So That Religious
Light, Like That Of Civilization, Is Now Moving From The
West - Eastwards, Instead Of, As In Times Past, From The East - Eastwards.
The Maroquine Mahometans May Be Cited As A Case In Point.
They find too
frequently only the form of religion in the east, as we do in the
eastern churches.
They are beginning to assault Mecca as we have
assaulted Jerusalem.
Now for an anecdote or two illustrative of the high state of orthodoxy
professed by the Shereefs. Some time ago, a number of handkerchiefs were
brought, or rather smuggled into Mogador, having printed upon them
passages from the Koran. One of them got into the hands of the Emperor,
who thinking the Christians were ridiculing the Sacred Book, ordered
instanter all the cities of the coast to be searched to discover the
offender who introduced them. Happily for the merchant he was not found
out. His Highness commanded that all the handkerchiefs which were
collected should be destroyed. When Mr. Davidson was at Morocco, he
prescribed some Seidlitz water for the use of the Sultan, and placed on
the sides of two bottles, containing the beverage, Arabic verses from
the Koran. The Sultan was exceedingly exasperated at this compliment to
his religion, and had it privately intimated to Mr. Davidson not to
desecrate the Holy Book in that abominable manner. The latter then very
prudently gave up to the minister all the printed verses he had brought
with him, which were concealed from public view. But if some of these
emperors are so rigid and scrupulous, there are others more liberal and
tolerant.
Muley Suleiman was a great admirer of the European character, and was
much attached to a Mr. Leyton, an English merchant. This merchant was
one day riding out of the city of Mogador, when an old woman rushed at
him, seized the bridle of his horse, and demanded alms. The merchant
pushed her away with his whip. The ancient dame seeing herself so rudely
nonsuited, went off screaming revenge; and although she had not had a
tooth in her head for twenty long years, she noised about town that Mr.
Leyton had knocked two of her teeth out, and importuned the Governor to
obtain her some pecuniary indemnification.
His Excellency advised Mr. Leyton to comply, and get rid of the
annoyance of the old woman. He resolutely refused, and the Governor was
obliged to report the case to the Emperor, as the old lady had made so
many partisans in Mogador as to threaten a disturbance. His Imperial
Highness wrote a letter to the merchant, condescendingly begging him to
supply the old woman with "two silver teeth," meaning thereby to give
her a trifling present in money. Mr. Leyton, being as obstinate as ever,
was ordered to appear before the Emperor at Morocco. Here the resolute
merchant declared that he had not knocked the teeth out of the old
woman's head, she had had none for years, and he would not be maligned
even in so small a matter.
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