xample set by
Omar on the steps of the Church of the Resurrection was followed by
Moawiyah, who actually rebuilt the church of Edessa for his Christian
subjects; and by Abdulmalek, who, when he had commenced converting that
of Damascus into a mosque, forthwith desisted on finding that the
Christians were entitled to it by the terms of the capitulation. If
these things were done in the first fervour of victory, the principles
on which they depended were all the more powerful after the Arabs had
become tinctured with Nestorian and Jewish influences, and were a
learned nation. It is related of Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed, and
the fourth successor in the khalifate, that he gave himself up to
letters. Among his sayings are recorded such as these: "Eminence in
science is the highest of honours;" "He dies not who gives life to
learning;" "The greatest ornament of a man is erudition." When the
sovereign felt and expressed such sentiments, it was impossible but that
a liberal policy should prevail.

Besides these there were other incentives not less powerful. To one
whose faith sat lightly upon him, or who valued it less than the tribute
to be paid, it only required the repetition of a short sentence
acknowledging the unity of God and the divine mission of the prophet,
and he forthwith became, though a captive or a slave, the equal and
friend of his conquerer. Doubtless many thousands were under these
circumstances carried away. As respects the female sex, the Arab system
was very far from being oppressive; some have even asserted that "the
Christian women found in the seraglios a delightful retreat." But above
all, polygamy acted most effectually in consolidating the conquests; the
large families that were raised--some are mentioned of more than one
hundred and eighty children--compressed into the course of a few years
events that would otherwise have taken many generations for their
accomplishment. These children gloried in their Arab descent, and, being
taught to speak the language of their conquering fathers, became to all
intents and purposes Arabs. This diffusion of the language was sometimes
expedited by the edicts of the khalifs; thus Alwalid I. prohibited the
use of Greek, directing Arabic to be employed in its stead.

[Sidenote: Causes of the arrest of Mohammedanism.]

[Sidenote: Necessary disintegration of the Arabian system.]

If thus without difficulty we recognise the causes which led to the
rapid diffusion