CONQUESTS OF THE SARACENS. 



307 



submission. The new sovereign despised the pomp- 

 ous epithets of royalty ; and, in reverence for the 

 founder of tlieir rehgion, adopted the smiple and 

 more flattering title of caliph. But scarcely had his 

 accession taken place, when he was overwhelmed 

 with the accumulated intelhgence of apostacy, re- 

 volt, and imposture, from all quarters. The religious 

 spirit which the example of Mohammed had kmdled 

 amono- the Arabs was but ablaze of fanaticism ; and 

 on his decease they seemed desirous of returning to 

 the altars of idolatry. The Christians .were tributa- 

 ries rather than subjects ; and the obstinate Jews had 

 flo-ain directed their hopes to the exploded ritual of 

 Moses The tribes of the Desert were sinking back 

 into their ancient paganism ; and the Koreish would 

 perhans have restored the images of the Ivaaba, had 

 •not Abu Beker checked their inconsistency by an 

 effective reproof: "Ye men of Mecca, will ye be 

 the last to embrace, and the first to abandon the 

 religion of Islam 1" 



Tlie success of the Prophet had encouraged others, 

 even in his lifetime, to emulate his pretensions. As- 

 wad. a dexterous usurper, who seized the government 

 of Yemen, had already suffered the punishment of 

 his rebellion. Moseilama had made alarming pro- 

 gress in the territory of Yemama, and v.-as still in 

 the zenith of his apostacy. A Christian Avoman, 

 Avho aspired to the honours of a prophetess (for the 

 spirit of imposture was not confined to the male sex) , 

 became his associate ; and even in the pubhc camp 

 the decencies of words and actions were spurned by 

 these privileged and amorous saints. Khaled, tne 

 scourge of the infidels, with an army of 40,000 men, 

 defeated and dispersed his followers at the battle of 

 Akraba, where 10,000 of the rebels fell; a black 

 slave pierced the upstart apostle with a javelin. 

 His paramour, whose name was Sejaje, returned to 

 idolatry ; but afterward became a Mussulman, and 

 died at Bussora. Of the rest of the impostors, some 



