and dictated from heaven; and left them in fuch a ftate, that the whole appears to us like a wild rhapfody of fantastical imaginations and inventions, without any meaning or order; although this has always paffed, among his followers, as a divine and facred book.

This new religion, being fo agreeable to the multitudes of peoprinciples and paffions of great ple in those countries, made fuch a rapid progrefs, that it very soon spread from Arabia into Egypt and Syria; and the power of this impoftor increased with fuch a fudden growth, as well as his doctrines, that he lived to see them overspread both those countries, and a great part of Perfia. The decline of the Greek empire at Conftantinople, which had for fome time before been much fhaken by the invafions of the northern nations, and thereby disabled from making any oppofition to this new and formidable enemy, together with the divisions among the Chriftians, made way for the Mahometan conquefts, and increased the number of profelytes in this new religion. The Arians, perfecuted in the eastern provinces by fome of the Greek emperors, who were of the fame faith with the western or Roman church, made easy turns to the doctrines of Mahomet, which profeffed Jefus Christ to have been a great and a divine prophet, and which was all in a manner that they themselves believed. The cruel perfecutions of the other Grecian princes against those Christians who would not admit the use of images, made

great numbers

The three divinities, whom I have just now mentioned, formed the fupreme council of the gods, and were the principal objects of the worfhip and veneration of all the inhabitants of the north, after Frigge or Odin came among them. The number and employment of their divinities, of the second order, is not easy to determine. The Edda mentions twelve gods, and twelve goddeffes, to whom the people of the north were obliged to render divine honours; but although these gods and goddeffes had a certain power, they were obliged to obey Odin, the most ancient of the gods, and the great principle of all things; fuch was Niord, the Neptune of the people of the north; and the Edda exhorts these people to adore him very devoutly, fearing that he might otherwise do a great deal of mifchief.-Balder was another son of Odin, who was wife, eloquent, and endued with great majefty: this was the Apollo of the Greeks. Tyr was the god of war, and the protector of the courageous and brave: the Mars of the Greeks. Brage was the god of eloquence and of poetry; and his wife, who was called Iduna, had the care of certain apples, of which the gods eat, when they felt themselves growing old, as they were endued with the power of making them young again. I shall omit the names of the other gods, which make up the number of twelve, they not being material to my purpose, and say a few words only of Loke, whom the people of the, north certainly

regarded

faid had been changed and abused by the Turks. He profeffed to reform their manners, as well as their principles; and taught, that Haly alone, of all Mahomet's followers, ought to be owned and believed as his true Succeffor; which has made the Perfians ever fince regard the Turks as heretics, as the Turks do them. This artful enthufiaft gained fo many followers, by his new and refined principles, and air of devotion, that he made himself king of Perfia, with the abfolute fovereign power and authority over his countrymen; the great point which he originally had in view, and which animated Mahomet, Odin, and others, to pursue the fame measures before him.

The Arabian branch of the Mahometan empire, after it had extended itself throughout all Egypt and Arabia, under the conduct of Almanzor, the greatest prince of this race, who was equally great in virtue, piety, learning, and native goodness, as in valour, power, and empire, extended itself throughout all the northern parts of Africa, as far as the western ocean, over all the principal provinces of Spain, and through a great part of the eastern kingdoms of Africa.-This empire continued, under the great Caliphs of Egypt, for feveral ages; but at length these degenerating from the example and virtues of Almanzor, and, under the pretence of religion, using all manner of cruelties and oppreffion, came to be hated by their fubjects; and, to fecure themselves from their refentment, were obliged to procure a powerful

guard

guard of Circaffian flaves: but the captain of this guard, finding his own power, and the general, difesteem into which one of the Caliphs was fallen by his infamous courfe of life, depofed him, and took the government of the empire upon himself, under the name of Sultan; and reigned by the fole force and fupport of his Circaffian troops. This government lafted between two and three. hundred years, during which time, although they pretended to embrace the Mahometan religion, they acted in direct contradiction thereto : for the fovereign power was not hereditary, but upon the death or depofing of a Sultan, a new one was always elected by this body of troops, out of their own bands ; and by the conftitution of their government, no fon of a Sultan was ever either to fucceed his father, or to be elected Sultan. Thefe Circaffian troops, commonly called the Mamaluc bands, made a great figure, and a powerful refiftance against the growing empire of the Turks; till, after a long war, they were conquered by Selim.

It has not been clearly determined, whether the Turks were first called into the fouthern parts of Afia by the Greek or by the Persian emperors: but it is by all agreed, that when their numbers increased, they revolted from the affiftance of their friends, formed a government for themselves, and embraced the Mahometan religion; the principles of which they improved by feveral new orders and regulations, calculated entirely for conqueft, and extent of empire; and hereby they formed

a king

a kingdom, which, under the Ottoman race, fubdued both the Greek empire, and that of the Arabians, and established itself in all their extenfive dominions, wherein it continues to this day;·· but with the addition of fome other provinces to their empire, and many more to the Mahometan religion, as by them improved; fo that the Turkish empire greatly affifted to the propagation of this religion; even more fo than the Perfian or the Arabian empires.

The fundamental principles upon which this government was founded, and raifed to fuch a height, were thofe of Mahomet, which have been already described; and which, by their fenfual paradise, and predestination, and the spoils of the conquered, both in their lands, goods, and liberties, which were all feized at the pleasure of the conqueror, were great incentives of courage and of enterprize. These were joined, in the second place, to a belief of the divine designation of the Ottoman line, to reign among them, for the propagation of their faith, and for the extenfion of their territories; fo that they regard their reigning prince, at least by adoption, as the fucceffor of Mahomet, and not only as a fovereign law-giver in civil, but, with the affiftance of his Mufti, as fupreme judge in all religious matters. And this principle was fo far improved among these people, that in all things they believed obedience should be given to the will of their prince, as to the will of God, of whom they thought him the legal representative;