102 



239. — Since we are thus entered into the story of this Imposter, it may 

 not be amiss to amuse our readers, with a stratagem an Arabian girl made 

 use of to prove the truth of his pretended mission ; the story as related 

 by D. Prideaux in his life of Mahomet runs thus. 



240. — Three years before his death, he led forth his army against 

 Chaibar, a city inhabited by the Arabs of the Jewish religion, who being 

 overthrown by him in battle, he besieged their city and took it by storm. 

 And here those who are magnifiers of Ali, tell this miracle of him, that in 

 the assault, Sampson like, he plucked up one of the gates of the city 

 (which was of that weight saith Abul Feda, that eight other men could 

 not move it), and held it before him for a shield to defend himself against 

 the beseiged, till the city was taken. On Mahomet's entering the town, 

 he took up his quarters in the house of Hareth, one of the principal inha- 

 bitants of the place ; whose daughter Zainab making ready a shoulder of 

 mutton for his supper, poisoned it ; and here those who are for ascribing 

 miracles to Mahomet, tells us that the shoulder of mutton spoke to him, 

 and discovered that it was poisoned ! but it seems if it did so, it was too 

 late to do him any good. For Basher, one of his companions, falling on 

 too greedily, to eat it, fell down dead on the place. And although Maho- 

 met had not immediately the same fate, because not liking the taste, he 

 spit out again what he had taken into his mouth, yet he let down enough 

 to do his business ; for he was never well after this supper, and at three 

 years end died of it. The maid being asked why she did this, answered 

 that she had a mind to make trial whether he were a prophet or no. For 

 were he a prophet, said she, he could certainly know that the meat was 

 poisoned ; and therefore would receive no harm from it ; but if he were 

 not a prophet, she thought she should do the world good service in ridding 

 it of so wicked a tyrant. 



is short and inclined to be thick ; hath an orange eye, and a small naked circle of 

 black flesh round the same, and a beak resembling that of a bullfinch with a small black 

 wattle on it. 



(Mayor, p. 142.) — T must confess I rather think this bird a mixed strain between 

 a Turbit and some other Pigeon. 



238. (Brent.) — This is one of the varieties of Fancy Pigeons with which I have 

 but a very slight acquaintance, having only once seen a paii* at a London dealer's, and 

 their appearance gave me the idea of a cross between an Owl and a Barb Pigeon ; 

 nevertheless, their seam, and black wattle, sere, and skin, I consider sufficient distinctive 

 peculiarities to give them a place among Fancy Pigeons as a separate variety. Mr. 

 MoORE, in his Work, " Columbariam," printed in 1735 (and for which Pigeon Fan- 

 cier are indebted to Mr. J. M. Eaton for the reprint), considers the Mahomet sim- 

 ply as a white Barb, and accounts for its name as being the same variety as that 

 which Mahomet trained to peck in his ear, by which he induced his followers to believe 

 the Holy Ghost ministered to him, so as to enable him to write the sacred Koran. It 

 is very probable that the present relations existing between this country and the Sub- 

 lime Porte may cause the introduction of other varieties of Pigeons from the East. I 

 believe the Pigeon is considered a sacred bird among the Mahomedans, for which, per- 

 haps, the following tradition may account : — Mahomet, while flying from his pursuers, 

 hid himself in a tree or bush, and his enemies, who were in close pursuit, observing a 

 Pigeon or Dove undisturbed on her nest, concluded that no one was there ; thus 

 Mahomet escaped. 



