and suffered from its evil effects; but that his friend Bishr, to whom he handed some of it, being less cautious, ate a larger quantity and died in consequence. This can be gathered from an incident recorded to have happened during Mohammed's last illness. Bishr's mother (or, according to other accounts, sister) visited the Prophet on his deathbed and condoled with him in his illness, observing that it was supposed to be pleurisy, whereupon he replied, 'No, the Lord would not permit that illness, which is from Satan, to befall His apostle: but I feel now the artery of my heart bursting, in consequence of the morsel which I ate with thy son (or brother) Bishr, in Khaibar.' The early tendency amongst the Mussulmans to attribute to Mohammed traits which they thought ought to have distinguished him as prophet, is also apparent from the remark which Ibn Ishak adds to this recital, viz., 'The Moslems may infer from this, that God also permitted him to die a martyr, after having honoured him with the office of prophet.'

Ibn Ishak favours us with another story, which is a sad illustration of the want of truthfulness in early Islam, and shows how unscrupulously Mohammed himself authorised the circulation of untruths. We are told that, as soon as Khaibar was conquered, Hajaj Ibn Ilat, one of his followers, asked permission of Mohammed to leave the army and go to Mecca, in order to collect some debts which were owing to him there. Having obtained the permission asked for, he added, 'But I shall have to tell lies.' Mohammed not only abstained from expressing any displeasure, but he approvingly replied, 'Say what thou wilt'

Hajaj narrates that, thus authorised, he told the first party of Meccans whom he met, and who asked for news about Khaibar, 'that storehouse of the Hejaz,' whither, according to their information, 'that corrupter had gone,' the following story, fabricated by him for the occasion. 'I have joyous news for you: he has been completely defeated and his companions are slain. Mohammed himself has been taken prisoner by the Jews; but they do not intend to kill him themselves, wishing that this should be done in the midst of Mecca, whither they are now bringing him, so that the Meccans may avenge their brethren whom he has slain.' This good

news was at once proclaimed throughout the city. Hajaj adds, 'I requested them to aid me in collecting my debts, so that I might hasten back to Khaibar and buy of the booty, taken from Mohammed and his companions, before the arrival of other merchants; and they used great pressure in forthwith collecting my debts.' But having speedily settled his business, he went to. Abbas, Mohammed's uncle, and taking a promise that he would not publish before the end of three days (when he hoped to be beyond the reach of pursuit) what he had to confide to him, made this startling communication, 'By Allah! when I left thy nephew, he was marrying the daughter of the chief (he meant Safia); he has conquered Khaibar and taken as spoil all it contained, so that it now belongs to him and his companions.'

(9.) Mohammed extends his policy of conquest, subjugation, and plunder, to a number of Bedouin tribes, and injures Mecca whenever he can.

Mohammed's success in effectually resisting the siege of Medina by the numerous army of the Koreish and their confederates, and in completely overcoming and dispossessing the three Jewish tribes who had owned such valuable property in the home of his adoption, greatly increased his prestige and power. His rapid onward march in the path of conquest, since that time, can really not be wondered at. We have just seen that a year after those events he was able to consummate his anti-Jewish aspirations, by subjugating Khaibar and all the different colonies of Jews, as far north as Fadak and Tamai. Now it behoves us to trace his exploits and successes amongst the native Arabs.

Only a few weeks after the massacre of the Beni Koreiza, Mohammed sent a body of troops under the command of Ibn Maslama southward, against the Korta Bedouins, a branch of the Hawazins. Concealing themselves by day, and marching only by night, they surprised the Bedouins before the dawn of morning. A number of these were killed in the confusion of the sudden attack and the remainder put to a precipitate flight. The Moslems possessed