LiFE OF MOHAMMEt). 243 



shoulder of roasted mutton. A single mouthful waS 

 sufficient to detect the fraud ; but Bashar, one of 

 his companions, having eaten heartily, was instantly 

 seized with convulsions, and expired on the spot. 

 The Arabs pretend that the mutton spoke and in- 

 Ibrmed Moliammed of its being poisoned : this intel- 

 Ugence unfortunately came too late ; for, notwith- 

 standing the promptitude with w^^i^h he rejected the 

 deleterious morsel, he was persuaded till death that 

 the malign influence had penetrated his system, and 

 abridged his days. Revenge was the origm of this 

 conspiracy ; and the pretext, an experiment to try 

 the reality of his apostleship. The Pf'rpetrator was 

 •Zainab, the sister of Marhab, who fell by the hand 

 of Ali " Had you been a true prophet, said the 

 heroic Jewess, when asked the motives of her crim- 

 inal intent, " the poison was harmless, as it must 

 have been easily discovered ; if not, it would have 

 freed the M^orld of a tyrant !" 



Crowned with spoils and honours, the Prophet 

 entered Medina in triumph. Confirmed in his kingly 

 authority over his own subjects, he now assumed 

 the insignia of royalty, and the prerogatives of ail 

 independent sovereign, in despatching agents and 

 embassies to foreign courts to treat on "lattcTS of 

 commerce, and especially to open their eyes to the 

 precious benefits of becoming his disciples. Princes 

 \vere not to be addressed in the ordinary style o. 

 enistolary correspondence ; and Mohammed caused 

 a silver seal to be made, on which was engraveir, in 

 three Unas, Mohammed the apostle of God. ine 

 vanity of his chiefs was flattered at the idea of be- 

 coming ambassadors ; and seven of the neiglibour- 

 in<r potentates, in the folloMang order,-the King of 

 Persia, the Emperor of the Greeks, the Governor of 

 Ecrvnt, the Navash of Abyssinia, the King ot Gassan, 

 the Piince of Yemama, and the King of Bahrein, or 

 Hira were honoured with an apostolical invitation 

 10 embrace tte faith of Islam, mt the diplomatic 



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