilliant than juft. More than any other caliph, he founded his power on fear and chastisements; he impoverished and depopulated the countries which he had added to the empire, and the growth which he gave this great body fenfibly diminished its fubftance and forces.

Walid I. fucceeded his father Abdalmalec without contention. It is faid that this prince had, by his frequent divorces, seventy-two wives; for Mahomet, who had allowed himself an unlimited number, had not granted his fucceffors more privileges in this refpect than the other Muffulmen.

In those times, the incontinence of Roderick, king of Spain, and the refentment of count Julian, procured the Muffulmen the most flourifhing kingdom at that time in all Chriftendom. Roderick