OF THE .VNCIENT ARABS. 171 



The Arabs were a most vindictive race ; their 

 quarrels were hereditar}^ A wilful offence was 

 never forgiven : and such was the patient inveteracy 

 of their wrath, that they would wait months and 

 years the opportunity of revenge. Murder, in these 

 cases, was atoned for by fine or confiscation ; but 

 the Idnsman of the deceased was at liberty to accept 

 the penalty, or exercise with his own hand the law 

 of retaliation. Xor was the debt of vengeance can- 

 celled even by the head of the murderer ; for their 

 refined maUce coidd substitute the innocent for the 

 guilty, and transfer the punishment to the most con- 

 siderable of the tribe by whom they had been in- 

 jured. The slightest provocation, an empty boast, 

 or the recital of an obnoxious song was enough to 

 rekindle the embers of discord, and awaken passions 

 that had slumbered for half a centmy-. 



The only respite to these sanguinary feuds was an 

 interval of four months each year — the first, sev- 

 enth, eleventh, and twelfth, which were always 

 observed as sacred. During that time they held it 

 unlawful to wage war foreign or domestic. Their 

 swords were religiously sheathed ; the heads taken 

 off their spears ; the injured and the injurer hved in 

 perfect security^ so that if a man met the slayer of 

 his father or his brother he durst offer him no vio- 

 lence. This singular institution was obser^'ed by 

 all the Arab tribes except two— Tai and Katham ; 

 and so scrupulously was it adhered to, that history 

 has recorded only four (or six) instances of its hav- 

 ing been transgressed. These were stigmatized by 

 the name of the Impious Wars ; in some of which the 

 Koreish themselves were engaged. The design of 

 this jubilee is alleged to have been for the security 

 of merchants and pilgrims, that they might travel to 

 and from the amiual festival \\-ithout danger or inter- 

 ruption. 



This dark side of the Arab character h^d a beauti- 

 ful contrast in certain noble and generous quaitiles 



