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-—Was it the conception of his own genius merely? 
The faithful believers deny this supposition; his enemies 
affirm it. But it is not in this work that such a question 
should be discussed. 
This great man, placed in the rank of prophets, only 
intrusted his first revelations to persons whom he mos\ 
loved, and he was believed on his word; he afterwards 
made them public in an assembly of the chief members 
of his tribe, called Koureisch, the most illustrious of all 
Mecca; the grace of faith was not bestowed on them all, 
for a schism arose among his nearest relations. 
The Mekkaouis, or inhabitants of Mecca, were idol- 
aters. It was not unnatural that a man who suggested 
to their reason the sublime idea of one God, eternal, 
immense, almighty, the only cause of a work formed 
on a plan of the most admirable harmony, should attract 
around him a party. But at the same time the Kaaba, 
the temple of Mecca, was filled with idols, which the 
surrounding nations came to worship, and the Koureish, 
who were the priests or ministers of this temple, feared 
to lose the best part of their patrimony and riches, if the 
idols were to be destroyed. This tribe was of course too 
much interested in maintaining the former worship, and 
in opposing every new intrusion. 
This actually occurred. The prophet began to preach 
publicly his new creed, and in a short time made a 
great number of proselytes. The Koureish then as- 
sembled, and resolved on his ruin. The prophet>>after 
sustaining many persecutions, and seeing his life in dan- 
ger, was obliged to leave his country secretly on the 
very night that had been fixed upon for his assassina- 
tion: he was then fifty- three years old. He quitted 
Mecca, taking with him only his friend Abubekr, and 
another young idolater, called Abdalla. From thk 
