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end of my days. I am well aware that it was God himself who impressed this conviction upon my mind→→ my desires are fulfilled- I do not regret that I am about to die. You come just in time to receive my last sighs, and the last acknowledgment of my infirmities. Encourage me in my combat, pour out upon me the blood of Jen sus Christ-Apply his merits to my soul, nourish me with his flesh, and with the other Saeraments of the Holy Catholic Church complete my felicity, and affix the seal to my predestination-I find myself near the moment of my death. O, what a happiness for a sinner like me, to die in your arms !—to place my conscience in your hands, and my soul in the hands of my Saviour! Hasten, my Rev. Fatlier, cleanse me by the sacrament of Penance, and assist me to praise the infinite mercies of " our God!"

At those tender and moving expressions, his children and his grand-children, having surrounded his bed, burst into tears, I could not restrain mine. Religion, my Rev. Father, sometimes makes impressions upon us which completely take us by surprise. The missionary himself as much af fected as we frequently embraced him; and exhorted him to profit of the last comforts of the Church, which Heaven now offered to him, and to perfect the great work of his salvation. We left them together-The sick man made a general confession, frequently interrupted by sobs and tears. The entire family came back, they all kneeled, and the good Patriarch gave them his blessing. He was prepared. At the sight of his God, in receiving the Communion, his fervour and piety were redoubled. The Crucifix was put into his hands; he kissed it affectionately, and with his lips clung to those which represented his Divine Master's, he calmly expired!!-What a death,? my Rev. Father?I was so struck with it that I could? not avoid saying to the family" My children, Religion is deceit or you are the offspring of a Saint."- remarked to them, that neither Schism nor Infidelity ever offered such exhibitions. The people thanked us a thousand times—We spent sufficient time with the other fami, lies, but this was the most singular event of our mission, and one which we could not refrain from admiring-and

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upon our return, it was the subject of our conversation along the road. My companion acknowledged, that during his life he had never felt more pleasing joy, or abunes dant consolation, and that the feelings of that moment auply repaid all the fatigues he had undergone before→→ « I could easily believe it, were 1 to judge of his feelings eyen only from my own.

On our return to Damascus we were accompanied by a « Greek inhabitant of the village which we had left, and herl told me, that as I appeared anxious to know why Mahomet had specially recommended the Religious of Christians... · to the attention of his followers; if I chose to take the trouble of a little enquiry he would introduce me to one of the citizens of the place we were going to who could give me every information." He is," said he, "a man who is very { well acquainted with their law, as well as with the history. of their country, and one who will willingly give you share of any knowledge he has." He told me this Doctor's name, and I thought it would be wrong to neglect the opportunity. I was glad to be enlightend upon a point concerning which I had heard such a diversity of opinion. Before my departure from France, and whilst I was preparing for this Mission, I had read attentively whatever I could find our great men had written, of Mahomet, and of the Alco+: ran-and I paid particular attention to Bayle's article on this Prophet. I wished to see into the business, and my first care after my return to Damascus, was to make my» enquiries. I shall lay the result before you

I went to the person who was to give the information, he was a Christian, and hence I felt myself more at liberty to ask every question. I came at once to the point." Is it true," said I, that the prophet of the Mussulmans has ordered them to pay attention to the Christian Religi-4 aus." "Nothing is more true," said he" But," said I,. we Frenchmen, and even those amongst us who plume, themselves upon their erudition, are quite silent upon the subject; nor can I discover, any trace of such a command in their writings.' All that may be true," said he, but yet there is nothing more certain, than that such a command has been given; and give me leave: to tell you, that with all their learning, we are, on these

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points, more worthy of credit than they are-for we have information and documents which they have not " He then took from amongst his papers, an old manuscript, which he shewed me. It was Arabic, and purported to be the History of Mahomet related at length. "Take it," said he, you know our language,—read it, and without entering into any useless discussions or envious comparisons, you have the means of settling the disputes between the French and us.' >> I read, or rather I devoured tire manuscript. But as I was not content with a single reading, 1 begged of him to leave it with me for a few days.—He consented in the kindest manner.

I shall faithfully give you the substance of it as far as regards this question: if I had found any thing of a different description, you would not forgive me for the insertion, because it would be straying from my subject. I shall not imitate the example of most modern writers, who, for the purpose of conforming to the taste of a cor rupt age, fill their books with a thousand impieties, a thoùsand obscenities, and a thousand-impertinencies, paying no regard to decorum, morality, or religion.

According to this manuscript, Mahomet was born át Mecca, his origin was obscure, but as he had elevated „seutiments, he determined to rise from his low state, and make himself independent. Too well known at home to effect his purpose, he determined to go into some foreignCountry. He carried his scheme into execution by joining a number of his countrymen, who in consequence of a famine, left their country to look for corn, and came as far as Hauran, as they could not get it nearer home.-Hauran is a small district about two days journey south of Damascus, where the soil is usualy very productive as being extremely fertile; in the very worst years the corn grows in abundance and is reckoned to be the best in Syria. There was at that time, a religious man named Sergius, in this country, a man of extreme austerity and regularity of life, but an obstinate headstrong Arian, aud one of the most ardent and zealous defenders of that sect. Amongst the strangers who came from Mecca, Sergius was struck with the appearance of Mahomet. He was a well made young man, who had a noble mem,

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and an air of something uncommon about him." Sergita was charmed with his conversation, and he discovered in Mahomet a liveliness of genius which shewed him capable of something great. He became attached to him, and proposed to him to reside with himself for some years. Although this proposal did suit, his taste the young Aráb was under the necessity of accepting it. He became then not the servant, but the disciple of the Syrian Monk.

Naturally of a complying disposition, he appeared docile to his new master, he heard his lessons and liked them. Born in the very bosom of idolatry, when he was instructed he saw its absurdity, and renounced that monstrong and superstitious mode of worship, but he only left one species of error to get into another, and in becoming a Christian, be became a heretican Arian Heretic-The Arians deny the divinity of the Word; they assert that Jesus Christ is the most perfect creature, but always assert that he was only created. They do not look upon him to be God, but a Prophet; and one of the greatest of Prophets. Such was the statement of the manuscript. Instructed in some of the tenets of Christianity, -Maliomet conceived the idea of rescuing his fellow countrymen from the darkness of Idolatry in which they were buried. Full of this project he returned to Mecca, where he immediately began to dogmatis, and without any extraordinary difficulty he destroyed Polytheism.

But it was necessary to substitute some system in place of that which he had destroyed; and his first success made him bold, he ambitioned to become a legislator himself. It was natural to suppose, that he would teach Christianity since he himself made profession of it, and he had tolerable knowledge of many of its tenets, but it wàs already too well established and too widely spread abroad to allow him ever to hope for the honour of being looked upon as its author, and he still wished to be a lawgiver.— Besides he found nothing in t capable of imposing upon a gross people, nor calculated to gratify sensual habits He Baw that the Jews were no longer a nation nor a religioùs body. They were unfortunate vagabonds scattered over the face of the earth. He suspected that he would find it more to his account to have recourse to them, and that

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decorating himself in their spoils, the theft would be less perceptible, and consequently took from their law a variety of practices, which constitute a principal portion of the observances of his system.

It it was not enough to have invented a new Religion, it was necessary to establish it firmly, and in a manner which should make it likely to continue, His natural eloquence and his talent of playing the prophet soon brought vast numbers to his party, but still he found many indocile and disobedient headstrong persons who refused to listen to him, and who determined to assassinate the new dogmatizer. He saw the plan that was laid against him. He was clever enough to legislate, but not su fficiently con rageous to be a martyr: he fled, accompanied by many followers, and took refuge in Medina, where he was receiv ed as a messenger from God. Hitherto he had employed uly exhortation for the establishment of his new sect, but as things did not go on as quickly as he wished, he thought it better to hurry them on with the help arms. He thought it much the shorter way. Placing himself at the head of some determined Arabs, he marched against his country, and put to the sword all who oppose ed his plans. This bold and fortunate stroke encreased his troops, and he soon found himself at the head of a formidable and numerous army. He became Lord of a great tract of country, and instantly conquered the neighbouring provinces. He soon penetrated as far as Hauran, where he had shortly before been in quite a different situation. He found his old master Sergius, and had many conferences with him, from which he became better instructed. His disciples were not pleased with those collogu es, and were particularly fearful lest Sergius, who was an austere and rigid man, should prevail upon their chief, to whom they had sworn blind obedience, to impose upon them too much restraint.-This fear, perhaps without foundation, made them take a decisive step. Sergius became a victim to their fury, they murdered him in the night. The historian remarks, that the murderers had been carousing, and went in a state of drunkenness to the perpetration of the foul act. This was a principal motive with Mahomet in ordaining that his disHI

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