biography of Mohammed, have been wrought into the history, while no means are afforded to the reader for discerning the real from the fictitious events; nor amongst the latter, for discriminating which originated with Mohammed himself, and which were long afterwards without grounds ascribed to him. The beautiful portrait of Mohammed, placed at its commencement, is a fit emblem of the whole work. The countenance beams with intelligence, struggling between sensuousness and lofty resolve; while in the background is the Kaaba, with its sombre hangings; and a crowd of followers are seen flourishing their scimitars and daggers with angry gesture at each other. A charming picture! But not that of the real Mohammed in his Arab garb; for here he is sumptuously arrayed in an ermine-bound robe; in one hand he holds an open volume, and the other is stretched aloft, to enforce his earnest address. Now Mohammed never preached from any book; the Coran was, in fact, not even collected during his lifetime, but remained recorded in scattered shreds. So much for the delightful but fancy sketches of Washington Irving: pleasant, perhaps profitable, for the English reader, but in no wise suited for Mohammedan lands.

The biographies of the two Tract Societies equally abound in misstatements which it would be fatal to publish in the proposed translations. It may be well to quote a few instances.¹ Here is the first paragraph:—

Now Abu Tâlib, instead of being wealthy, was extremely indigent. A portion of the honours of the family did, indeed, devolve upon him, but his poverty forced him to abandon them to his brother Abbas. Thus Weil:—