But we may point out several of leading importance: in the first place, those just and elevated notions of the divine nature, and of moral duties, the gold ore that pervades the dross of the Koran, which were calculated to strike a serious and reflecting people, already perhaps disinclined, by intermixture with their Jewish and Christian fellow citizens, to the superstitions of ancient idolatry; next, the artful incorporation of tenets, usages, and traditions from the various religions that existed in Arabia; and thirdly, the extensive application of the precepts in the Koran, a book confessedly written with much elegance and purity, to all legal transactions, and all the business of life. It may be expected that I should add to these, what is commonly considered as a distinguishing mark of Mohammedanism, its indulgence to voluptuousness. But this appears to be greatly exaggerated. Although the character of its founder may have been tainted by sensuality as well as ferociousness, I do not think that he relied upon inducements of the former kind for the diffusion of his system. We are not to judge of this by rules of Christian purity, or of European practice. If polygamy was a prevailing usage in Arabia, as is not questioned, its permission gave no additional license to the proselytes of Mohammed, who will be found rather to have narrowed the unbounded liberty of Oriental manners in this respect; while his decided condemnation of adultery, and of incestuous connexions, so frequent among barbarous nations, does not argue a very lax and accommodating morality. A devout Mussulman exhibits much more of the Stoical, than the Epicurean character. Nor can any one read the Koran without being sensible that it breathes an austere and scrupulous spirit. And in fact the founder of a new religion or sect is little likely to obtain premanent success by indulging the vices and luxuries of mankind. I should rather be disposed to reckon the severity of Mohammed's discipline among the causes of its influence. Precepts of ritual observance, being always definite and unequivocal, are less likely to be neglected, after their obligation has been acknowledged, than those of moral virtue. Thus the long fasting, the pilgrimages, the regular prayers and ablutions, the constant almsgiving, the abstinence from stimulating liquors, enjoined by the Koran, created a visible standard of practice among its followers, and preserved a continual recollection of their law.

'But the prevalence of Islam, in the life-time of its prophet, and during the first ages of its existence, was chiefly owing to the spirit of martial energy that he infused into it. The religion of Mohammed is as essentially a military system, as the institution of chivalry in the west of Europe. The people of Arabia, a race

of strong passions and sanguinary temper, inured to habits of pillage and murder, found in the law of their native prophet, not a license, but a command to desolate the world, and the promise of all that their glowing imaginations could anticipate of Paradise annexed to all in which they most delighted upon earth. It is difficult for us, in the calmness of our closets, to conceive that feverish intensity of excitement to which man may be wrought, when the animal and intellectual energies of his nature converge to a point, and the buoyancy of strength and courage reciprocates the influence of moral sentiment or religious hope. The effect of this union I have formerly remarked in the Crusades; a phenomenon perfectly analogous to the early history of the Saracens. In each, one hardly knows whether most to admire the prodigious exertions of heroism, or to revolt from the ferocious bigotry that attended them. But the Crusades were a temporary effort, not thoroughly congenial to the spirit of Christendom, which, even in the darkest and most superstitious ages, was not susceptible of the solitary and over-ruling fanaticism of the Moslems. They needed no excitement from pontiffs and preachers to achieve the work to which they were called; the precept was in their law, the principle was in their hearts, the assurance of success was in their swords. O prophet, exclaimed Ali, when Mohammed, in the first years of his mission, sought among the scanty and hesitating assembly of his friends, a vizir and lieutenant in command, I am the man; whoever rises against thee, I will dash out his teeth, tear out his eyes, break his legs, rip up his belly. O prophet, I will be thy vizir over them. These words of Mohammed's early and illustrious disciple are, as it were, a text, upon which the commentary expands into the whole Saracenic history. They contain the vital essence of his religion, implicit faith and ferocious energy.'*

One word as to the proper orthography of the prophet's name. In the Byzantine historians it is sometimes written Maometis, from which, we suppose, was derived the old way of spelling it in English, Mahomet. This is now almost universally rejected by oriental scholars. Mills prefers Muhammed; Rammobun Roy, Mohummed; Sale, Mohammed. Mr Bush very judiciously adopts the mode last mentioned, as supported by the best authorities; and we hope his example in this respect will be followed by writers generally, if for no other reason, for uniformity's sake.

* Hallam's Middle Ages, vol. II. pp. 402-6.

ART. VI.-Observations upon the Peloponnesus and Greek Islands, made in 1829. By RUFUS ANDERSON, one of the Secretaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Boston: CROCKER & BREWster. 1830. 12mo. pp. 334.

THE objects which the Prudential Committee of the Board of Foreign Missions had in view, in sending Mr Anderson as a special agent to the Mediterranean, are stated to have been the two following. 'First, the missionaries to Syria, being driven from their station by the political disturbances which agitated the Turkish empire, were in the island of Malta, and the Committee were anxious to confer with them in relation to future operations in the east. Second, the Committee were desirous to know, more satisfactorily than they had the means of knowing, precisely what kind of efforts in behalf of liberated Greece were incumbent on the Board.'

The results of the agency are partly exhibited in this volume. It consists of two main divisions; the first of which is a narrative of the tour, including observations on the localities and scenery, soil and agriculture, manners and customs of Greece, and the effects of the late war upon the country; and the second is an account of its territory, population and government, state of education, and church, concluding with opinions on the proper measures to be pursued by Protestants for the benefit of the oriental churches. To those who wish for information on these subjects, without intending to go deeply into them, we can recommend this book, from a cursory perusal of it, as furnishing what they want, in an entertaining manner, a concise form, a fair and moderate spirit, and with great apparent

accuracy.

Mr Anderson sailed from Boston for Malta, on the 28th of November, 1828. In a little more than twenty days he saw the opposite mountains of Europe and Africa, and on the first day of the year 1829 arrived at Malta. Here he remained till the 25th of February, and then embarked for Corfu, with the Rev. Eli Smith, a missionary of the Board, as his companion. They reached Corfu on the 3d of March, and then pursued their tour through most of the Ionian Islands, the Peloponnesus, the Western Sporades, and the Northern Cyclades. Though their object in this tour was not to measure

ruins and determine the sites of ancient cities and battle-grounds, but to institute moral and religious investigations, which they considered, and which we consider, of far greater importance, yet they show that they are not insensible to classical influences, and the details of their journey are frequently enlivened by sketches of scenery, brief accounts of the remains of antiquity, and interesting anecdotes.

As our intention is only to offer a short notice of this work, we shall proceed at once to make a few extracts from it, taken almost at random.

The travelling equipment of Mr Anderson and his friend, while on the peninsula, is thus described.

"The time from the 13th to the 25th of May we spent at Ægina, making inquiries of which the principal results will be given when I speak of the state and prospects of education in Greece. At the end of that time, having received letters to men most likely to favor our object in different parts of the Peloponnesus, and also a circular from Mr Tricoupis, Foreign Secretary of the Greek government, commending us to the provincial authorities, we entered upon our principal tour in the peninsula. Knowing the country to be almost literally destitute of houses, we had procured a cotton tent at Ægina sufficiently large to accommodate ourselves and baggage. Our interpreter had liberty to sleep in it, but he often chose to spend the night with the muleteers under the open heavens, which at this season are beautifully clear. We carried

utensils for cooking, and certain articles of food, as coffee, tea, sugar, rice and ham. In addition to our interpreter, we took a `man to look after our baggage, who was willing to attend us and provide his own food for four dollars a month. The animals we rode were usually mules, accoutred with a rope halter for a bridle, a pack-saddle of rude frame-work, and cord for stirrups. Throwing our capotes across the saddle and whatever else we had to render the seat tolerable, we moved on in a moderate walk, and in Indian file, with a muleteer on foot before to lead the way, and others behind to urge on the caravan. Mr Smith or myself rode first, as we found the one or the other had the freest animal, and our interpreter kept near us to perform the duties of his office. The servant saw that the baggage was neither stolen, nor lost; and it is due to his carefulness or to the honesty of the Greeks, to say, that not an article was missing at the end of the journey. When we wished to encamp, we inquired for water, grass, and a sheep-fold. Having found these, or at least the two former, our tent was pitched, our strong wooden chests were so laid as to serve for tables, and our beds spread on the ground.

Pilaf was made of the rice, and the occasional addition of an egg rendered this dish quite a luxury.* Our bread was often old and dry, and was never very white, though commonly made of wheat, and palatable. Once or twice it was made simply of barley, and then it was coarse, black and heavy. In all the Arcadian region we were generally able to obtain the milk of ewes, or goats, but we saw no cows. The shepherds frequently supplied us with a preparation they call yagourte. It is the leben mentioned by our missionaries in Syria, and is milk coagulated in a particular manner,† and soon rendered agreeable by use. Meat we could seldom get. Our diet was necessarily simple, but we fared better than we had reason to expect, and never went long hungry. Perhaps I ought to add, that we travelled in respectable style, such as gave us admission to any society we wished to enter.'-pp. 67, 68.

At Demetsana, in the province of Arcadia, the travellers had a conversation with the head-master of a school there, which has been celebrated throughout the Morea for two generations past. This conversation speaks so honorably of the liberality and judgment of both parties, that we take pleasure in quoting a portion of it. If religious conversations here at home, between those of different communions, could always be carried on after the same model, we should be glad.

'The young man wished to know the opinions of our countrymen in reference to the procession of the Holy Ghost, which the Greeks believe to have been from the Father only, and not from the Father and the Son. It is a point of doctrine which they magnify into great importance. We told him that it had never been a subject of controversy in our country, and that we attribute less consequence to it than the members of the Greek church do. Without pressing his inquiries on this head, he asked what creed we received. It was replied, that we assent to what is called the Apostles' creed, and to some others, but that we regard nothing as binding on our religious belief except the Bible-no acts of councils, no articles of the church, no creeds: the Bible was our only authoritative rule of faith and worship: what that contained, we felt bound to receive; what was trary to that, we felt bound to reject.

* Pilaf is rice boiled with a little meat, or butter.'

con

+ The monks at the convent of Megaspelæon said the yagourte was prepared in the following manner; viz. 1. Warm a little milk. 2. Put in a small quantity of flour and lemon juice. 3. Boil the composition. 4. Boil such a quantity of milk as is thought proper. 5. Put into it a small quantity of the previous compound, and let this new one stand twelve hours.'