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Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed these prophets whose adherents number hundreds of millions, about whom there has been built up those vast systems of theology, what is there of the divine in their characters? What supernatural in their deeds? What wisdom poured forth from their lips which did not come from other philosophers?
The dragoman says Jack's horse died. I swapped horses with Mohammed, the kingly-looking Egyptian who is our Ferguson's lieutenant. By Ferguson I mean our dragoman Abraham, of course. I did not take this horse on account of his personal appearance, but because I have not seen his back. I do not wish to see it.
A legislator, a pontiff, the chief of all the Arab tribes, the commander of an invincible army, respected by the Asiatic sovereigns, adored by a powerful nation, and surrounded by captains who had become heroes in serving under him, Mohammed was on the point of marching against Heraclius, when his designs were for ever interrupted by the termination of his existence.
He went on, deeper and deeper into the darkness, when suddenly he saw a bright light overhead, and discovered that he was in a wide cave, lighted from above by a round opening as by a window. Through this opening he could view the sea, and the sky above. This cave was known to no one else, and Mohammed carefully preserved the secret of its existence. This cave was his palace!
Osman had reserved his decision for the last day, and Mohammed seemed to have entirely forgotten that he was selected as the captain's lieutenant. He had not spoken of it during these days; Cousrouf's mention of him seemed to have made no impression on him, and his attention appeared to have been directed wholly to the equipment of the soldiers.
But Mohammed, the prophet of Arabia, taught his followers to pray openly on any street corner, or on the deck of a ship, in public, just like the Pharisees whom Jesus condemns.
May we have many such! We feel little of the sun's power, although there is little or no wind. We must have reached a considerable elevation. I begin to find it necessary to keep a tight rein over our servants, otherwise our encampment and party would always be in disorder. Mohammed Tunisee is a very impertinent fellow at times, and is capable of spoiling all the others.
How they got thither from Ephesus, I cannot tell, still less how they should be at once there on the Baltic shore, and at Ephesus as Mohammed himself believed, and Edward the Confessor taught and at Marmoutier by Tours, and probably elsewhere beside.
Passing from this story, which casts so lurid a light over the Nights, we come to Abu Mohammed, Lazybones, the Arab Dick Whittington, whose adventures are succeeded by those of Ali Shar, a young man who, with nothing at all, purchases a beautiful slave girl Zumurrud. When, after a time, he loses her, he loses also his senses, and runs about crying: "The sweets of life are only for the mad."
The discomfited El Nazir consequently returned to Africa, where he soon after died of chagrin. With Mohammed the Green vanished the good fortune of the Almohades. The princes of that house, who followed El Nazir in rapid succession, purchased their royal prerogatives at the expense of continual unhappiness and danger, and were finally driven from the throne.
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