year of the hegira. If two caliphs were fince feen in the Mahometan empire, this divifion should 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. Moavia II. 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, more noble, more great, and more virtuous,than Moavia, who was nothing but an ufurper. My father Iefid put to death Ofein, the prophet's grandSon, whom he ought to have revered and served. 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 I 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 after.. ward have been able to prevail on Moavia II. to execute any of the functions of the priesthood, or of of the empire. They then turned their eyes on 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 fervants, 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 first 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 immenfe fums which his fubjects carried every year to Mecca. Thus, in thofe times of enthufiafm 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 disturbed Abdallah, though the young prince, who had this apparent right, did not seem 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 refufing the oaths. This faction, ftrong enough to enforce refpect to the defcendants of the prophet, was not sufficiently so 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 cause. eaufe. his fall. But Abdallah's efforts only precipitated He perished 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 those 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 false prophet had founded. Thus far the Arabians and all the Muffulmen had made use of the money of the Greeks. The Mahometan princes had not yet ftruck their own coin. Abdalmalec was the first, who made use of this fovereign right: the occafion of it was as follows. In fome tranfactions which the caliph had with the Greek emperor, respecting the bounds of the two empires, the Muffulman prince always began his dispatches with the form prefcribed by his religion: There is no other God but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet. The Chrif tian 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 should be described by titles difpleafing to his followers. The caliph immediately forbade the circulation of the Greek money in his territories, and caufed drachins to be ftruck, of which the Arabic legend was, God is eternal. The fuperftitious Muffulmen complained at first againft Walid I. against the expofing of the holy name of God to Walid I. fucceeded his father Abdalmalec without contention. It is faid that this prince had, by his frequent divorces, feventy-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 flourishing kingdom at that time in all Christendom. Roderick |