ll possible
aid and support. There is no reason to suppose that Arabi and his
friends were deceived by this; but it was for their interest to avoid a
conflict with the Sultan as long as possible, and to get what aid from
him they could. But for the intervention of England, Arabi would no
doubt have won the game against the Turk. He might even have caused the
downfall of the Sultan; for it is a well-known fact that so great was
the enthusiasm of the Moslems in Syria and Arabia for Arabi, that they
were with difficulty restrained by the Turkish authorities from breaking
out into open rebellion. This spirit had been fostered by the Sultan;
but it naturally turned, not to the Turkish Caliph, but to the
successful Arab adventurer. Even in Asia Minor and Constantinople the
enthusiasm for Arabi was universal, and had he been allowed to triumph
unmolested, it seems probable the Sultan would have been forced either
to unite with him in a crusade against Christendom, or to send an army
to put him down. Either of these courses would have been fatal; for no
Moslem army would have fought against Arabi under such circumstances,
and as against Europe the Sultan could have accomplished nothing.

It is no doubt perfectly legitimate for a Caliph, especially for one
whose title depends upon the strength of his sword, to stir up the
enthusiasm of his people and attract their attention to himself as their
leader. He cannot be blamed for improving every occasion to defend their
rights and interfere in their behalf. If he is strong enough to do so,
it is no doubt in full accord with the example and teaching of the
Prophet that he should lead them against the infidels. It is not strange
that a man of faith should be so dazzled by the possibility of such a
crusade as to forget his own weakness. As he sits in his palace
to-night,[7] and hears the roar of the guns announcing the great
festival of Courban Beiram, and thinks that more than two hundred
millions of the faithful are uniting with him in the sacrifice, and
confessing their faith in the Prophet of whom he claims to be the
successor and representative, it will be strange if he does not dream of
what might be if he could but rally them round his throne; strange if he
does not catch something of the inspiration of the Prophet himself, who,
with God on his side, dared alone to face all Mecca, and with a few
half-naked Arabs to brave the world. There is nothing in the Palace
unfavourable to s