the stone a blow with his staff, when, by God! the stone received the mark of the scars of three or four blows of the staff. To this man is to be referred the verse, "O ye who believe, be not as those to whom Moses was a sign, when God sent him unto Pharoah, who regarded him not; neither be hard-hearted, nor put off the time, nor refuse, like the King, to make a just arrangement with the sons of Israël, but was a foe unto them, and made them slaves, and kept them close, and separated, and cut off, and thus lived amongst them forty years. Then God sent Moses, whose adventures are described in the Korán. His Kiblah is said to have been the Rock of the Holy House. And it is also related, that he asked God to bring him within a stone's-cast of the Holy Land. He was at that time upon the borders. Moses asked this blessing-to be in this corner, near the Holy Land, and to possess a tomb on the frontiers, near the red sand-hill. This tomb is near Jericho, and was seen by the Prophet on the night of his ascent. Upon this spot a Chapel is now standing, built by Prince Al-Záhir-Bíbris, the year 660. Záhir is said to have come hither in pilgrimage, and, having fallen asleep, to have seen in a dream a Chapel upon the spot, wherein was a certain personage, of a dark-olive complexion. He saluted him, and said, Art thou Moses, the Con

verser (with God)? He replied, Certainly. Then he said, Speak something unto me. Upon which he made a sign unto him with four fingers (whose length Záhir described). Then he awoke; but knew not what he said. He applied unto a certain Shaikh, who said, You shall have four sons; which proved to be the case.

Again, Muhammad said, Never hath the sun been kept back from rising and showing his face, except by Joshua the night he went to the Holy House; for God (as others say) appointed Joshua the son of Nun to succeed Moses, and commanded him to march against Jericho, and fight therewith, and war with the Giants. Therefore he went against them with the children of Israël, and fought for the whole of Friday. Now, the Sabbath drawing nigh, he prayed God, who kept back the sun, and added to the duration of that day's light half as much again. Then he utterly defeated the Giants, and laid their gate flat, and killed them.

Again, it is said that Jerusalem was the seat of David's kingdom long before he received the injunction about building the Temple; without accomplishing which he died. He is said to have had most skilful deputies, and most useful advisers, in the composition of the Psalms which he published. David is said to have had four hundred

appointed commissioners, who welcomed him on the day of lamentation. These remained quiet until certain signals were heard. Not an individual was seen; but the voices were beautiful which were heard behind the curtain. He began with a loud voice to chant the Psalm by himself, which was taken up until the full chorus was completed by the addition of the last. David's tomb is said to be in the church of Sion, much accounted of by the Christians. David's prayer is said by Muhammad to have been as follows:"O Lord! grant unto me the love of thee! Grant that I may love those who love thee! Grant me to perform such deeds as may at length procure thy love! O Lord! make the love of thee to be dearer to me than myself, my family, my wealth, and even than cool water!"

As for Solomon, he is said to have beseeched God, after he had concluded the building, for the gift of three friends, and to have prayed on the Rock, near the Gate Al Sabát. Again, one says, Solomon reigned fifty-three years: he was thirteen years old when he began the building, four years from the commencement of his reign; but God knows.

Now for Shaib, who is mentioned in the gospel of Jesus, and by Muhammad. When he was slain by the children of Israël, God caused them to be

conquered, and became an enemy unto them, and put them to flight, and destroyed them. Then came the Assyrian, laying Syria waste for seven years; also the king of Babylon.

Now for Jeremiah. The children of Israël having again become polluted with new abominations, and becoming averse to their faith, some of them disliked the Baitu-l-Mukaddas, and wished to injure and pull down the Temple; so that the Temple began to totter. This violently enraging Nebuchadnezzar, he attacked them; but upon their expression of penitence towards God, he repulsed Nebuchadnezzar from them. After this, they returned to greater pollutions than ever: upon which God sent Jeremiah the prophet (peace be with him!) unto them, to inform them of God's anger. But they beat him, and put him into chains. Then God permitted Nebuchadnezzar to slay them, to burn their city, and carry away captive their children, and to devastate and ruinate the Holy Abode. Then Jeremiah went forth unto Egypt, and there remained; but being commanded by God to return unto Elia, he looked down upon the devastated city, and said, O that God would cause me to live again after my death! God, therefore, caused him to die for one hundred years, and restored him to life when the Holy City was rebuilt. It is said to have remained in

ruins seventy years. This last story is also attributed to Azír (Ezra), who was not a prophet, but was one of the captivity, and one of the most learned doctors. He restored, from memory, the Law to the children of Israël, which had been destroyed. In the latter days of Ezra, the kingdom of the Holy Land passed to the Ionians, sons of Javan.

Now for Zachariah. It is said that Imrán married the sister of Zachariah's wife, and by her had Maria. Maria's father dying, Zachariah supported and brought her up. When he was old, God, of his gracious goodness, granted unto his wife a son, named John (with whom be peace !), and no other son besides. Three years after the birth of John (or, as some say, six months) Maria had a son. Then the sons of Israël raised a vehement clamour against Zachariah on Maria's account; therefore he fled from them, and went into a hollow tree, which they cut through the middle with a saw, and so killed him. When, it is said, the saw began to cut his back, he groaned. Then God revealed unto him, Verily, all blame shall be removed from Maria; and for her sake will I turn away my face from this land. Then he remained silent until he was cut through the middle. John is called the Faithful Reporter of God's word— the Lord-the Chaste-the Pure Prophet: for