LIFE OF MOHAMMED. 2^9 



snri (the Emigration) descended, expressly to ratify 

 ?his monopoly^ on tlie ^ound tliat neither horses nor 

 r^Bel Se nWd in this expedition Thus easily 

 wa^ Heaven made to contradict itself. One divme 

 oracle superseded the obligations of another, and 

 cancelle7the pretensions of the whole army, m 

 SSer that their crafty general might discharge his 



nrfifr,^ar^S'SeHejira beheld the territory 

 of Medina violated by an allied army of Jews and 

 Solatere and the city of the Prophet menaced with 

 ftlef destruction. For this hostile movement he 

 V lilant apostle was not unprepared ; and by he 

 advice of Salman the Persian, he caused, for ths 

 TOO ection of the city, a deep ditch or intrenchment 

 The dug rom^d it.' The hearts of the believers 

 quaked to behold their suburbs covered with ten . 

 n d bristlins with a lorest of moving spears; but 

 ;^ir general, concealing his own apprehensions, 

 loudly reproached them with their want of f.dth. 

 After twenty days of ineffective blockade and fnid^ 

 hi^tVer prospects of success entirely frustrated 

 by divisiois ill their own camp, the con<-ederate 

 forces bioke up the siege, and prepared to return 

 home These dissensions, it is r.nerally believed, 

 weTe fomented by the emissaries of Mohammed, 

 who had contrived to corrupt their leadmg men. 

 The news of their precipitate departure was ^^el- 

 come intelligence to the Moslems, who coinmemo- 

 5at" d this expedition as the War of the Ditch or of 

 the Nations,^in allusion to the different tribes of 

 which the aUied army was composed. 



Relieved from their formidable assailants, the 

 faithful expected to rest from their fatigues, and 

 er joy the blessings of peace m the bosom of their 

 families. The intention of their leader was very 

 different. On the same day, and without laying 

 aside his armour Moha nmed ordered l^is roops o 

 march against the Koraidites, a Jewish tube who 



