Specimen of a Summary of History. 1 17 



Till Sion, trembling on her rocky throne. 

 Anew shall desolation's horror own. 

 Next Persia feels thro' all her realms the blow;' 

 Sinks Yezdegird thy jewelled banner low.'" 

 Egypt accepts the yoke,'' and Amroo's powers 

 Their crescent raise o'er Alexandria's to\vers ; 

 And Omar's flames within those walls devour 

 The spoils of learned ages in an hour.'^ 

 So in twice nine short years from that of flight'3 

 Rolls on that flood of empire's headlong might. 

 Mourning his narrowed sway, and lower'd pride, 

 Grecian Heraclius bow'd his head and died.'* 



FIRST SUCCESSION TO THE CALIFATE.is 



Meanwhile three caliphs fill the prophet's place 

 Friends through his course, but aliens to his race. 



"> In 636, Yezdegird, grandson of Chosroes, and then sovereign of Persia, was 

 overthrown in the battle of Cadesia by the forces of Omar. The standard of the 

 Persian monarchy, covered with jewels, is particularly specified as among the 

 captures. 



11 Egypt was invaded by the troops of the same caliph, under Amroo, 639. Alex- 

 andria submitted to his arms at the close of the next year. 



12 Every one is familiar with the story of the destruction of the Alexandrian 

 library by the bigotry of the caliph. 



13 All these conquests were achieved, and Syria, Persia, and Eg}'pt, added to the 

 Mahometan dominions within the first eighteen years of the Hejira. 



14 Heraclius, the Grecian emperor, is said to have expired of mortification, when, 

 in the beginning of 641, he first heard the recent capture of Alexandria. 



15 The first caliphs were not of the blood of Mahomet, and chosen to the exclusion 

 of his cousin Ali. Abubeker, his early convert and steadfast friend, and the father of 

 his latest wife, Ayesha, succeeded to her power on his decease in 632. After two 

 years he died, and Omar, another of Mahomet's early followers and also father of 

 another of his wives, was elected in his place ; bis reign lasted till 644, when Othman, 

 who had been the secretary of Mahomet, became the third caliph, and the hereditary 

 claims of Ali were still suspended. Nor did this kinsman of Mahomet, although his 

 claims were strengthened by the influence of his wife, Fatima, Mahomet's favourite 

 daughter, obtain the seat of power till 655. Hence has arisen the principal schism 

 which has divided and still divides the Mahometan world ; the largest party, the 

 Sonnees, acknowledge the legitimacy of the three first caliphs ; the other sect, the 

 Shiahs, adhering to his hereditary claims, recognise Ali only. The Turks belong to 

 the former, the Persians to the latter sect. The claims of Ali were resisted by 

 Moawyiah, of the house of Ommias ; he was the son of Abu Sophian, long the leader 

 of theKoreish against Mahomet, but, after the submission of Mecca, a convert to the 

 victor. Amid these dissensions, three enthusiasts believed that the only way of 

 restoring peace to the Mahometan world, would be the assassination of the two 

 competitors already named, together with Amroo, the victor of Egypt, who had also 

 pretensions. But the blow directed, in the mosque of Cufa, against the life of Ali, 

 alone succeeded, and Moawyiah derived the benefit. This head of the Ommiad line 

 became caliph, 661, and procured the abdication of Hassam, son of Ali, and grand- 

 son of Mahomet. 



No. 3.— Vol. I. B* 



