The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 9W. Allason, 1820 |
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Abubeker Abulfeda Alexius ancient apostle Arabian Arabs arms army barbarians Bibliot bishops blood Bosra Byzantine Caaba Cæsars Caled caliph camels captive Carlovingian century CHAP character Charlemagne Christ Christian church clergy command conqueror conquest Constan Constantine Constantinople crown d'Herbelot Damascus death desert Eginhard Egypt Elmacin emperor empire enemies exarchate exile faith father favour Gagnier Greeks Heraclius Hist holy honour horse hundred image of Edessa images imperial Irene Italy king kingdom Koran Koreish Latin laws Liber Pontificalis Liutprand Lombards Mahomet Mahometan Manuel Maracci Marozia Mecca Medina merit monarchy monks Moslems Muratori Mussulmans nation nobles numbers Ockley Omar Otho Pagi palace patriarch patrician peace Persian person Pocock popes prayer prince prophet provinces Ravenna reign religion Roman Rome royal saints Saracens siege soldiers spirit successor superstition sword Syria Theodora Theophanes thousand throne tion tribe troops tyrant valour victory virtues worship XLIX XLVIII zeal
Popular passages
Page 321 - Mahomet must have been gradually stained: and the influence of such pernicious habits would be poorly compensated by the practice of the personal and social virtues which are necessary to maintain the reputation of a prophet among his sectaries and friends. Of his last years, ambition was the ruling passion; and a politician will suspect that he secretly smiled (the victorious impostor!) at the enthusiasm of his youth and the credulity of his proselytes.
Page 261 - In the Author of the universe, his rational enthusiasm confessed and adored an infinite and eternal being, without form or place, without issue or similitude, present to our most secret thoughts, existing by the necessity of his own nature, and deriving from himself all moral and intellectual perfection.
Page 287 - Ali, which are still extant, exhibit an interesting picture of his anxiety, his tenderness, and his religious confidence. Three days Mahomet and his companion were concealed in the cave of Thor, at the distance of a league from Mecca; and in the close of each evening, they received from the son and daughter of Abubeker, a secret supply of intelligence and food.
Page 270 - ... permitted to proceed; he passed the veil of unity, approached within two bow-shots of the throne, and felt a cold that pierced him to the heart, when his shoulder was touched by the hand of God. After this familiar though important conversation, he again descended to Jerusalem, remounted the Borak, returned to Mecca, and performed in the tenth part of a night the journey of many thousand years.
Page 88 - ... father, and the empire obeyed the master of the palace. Anna Comnena was stimulated by ambition and revenge to conspire against the life of her brother ; and when the design was prevented by the fears or scruples of her husband, she passionately exclaimed that nature had mistaken the two sexes, and had endowed Bryennius with the soul of a woman. After the discovery of her treason, the life and fortune of Anna were justly forfeited to the laws.
Page 257 - He compares the nations and the religions of the earth; discovers the weakness of the Persian and Roman monarchies; beholds with pity and indignation the degeneracy of the times; and resolves to unite under one God and one king, the invincible spirit and primitive virtues of the Arabs.
Page 317 - Ayesha, the best beloved of all his wives ; he fainted with the violence of pain ; recovering his spirits, he raised his eyes towards the roof of the house, and, with a steady look, though a faltering voice, uttered the last broken, though articulate, words : " O God ! pardon my sins Yes, I come, among my fellow-citizens on high :" and thus peaceably expired (AD 632.
Page 294 - The fair option of friendship, or submission, or battle, was proposed to the enemies of Mahomet. If they professed the creed of Islam, they were admitted to all the temporal and spiritual benefits of his primitive disciples, and marched under the same banner to extend the religion which they had embraced. The clemency of the prophet was decided by his...
Page 380 - Destroy NO palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat. When you make any covenant or article, stand to it, and be as good as your word.
Page 229 - Yet these exceptions are temporary or local ; the body of the nation has escaped the yoke of the most powerful monarchies ; the arms of Sesostris and Cyrus, of Pompey and Trajan, could never achieve the conquest of Arabia ; the present sovereign of the Turks may exercise a shadow of jurisdiction, but his pride is reduced to solicit the friendship of a people, whom it is dangerous to provoke and fruitless to attack.