220 LIFE OF MOHAMMED* 



terrestfial creatures intrusted to their spiritual gnar- 

 dianship. The most conspicuous of these was the 

 angel or representative of the cocks, white as snow, 

 and of such gigantic stature that his head touched the 

 second heaven (a distance of 500 years travel) ; or, 

 as others affirm, reached through all the seven hea- 

 vens. He assisted in the matin songs of the angelic 

 choirs, and gave the signal for all his species id 

 crow, whether material or immaterial. 



The second heaven was of pure gold, and con- 

 tained twice as many angels as the first. Here 

 Mohammed was saluted by Noah, who comnriended 

 himself to his prayers ; but he was not permitted 

 to take further notice of the various marvels he 

 saw. The third heaven was made of precious stones, 

 land more populous than the second. Here the tra- 

 vellers were greeted by David and Solomon, and 

 Saw a huge angel called the Faithful of God, who 

 had 100,000 others under his command. In the 

 fourth heaven, which was of emerald, they received 

 the felicitations of Enoch and Joseph. Here they 

 beheld an angel of a very stern and terrible aspect ; 

 the distance between whose eyes was equal to 

 70,000 days' journey according to the rate of Ara^ 

 bian travelling ; and such was his capacity, that he 

 Could have swallowed the seven heavens and seven 

 earths as easily as a pea. Before him was a large 

 table on which he was continually writing ; insert- 

 ing the names of all that were born, computing the 

 days of their lives, and blotting them out from his 

 register the moment their allotted portion of years 

 expired. It was Azrael, the angel of death, whose 

 emissaries traverse the earth perpetually, keep- 

 ing watch over the issues of human life. No smile 

 ever lighted up his dismal visage ; his business 

 being to weep and make lamentations for the sins 

 of men.* 



- * Prideaux Condescends (and so does Maracci) to grapple in 

 Serious combat with this phantom. As the distance between a 



