the fame gravity and circumfpe&ion that he did, yet he will not be
the firft inftance, by feveral, of a perfon who has been out of the
way only quoad'hoc, and in all other refpedts ailed with the greateft
decency and precaution.
The terrible deftruition of the eaftern churches, once fo glorious
nnd flourishing, by the ludden fpreading of Mohammedifm, and the
great fucceffes o f . its profelfors againft the Chrijlians, neceffafily inspire
a horror of that religion in thofe to whom it has been fo fatal;
and no wonder i f they endeavour to fet the character of its founder,
and its doctrines, in the molt infamous light. But'the damage done
■ by Mohammed to Chriflianity feems to have been rather owing to his
ignorance than malice; for his great misfortune was, his not having
a competent knowledge of the real and pure doilrines of the Chrijiian
religion, which was in his time fo abominably corrupted, that it is
not furprizing i f he went too far, and refolved to aboliffi what he
might think incapable of reformation.
It is fcarce to be doubted but that Mohammed had a violent defire
o f being reckoned an extraordinary perfon, which he could attain to
by no means more effectually, than by pretending to be a meffenger
fent from G od, to inform mankind o f his will. This might be at
firft his utmoft ambition, and had his fellow citizens treated him
lefs injurioufly, and not obliged him by their perfeeutions to feek
refuge [elfewhere, and to take up arms againft them in his own defence,
he had perhaps continued a private perfon, and contented
himfelf with the veneration and refpedt due to his prophetical office;
'but being once got at the head of a little army, and encouraged by
fuccefs, it is no wonder i f he raifed his thoughts to attempt what
had never before entred into his imagination.
That Mohammed was, as the Arabs are by complexion ', a great
lover of women, we are affured by his own confeffion; and he is
conftandy upbraided with it by the controverfial writers, who fail
not to urge the number o f women with whom he had to do, as a de-
-monftrative argument of his fenfuality, which they think fufficiently
prove him to have been a wicked man, and confequently an impoftor.
But it muft be confidered, that polygamy, tho’ it be forbidden by
the Chrijiian religion, Was in Mohammed’s time frequently pradtifed in
Arabia and other parts 6f the eaft, and was not counted an immorality,
nor Was a man theWorfe efteemed on that account; for which rea-
fon Mohammed permitted the plurality of wives, with certain limitations,
among his own followers, who argue for the lawfulnefs of it
2 Ammian. Marcell. 1. 14. c. 4.
from
from feveral reafons, and particularly from the examples of perfons
allowed on all hands to have been good men; fome of whom have
beer, honoured with the divine correfpondence. The feveral laws relating
to marriages and divorces, and the peculiar priviledges granted
to Mohammed in his Koran, were almoft all taken by him from the
JewiJh decifions, as will appear hereafter ; and therefore he might
think thofe inftitutions the more juft and reafonable, as he found them
pradtifed or approved by the profelfors of a religion, which was con-
feffedly of divine original.
But whatever were his motives, Mohammed had certainly the per- of hi.
fonal qualifications which were neceffary to accomplilh his undertak-
ing. The Mohammedan authors are exceffive in their commendations tions.
of him, and fpeak much of his religious and moral Virtues; as his
piety, veracity, juftice, liberality, clemency, humility, and abftinence.
His charity, in particular, they fay, was fo confpicuous, that he had
feldom any money in his houfe, keeping no more for his own ufe
than was juft fufficient to maintain his family; and he frequently fpared
even fome part o f his own provifions to fupply the neceffities o f the poor ;
fo that before the year’s end he had generally little or nothing left 1:
G od, fays al Bokhari, offered him the keys o f the treajures o f the earth,
but he would not accept them. Tho’ the elogies of thefe writers are
juftly to be fufpedted of partiality, yet thus much, I think, may be
inferred from thence, that for an Arab who had been educated in
Paganifm, and had but a very imperfedt knowledge o f his duty, he
was a man of at leaft tolerable morals, and not fuch a monfter of
wickednefs as he is ufually reprefented. And indeed, it is fcarqe poffi-
ble to conceive, that a wretch of fo profligate a character Ihould ever
have fucceeded in an enterprize of this nature; a little hypocrify and
faving o f appearances, at leaft, muft have been ablolutely neceffary;
and the fincerity of his intentions is what I pretend not to inquire
into.
He had indifputably a very piercing and fagacious wit, and was
thoroughly verfed in all the arts of infinuation \ The eaftern hifto-
rians deferibe him to have been a man of an excellent judgment, and
a happy memory; and thefe natural parts were improved by a great
experience and knowledge of men, and the obfervations he had made
in his travels. They fay he was a perfon of few words, of an equal
chearful temper, pleafant and familiar in converfation, of inoffen-
1 V. Abu’Ifeda Vit. Moham. p. 144, &c. * V. Prid. life of Mahomet, p. 105.