MODERN HISTORY. 151 



empire, from Mahomet II. down to the prefent 

 time. 



In the firft part we (hall fee, that the Arabs 

 or Saracens, who were a people defcended from 

 Imrn.vjl the fon of Abraham and of Hagar, 

 inhabited the country which is called Arai-ia, 

 from the word Araba, which fignirics folitude. 

 Thefe Arabs are alfo fometimes called Ifhmael- 

 fometimes Agarenians, and fometimes Sar- 

 razins, from the word Saraz, which fignifies to 

 ilcal i becaufe this people traverfed the country 

 in order to rob on the highways. In 571 the 

 falie prophet Mahomet was born among them, 

 and taught them a new religion, which they fol- 

 lowed, as we fhall fee in the next chapter. 

 Mahomet, who was at once a prophet, a legifla- 

 tor, and a conqueror, made himfelf fovereign of 

 the Saracens or Arabs. The iucctlTors of 

 Mahomet bore the title of Caliphs. About a 

 hundred years after the death of Mahomet, a 

 people of Scythia, named Turks, came by the 

 Cafpian Sea, pad Mount Caucafus, and efta- 

 blifhed themfelves in that country, which is now 

 called Georgia, Turcomania and Diurbeck. The 

 Saracens at firft waged war with thefe new 

 comers , but about the middle of the eighth 

 century they made peace, and incorporated with 

 them, on condition that the Turks mould em- 

 brace the Mahometan religion, and join with 



n in fighting againfl the Chriftians, who 

 come to moled them, even in Afia. The word 

 Turk fignifies a fhepherd or pcafant. It his cf- 



