they had recourfe, as to an oracle, in all doubts and differences No
wonder then, that a public congratulation was made on this account,
which; honour they yet were fo far from making cheap, that they
never did it but on one of thefe three occafions, which were reckoned
great points o f felicity; viz. on the birth of a boy, the rife of a
poet, and the fall of a foal of generous breed. To keep up an emulation
among their poets, the tribes had, once a year, a general affem-
bly at Ocadh ’ , a place famous on this account, and where they kept
a weekly mart or fair, which was held on our funday s. This annual
meeting lafted a whole month, during which time they employed them-
felves, not only in trading, but in repeating their poetical compofi-
tions, contending and vying with each other for the prize; whence
the place, it is faid, took its name *. The poems that were judged
to excel, were laid up in their king’s treafuries, as were the feven
celebrated poems, thence called al Moallakdt, rather than from their
being hung up on the Caaba, which honour they alfo had by public
order, being written on Egyptian filk, and in letters of gold ;
for which reafon they had alfo the name of al Modhahabat, or the
golden verfes
The fair and affembly at Ocadh were fuppreffed by Mohammed, in
whofe time, and for fome years after, poetry feems to have been in
fome degree negledted by the Arabs, who were then employed in
their conquefts; which being compleated, and themfelves at peace,
not only this ftudy was revived s, but almoft all forts of learning
were encouraged and greatly improved by them. This interruption
however occafioned the lofs of moft of their ancient pieces of poetry,
which were then chiefly preferved by memory; the ufe of writing
being rare among them, in their time of ignorance ’’. Tho’ the Arabs
were fo early acquainted with poetry, they did not at firft ufe to write
poems of a juft length, but only expreffed themfelves in verfe occa-
fionally; nor was their profody digefted into rules, till fome time after
Mohammed8; for this was done, as it is faid, by al Khalil Ahmed
alFarahidi, who lived in the reign of the KhallfHarun al Rafhid9.
I poc. Orat. prefix. Cam. Tograi. nbi fnpra. 1 Idem. Spec. p. 159. * Geogr. Nub. p.
ci 4 Poc. Spec. 159. * Ibid. &p. 381. Et in calce Notar. in Carmen Tograi, p. 233.
I jallalo’ddin al Soyfiti, apud, Poc. Spec. p. 159, &c. "7-n>. 160. _ ' 8 lb. 161. Al Safadi
confirms this by a ftory of a Grammarian, named Abu Jetafar, who fitting by the Mikyai or Nibmeter
in Egypt, in a year when the Nile did not rife^o _its ufual height,. fo that a famine was apprehended,
and dividing a piece of poetry into its parts or feet, to examine them by the rules of- art,
fome who paffed by, not underftanding him, imagined he was uttering a charm to hinder the rife of
the river, and puihed him into the water, where he loft his life. 9 V. Clericum de Profod.
The exercife of arms and horfemanlhip they were in a manner
obliged to pradtife and encourage, by reafon of the independance
of their tribes, whofe frequent jarrings made wars almoft continual;
and they chiefly ended their difputes in field battles; it being an ufual
faying among them, that G od had beftowed four peculiar things on
the Arabs, that their turbands flhould be to them inftead o f diadems,
their tents inftead of walls and houfes, their fwords inftead o f in-
trenchments, and their poems inftead of written laws \
Hofpitality was fo habitual to them, and fo much efteemed, that
the examples of this kind among them exceed whatever can be produced
from other nations. Hatem o f the tribe of Fay 2, and Hafn of
that o f Fezdrahi, were particularly famous on this account; and
the contrary vice was fo much in contempt, that a certain poet upbraids
the inhabitants of Wafet, as with the greateft reproach, that
none of their men had the heart to give, nor their women to deny 4
Nor were the Arabs lefs propenfe to liberality after the coming o f
Mohammed, than their anceftors had been. I could produce many
remarkable inftances of this commendable quality among them 5 *, but
(hall content myfelf with the following. Three men were difputing
in the court of the Caaba, which was the moft liberal perfon among the
Arabs. One gave the preference to Abdallah, the fon of Jaafar
the uncle of Mohammed-, another to Kais Ehn Saad EbnObadah; and
the third gave it to Arabah of the tribe of Aws. After much debate,
one that was prefent, to end the difpute, propofed that each of them
fhould go to bis friend, and a Ik his affiftance; that they might fee
what every one gave, and form a judgment accordingly. This was
agreed to; and Abdallah's friend going to him, found him with his
foot in the ftirrup, juft mounting his camel for % journey, and thus
accofted him ; Son o f the uncle o f the apoftle o f G o d, I am travelling
and in neceffity. Upon which Abdallah alighted, and bid
him take the camel with all that was upon her, but defired him not
to part with a fword which happened to be fixed to the faddle, be-
caufe it had belonged to A li, the fon of Abutaleb. So he took the
camel, and found on her fome veils of filk, and 4000 pieces of gold;
but the thing of greateft value was the fword. The fecond went to
Kais Ebn Saad, whofe fervant told him that his mailer was alleep;
and defired to know his bufinefs. The friend anfwered that he came
1 Pocock, in calcc Notar. ad Carmen Tograi. * V. Gentii Notas in Guliftan Sheikh Sadi,
p. 486, &c. 3 Poc. Spec. p. 48. 4 Ebn al Hobeirah, apud Poc. in Not. ad Carmen Tograi, p.
107. s Several may be found in D'Her be lot's Bib], Orient, particularly in the articles of Hafa*
the fon of Alit Maan, Fadbel, and Ebn Yabya.
CO