；　at　bottom；　it　alone　can　give　rise　to　merit　of　any　kind。　　Curiously；　through　these　incondite　masses　of　tradition；　vituperation；　complaint；　ejaculation　in　the　Koran；　a　vein　of　true　direct　insight；　of　what　we　might　almost　call　poetry；　is　found　straggling。　　The　body　of　the　Book　is　made　up　of　mere　tradition；　and　as　it　were　vehement　enthusiastic　extempore　preaching。　　He　returns　forever　to　the　old　stories　of　the　Prophets　as　they　went　current　in　the　Arab　memory：　　how　Prophet　after　Prophet；　the　Prophet　Abraham；　the　Prophet　Hud；　the　Prophet　Moses；　Christian　and　other　real　and　fabulous　Prophets；　had　come　to　this　Tribe　and　to　that；　warning　men　of　their　sin；　and　been　received　by　them　even　as　he　Mahomet　was；which　is　a　great　solace　to　him。　　These　things　he　repeats　ten；　perhaps　twenty　times；　again　and　ever　again；　with　wearisome　iteration；　has　never　done　repeating　them。　　A　brave　Samuel　Johnson；　in　his　forlorn　garret；　might　con　over　the　Biographies　of　Authors　in　that　way！　This　is　the　great　staple　of　the　Koran。　　But　curiously；　through　all　this；　comes　ever　and　anon　some　glance　as　of　the　real　thinker　and　seer。　　He　has　actually　an　eye　for　the　world；　this　Mahomet：　　with　a　certain　directness　and　rugged　vigor；　he　brings　home　still；　to　our　heart；　the　thing　his　own　heart　has　been　opened　to。　　I　make　but　little　of　his　praises　of　Allah；　which　many　praise；　they　are　borrowed　I　suppose　mainly　from　the　Hebrew；　at　least　they　are　far　surpassed　there。　　But　the　eye　that　flashes　direct　into　the　heart　of　things；　and　_sees_　the　truth　of　them；　this　is　to　me　a　highly　interesting　object。　　Great　Nature's　own　gift；　which　she　bestows　on　all；　but　which　only　one　in　the　thousand　does　not　cast　sorrowfully　away：　　it　is　what　I　call　sincerity　of　vision；　the　test　of　a　sincere　heart。
  Mahomet　can　work　no　miracles；　he　often　answers　impatiently：　　I　can　work　no　miracles。　　I？　　〃I　am　a　Public　Preacher；〃　appointed　to　preach　this　doctrine　to　all　creatures。　　Yet　the　world；　as　we　can　see；　had　really　from　of　old　been　all　one　great　miracle　to　him。　　Look　over　the　world；　says　he；　is　it　not　wonderful；　the　work　of　Allah；　wholly　〃a　sign　to　you；〃　if　your　eyes　were　open！　　This　Earth；　God　made　it　for　you；　〃appointed　paths　in　it；〃　you　can　live　in　it；　go　to　and　fro　on　it。The　clouds　in　the　dry　country　of　Arabia；　to　Mahomet　they　are　very　wonderful：　　Great　clouds；　he　says；　born　in　the　deep　bosom　of　the　Upper　Immensity；　where　do　they　come　from！　　They　hang　there；　the　great　black　monsters；　pour　down　their　rain…deluges　〃to　revive　a　dead　earth；〃　and　grass　springs；　and　〃tall　leafy　palm…trees　with　their　date…clusters　hanging　round。　　Is　not　that　a　sign？〃　　Your　cattle　too；Allah　made　them；　serviceable　dumb　creatures；　they　change　the　grass　into　milk；　you　have　your　clothing　from　them；　very　strange　creatures；　they　come　ranking　home　at　evening…time；　〃and；〃　adds　he；　〃and　are　a　credit　to　you！〃　　Ships　also；he　talks　often　about　ships：　　Huge　moving　mountains；　they　spread　out　their　cloth　wings；　go　bounding　through　the　water　there；　Heaven's　wind　driving　them；　anon　they　lie　motionless；　God　has　withdrawn　the　wind；　they　lie　dead；　and　cannot　stir！　　Miracles？　　cries　he：　　What　miracle　would　you　have？　　Are　not　you　yourselves　there？　　God　made　you；　〃shaped　you　out　of　a　little　clay。〃　　Ye　were　small　once；　a　few　years　ago　ye　were　not　at　all。　　Ye　have　beauty；　strength；　thoughts；　〃ye　have　compassion　on　one　another。〃　　Old　age　comes　on　you；　and　gray　hairs；　your　strength　fades　into　feebleness；　ye　sink　down；　and　again　are　not。　　〃Ye　have　compassion　on　one　another：〃　　this　struck　me　much：　　Allah　might　have　made　you　having　no　compassion　on　one　another；how　had　it　been　then！　　This　is　a　great　direct　thought；　a　glance　at　first…hand　into　the　very　fact　of　things。　　Rude　vestiges　of　poetic　genius；　of　whatsoever　is　best　and　truest；　are　visible　in　this　man。　　A　strong　untutored　intellect；　eyesight；　heart：　　a　strong　wild　man；might　have　shaped　himself　into　Poet；　King；　Priest；　any　kind　of　Hero。
  To　his　eyes　it　is　forever　clear　that　this　world　wholly　is　miraculous。　　He　sees　what；　as　we　said　once　before；　all　great　thinkers；　the　rude　Scandinavians　themselves；　in　one　way　or　other；　have　contrived　to　see：　　That　this　so　solid…looking　material　world　is；　at　bottom；　in　very　deed；　Nothing；　is　a　visual　and　factual　Manifestation　of　God's　power　and　presence；a　shadow　hung　out　by　Him　on　the　bosom　of　the　void　Infinite；　nothing　more。　The　mountains；　he　says；　these　great　rock…mountains；　they　shall　dissipate　themselves　〃like　clouds；〃　melt　into　the　Blue　as　clouds　do；　and　not　be！　　He　figures　the　Earth；　in　the　Arab　fashion；　Sale　tells　us；　as　an　immense　Plain　or　flat　Plate　of　ground；　the　mountains　are　set　on　that　to　_steady_　it。　　At　the　Last　Day　they　shall　disappear　〃like　clouds；〃　the　whole　Earth　shall　go　spinning；　whirl　itself　off　into　wreck；　and　as　dust　and　vapor　vanish　in　the　Inane。　　Allah　withdraws　his　hand　from　it；　and　it　ceases　to　be。　　The　universal　empire　of　Allah；　presence　everywhere　of　an　unspeakable　Power；　a　Splendor；　and　a　Terror　not　to　be　named；　as　the　true　force；　essence　and　reality；　in　all　things　whatsoever；　was　continually　clear　to　this　man。　　What　a　modern　talks　of　by　the　name；　Forces　of　Nature；　Laws　of　Nature；　and　does　not　figure　as　a　divine　thing；　not　even　as　one　thing　at　all；　but　as　a　set　of　things；　undivine　enough；salable；　curious；　good　for　propelling　steamships！　With　our　Sciences　and　Cyclopaedias；　we　are　apt　to　forget　the　_divineness_；　in　those　laboratories　of　ours。　　We　ought　not　to　forget　it！　　That　once　well　forgotten；　I　know　not　what　else　were　worth　remembering。　　Most　sciences；　I　think　were　then　a　very　dead　thing；　withered；　contentious；　empty；a　thistle　in　late　autumn。　　The　best　science；　without　this；　is　but　as　the　dead　_timber_；　it　is　not　the　growing　tree　and　forest；which　gives　ever…new　timber；　among　other　things！　　Man　cannot　_know_　either；　unless　he　can　_worship_　in　some　way。　　His　knowledge　is　a　pedantry；　and　dead　thistle；　otherwise。
  Much　has　been　said　and　written　about　the　sensuality　of　Mahomet's　Religion；　more　than　was　just。　　The　indulgences；　criminal　to　us；　which　he　permitted；　were　not　of　his　appointment；　he　found　them　practiced；　unquestioned　from　immemorial　time　in　Arabia；　what　he　did　was　to　curtail　them；　restrict　them；　not　on　one　but　on　many　sides。　　His　Religion　is　not　an　easy　one：　　with　rigorous　fasts；　lavations；　strict　complex　formulas；　prayers　five　times　a　day；　and　abstinence　from　wine；　it　did　not　〃succeed　by　being　an　easy　religion。〃　　As　if　indeed　any　religion；　or　cause　holding　of　religion；　could　succeed　by　that！　　It　is　a　calumny　on　men　to　say　that　they　are　roused　to　heroic　action　by　ease；　hope　of　pleasure；　recompense；sugar…plums　of　any　kind；　in　this　world　or　the　next！　　In　the　meanest　mortal　there　lies　something　nobler。　　The　poor　swearing　soldier；　hired　to　be　shot；　has　his　〃honor　of　a　soldier；〃　different　from　drill…regulations　and　the　shilling　a　day。　　It　is　not　to　taste　sweet　things；　but　to　do　noble　and　true　things；　and　vindicate　himself　under　God's　Heaven　as　a　god…made　Man；　that　the　poorest　son　of　Adam　dimly　longs。　　Show　him　the　way　of　doing　that；　the　dullest　day…drudge　kindles　into　a　hero。　　They　wrong　man　greatly　who　say　he　is　to　be　seduced　by　ease。　　Difficulty；　abnegation；　martyrdom；　death　are　the　_allurements_　that　act　on　the　heart　of　man。　　Kindle　the　inner　genial　life　of　him；　you　have　a　flame　that　burns　up　all　lower　considerations。　　Not　happiness；　but　something　higher：　　one　sees　this　even　in　the　frivolous　classes；　with　their　〃point　of　honor〃　and　the　like。　　Not　by　flattering　our　appetites；　no；　by　awakening　the　Heroic　that　slumbers　in　every　heart；　can　any　Religion　gain　followers。
  Mahomet　himself；　after　all　that　can　be　said　about　him；　was　not　a　sensual　man。　　We　shall　err　widely　if　we　consider　this　man　as　a　common　voluptuary；　intent　mainly　on　base　enjoyments；nay　on　enjoyments　of　any　kind。　　His　household　was　of　the　frugalest；　his　common　diet　barley…bread　and　water：　sometimes　for　months　there　was　not　a　fire　once　lighted　on　his　hearth。　　They　record　with　just　pride　that　he　would　mend　his　own　shoes；　patch　his　own　cloak。　　A　poor；　hard…toiling；　ill…provided　man；　careless　of　what　vulgar　men　toil　for。　　Not　a　bad　man；　I　should　say；　something　better　in　him　than　_hunger_　of　any　sort；or　these　wild　Arab　men；　fighting　and　jostling　three…and…twenty　years　at　his　hand；　in　close　contact　with　him　always；　would　not　have　reverenced　him　so！　　They　were　wild　men；　bursting　ever　and　anon　into　quarrel；　into　all　kinds　of　fierce　sincerity；　without　right　worth　and　manhood；　no　man　could　have　commanded　them。　　They　called　him　Prophet；　you　say？　　Why；　he　stood　there　face　to　face　with　them；　bare；　not　enshrined　in　any　mystery；　visibly　clouting　his　own　cloak；　cobbling　his　own　shoes；　fighting；　counselling；　ordering　in　the　midst　of　them：　　they　must　have　seen　what　kind　of　a　man　he　_was_；　let　him　be　_called_　what　you　like！　　No　emperor　with　his　tiaras　was　obeyed　as　this　man　in　a　cloak　of　his　own　clouting。　During　three…and…twenty　years　of　rough　actual　trial。　　I　find　something　of　a　veritable　Hero　necessary　for　that；　of　itself。
  His　last　words　are　a　prayer；　broken　ejaculations　of　a　heart　struggling　up；　in　trembling　hope；　towards　its　Maker。　　We　cannot　say　that　his　religion　made　him　_worse_；　it　made　him　better；　good；　not　bad。　　Generous　things　are　recorded　of　him：　　when　he　lost　his　Daughter；　the　thing