the Spartan law legalizing theft arose partly from a desire to foster
military dexterity among the people, but chiefly from a desire to
discourage wealth; that slavery was introduced through motives of mercy
to prevent conquerors from killing their prisoners. All this is true,
but there is another and a more general answer. It is not to be
expected, and it is not maintained, that men in all ages should have
agreed about the application of their moral principles. All that is
contended for is, that these principles are themselves the same. Some of
what appear to us monstrous acts of cruelty were dictated by that very
feeling of humanity, the universal perception of the merit of which they
are cited to disprove; and even when this is not the case, all that can
be inferred is, that the standard of humanity was very low. But still
humanity was recognized as a virtue, and cruelty as a vice."[275]

_The alleged permission to kill the Jews._

[Sidenote: 82. Murder of Ibn Sanina.]

It is related by some of the biographers of Mohammad, eagerly recited by
others of Europe, that, "on the morning after the murder of Kab, Mahomet
gave a general permission to his followers to slay any Jews whom they
might chance to meet,"[276] and that the murder of Ibn Sanina, a Jewish
merchant, by Muheiasa, a Moslem, was the direct consequence of this
order. "When Huweisa upbraided Muheiasa for killing his confederate the
Jew, and appropriating his wealth,--"By the Lord!" replied Muheiasa, "if
he that commanded me to kill him commanded to kill thee also, I would
have done it." "What!" Huweisa cried, "wouldst thou have slain thine own
brother at Mahomet's bidding?"--"Even so," answered the fanatic.
"Strange indeed!" Huweisa responded. "Hath the new religion reached to
this pitch! Verily it is a wonderful Faith." And Huweisa was converted
from that very hour."[277]

Ibn Is-hak says this story was related to him by a freedman of the Bani
Harisa tribe from the daughter of Muheiasa, who had heard it from her
father.[278] (1) Now there is nothing known of this mysterious person,
the freedman of the tribe of Haris, therefore no reliance can be put on
his story. (2) We have no knowledge of the daughter of the murderer
Muheiasa, or Moheisa, as he is called by the biographer, Ibn Hisham. (3)
Muheiasa himself has not that respectable character which can lend even
a shadow of veracity to his narration. (4) And lastly, the story that
Mohammad had given genera