object；　that　Caabah！　　There　it　stands　at　this　hour；　in　the　black　cloth…covering　the　Sultan　sends　it　yearly；　〃twenty…seven　cubits　high；〃　with　circuit；　with　double　circuit　of　pillars；　with　festoon…rows　of　lamps　and　quaint　ornaments：　　the　lamps　will　be　lighted　again　_this_　night；to　glitter　again　under　the　stars。　　An　authentic　fragment　of　the　oldest　Past。　　It　is　the　_Keblah_　of　all　Moslem：　　from　Delhi　all　onwards　to　Morocco；　the　eyes　of　innumerable　praying　men　are　turned　towards　it；　five　times；　this　day　and　all　days：　　one　of　the　notablest　centres　in　the　Habitation　of　Men。
  It　had　been　from　the　sacredness　attached　to　this　Caabah　Stone　and　Hagar's　Well；　from　the　pilgrimings　of　all　tribes　of　Arabs　thither；　that　Mecca　took　its　rise　as　a　Town。　　A　great　town　once；　though　much　decayed　now。　　It　has　no　natural　advantage　for　a　town；　stands　in　a　sandy　hollow　amid　bare　barren　hills；　at　a　distance　from　the　sea；　its　provisions；　its　very　bread；　have　to　be　imported。　　But　so　many　pilgrims　needed　lodgings：　　and　then　all　places　of　pilgrimage　do；　from　the　first；　become　places　of　trade。　　The　first　day　pilgrims　meet；　merchants　have　also　met：　　where　men　see　themselves　assembled　for　one　object；　they　find　that　they　can　accomplish　other　objects　which　depend　on　meeting　together。　　Mecca　became　the　Fair　of　all　Arabia。　　And　thereby　indeed　the　chief　staple　and　warehouse　of　whatever　Commerce　there　was　between　the　Indian　and　the　Western　countries；　Syria；　Egypt；　even　Italy。　It　had　at　one　time　a　population　of　100；000；　buyers；　forwarders　of　those　Eastern　and　Western　products；　importers　for　their　own　behoof　of　provisions　and　corn。　　The　government　was　a　kind　of　irregular　aristocratic　republic；　not　without　a　touch　of　theocracy。　　Ten　Men　of　a　chief　tribe；　chosen　in　some　rough　way；　were　Governors　of　Mecca；　and　Keepers　of　the　Caabah。　　The　Koreish　were　the　chief　tribe　in　Mahomet's　time；　his　own　family　was　of　that　tribe。　The　rest　of　the　Nation；　fractioned　and　cut　asunder　by　deserts；　lived　under　similar　rude　patriarchal　governments　by　one　or　several：　　herdsmen；　carriers；　traders；　generally　robbers　too；　being　oftenest　at　war　one　with　another；　or　with　all：　　held　together　by　no　open　bond；　if　it　were　not　this　meeting　at　the　Caabah；　where　all　forms　of　Arab　Idolatry　assembled　in　common　adoration；held　mainly　by　the　_inward_　indissoluble　bond　of　a　common　blood　and　language。　　In　this　way　had　the　Arabs　lived　for　long　ages；　unnoticed　by　the　world；　a　people　of　great　qualities；　unconsciously　waiting　for　the　day　when　they　should　become　notable　to　all　the　world。　　Their　Idolatries　appear　to　have　been　in　a　tottering　state；　much　was　getting　into　confusion　and　fermentation　among　them。　　Obscure　tidings　of　the　most　important　Event　ever　transacted　in　this　world；　the　Life　and　Death　of　the　Divine　Man　in　Judea；　at　once　the　symptom　and　cause　of　immeasurable　change　to　all　people　in　the　world；　had　in　the　course　of　centuries　reached　into　Arabia　too；　and　could　not　but；　of　itself；　have　produced　fermentation　there。
  It　was　among　this　Arab　people；　so　circumstanced；　in　the　year　570　of　our　Era；　that　the　man　Mahomet　was　born。　　He　was　of　the　family　of　Hashem；　of　the　Koreish　tribe　as　we　said；　though　poor；　connected　with　the　chief　persons　of　his　country。　　Almost　at　his　birth　he　lost　his　Father；　at　the　age　of　six　years　his　Mother　too；　a　woman　noted　for　her　beauty；　her　worth　and　sense：　he　fell　to　the　charge　of　his　Grandfather；　an　old　man；　a　hundred　years　old。　A　good　old　man：　　Mahomet's　Father；　Abdallah；　had　been　his　youngest　favorite　son。　　He　saw　in　Mahomet；　with　his　old　life…worn　eyes；　a　century　old；　the　lost　Abdallah　come　back　again；　all　that　was　left　of　Abdallah。　　He　loved　the　little　orphan　Boy　greatly；　used　to　say；　They　must　take　care　of　that　beautiful　little　Boy；　nothing　in　their　kindred　was　more　precious　than　he。　At　his　death；　while　the　boy　was　still　but　two　years　old；　he　left　him　in　charge　to　Abu　Thaleb　the　eldest　of　the　Uncles；　as　to　him　that　now　was　head　of　the　house。　　By　this　Uncle；　a　just　and　rational　man　as　everything　betokens；　Mahomet　was　brought　up　in　the　best　Arab　way。
  Mahomet；　as　he　grew　up；　accompanied　his　Uncle　on　trading　journeys　and　such　like；　in　his　eighteenth　year　one　finds　him　a　fighter　following　his　Uncle　in　war。　　But　perhaps　the　most　significant　of　all　his　journeys　is　one　we　find　noted　as　of　some　years'　earlier　date：　　a　journey　to　the　Fairs　of　Syria。　The　young　man　here　first　came　in　contact　with　a　quite　foreign　world；with　one　foreign　element　of　endless　moment　to　him：　　the　Christian　Religion。　　I　know　not　what　to　make　of　that　〃Sergius；　the　Nestorian　Monk；〃　whom　Abu　Thaleb　and　he　are　said　to　have　lodged　with；　or　how　much　any　monk　could　have　taught　one　still　so　young。　　Probably　enough　it　is　greatly　exaggerated；　this　of　the　Nestorian　Monk。　　Mahomet　was　only　fourteen；　had　no　language　but　his　own：　　much　in　Syria　must　have　been　a　strange　unintelligible　whirlpool　to　him。　　But　the　eyes　of　the　lad　were　open；　glimpses　of　many　things　would　doubtless　be　taken　in；　and　lie　very　enigmatic　as　yet；　which　were　to　ripen　in　a　strange　way　into　views；　into　beliefs　and　insights　one　day。　　These　journeys　to　Syria　were　probably　the　beginning　of　much　to　Mahomet。
  One　other　circumstance　we　must　not　forget：　　that　he　had　no　school…learning；　of　the　thing　we　call　school…learning　none　at　all。　　The　art　of　writing　was　but　just　introduced　into　Arabia；　it　seems　to　be　the　true　opinion　that　Mahomet　never　could　write！　　Life　in　the　Desert；　with　its　experiences；　was　all　his　education。　　What　of　this　infinite　Universe　he；　from　his　dim　place；　with　his　own　eyes　and　thoughts；　could　take　in；　so　much　and　no　more　of　it　was　he　to　know。　　Curious；　if　we　will　reflect　on　it；　this　of　having　no　books。　　Except　by　what　he　could　see　for　himself；　or　hear　of　by　uncertain　rumor　of　speech　in　the　obscure　Arabian　Desert；　he　could　know　nothing。　　The　wisdom　that　had　been　before　him　or　at　a　distance　from　him　in　the　world；　was　in　a　manner　as　good　as　not　there　for　him。　　Of　the　great　brother　souls；　flame…beacons　through　so　many　lands　and　times；　no　one　directly　communicates　with　this　great　soul。　　He　is　alone　there；　deep　down　in　the　bosom　of　the　Wilderness；　has　to　grow　up　so；alone　with　Nature　and　his　own　Thoughts。
  But；　from　an　early　age；　he　had　been　remarked　as　a　thoughtful　man。　　His　companions　named　him　〃_Al　Amin_；　The　Faithful。〃　　A　man　of　truth　and　fidelity；　true　in　what　he　did；　in　what　he　spake　and　thought。　　They　noted　that　_he_　always　meant　something。　　A　man　rather　taciturn　in　speech；　silent　when　there　was　nothing　to　be　said；　but　pertinent；　wise；　sincere；　when　he　did　speak；　always　throwing　light　on　the　matter。　　This　is　the　only　sort　of　speech　_worth_　speaking！　　Through　life　we　find　him　to　have　been　regarded　as　an　altogether　solid；　brotherly；　genuine　man。　　A　serious；　sincere　character；　yet　amiable；　cordial；　companionable；　jocose　even；a　good　laugh　in　him　withal：　　there　are　men　whose　laugh　is　as　untrue　as　anything　about　them；　who　cannot　laugh。　　One　hears　of　Mahomet's　beauty：　　his　fine　sagacious　honest　face；　brown　florid　complexion；　beaming　black　eyes；I　somehow　like　too　that　vein　on　the　brow；　which　swelled　up　black　when　he　was　in　anger：　　like　the　〃_horseshoe_　vein〃　in　Scott's　_Redgauntlet_。　　It　was　a　kind　of　feature　in　the　Hashem　family；　this　black　swelling　vein　in　the　brow；　Mahomet　had　it　prominent；　as　would　appear。　　A　spontaneous；　passionate；　yet　just；　true…meaning　man！　　Full　of　wild　faculty；　fire　and　light；　of　wild　worth；　all　uncultured；　working　out　his　life…task　in　the　depths　of　the　Desert　there。
  How　he　was　placed　with　Kadijah；　a　rich　Widow；　as　her　Steward；　and　travelled　in　her　business；　again　to　the　Fairs　of　Syria；　how　he　managed　all；　as　one　can　well　understand；　with　fidelity；　adroitness；　how　her　gratitude；　her　regard　for　him　grew：　　the　story　of　their　marriage　is　altogether　a　graceful　intelligible　one；　as　told　us　by　the　Arab　authors。　　He　was　twenty…five；　she　forty；　though　still　beautiful。　　He　seems　to　have　lived　in　a　most　affectionate；　peaceable；　wholesome　way　with　this　wedded　benefactress；　loving　her　truly；　and　her　alone。　　It　goes　greatly　against　the　impostor　theory；　the　fact　that　he　lived　in　this　entirely　unexceptionable；　entirely　quiet　and　commonplace　way；　till　the　heat　of　his　years　was　done。　　He　was　forty　before　he　talked　of　any　mission　from　Heaven。　　All　his　irregularities；　real　and　supposed；　date　from　after　his　fiftieth　year；　when　the　good　Kadijah　died。　　All　his　〃ambition；〃　seemingly；　had　been；　hitherto；　to　live　an　honest　life；　his　〃fame；〃　the　mere　good　opinion　of　neighbors　that　knew　him；　had　been　sufficient　hitherto。　　Not　till　he　was　already　getting　old；　the　prurient　heat　of　his　life　all　burnt　out；　and　_peace_　growing　to　be　the　chief　thing　this　world　could　give　him；　did　he　start　on　the　〃career　of　ambition；〃　and；　belying　all　his　past　character　and　existence；　set　up　as　a　wretched　empty　charlatan　to　acquire　what　he　could　now　no　longer　enjoy！　　For　my　share；　I　have　no　faith　whatever　in　that。
  Ah　no：　　this　deep…hearted　Son　of　the　Wilderness；　with　his　beaming　black　eyes　and　open　social　deep　soul；　had　other　thoughts　in　him　than　ambition。　　A　silent　great　soul；　he　was　one　of　those　who　cannot　_but_　be　in　earnest；　whom　Nature　herself　has　appointed　to　be　sincere。　　While　others　walk　in　formulas　and　hearsays；　contented　enough　to　dwell　there；　this　man　could　not　s