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the soul running through him, till it reached his feet, when he stood upright.—Maracci.

In the Nuremberg Chronicle is a print of the creation of Adam; the body is half made, growing out of a heap of clay under the Creator's hands. A still more absurd print represents Eve half way out of his side.

The fullest Mahommedan Genesis is to be found in Rabadan the Morisco's Poem.

God, designing to make known to his whole choir of Angels, high and low, his scheme concerning the Creation, called the Arch-angel Gabriel, and delivering to him a pen and paper, commanded him to draw out an instrument of fealty and homage; in which, as God had dictated to his Secretary Gabriel, were specified the pleasures and delights he ordained to his creatures in this world; the term of years he would allot them; and how, and in what exercises, their time in this life was to be employed. This being done, Gabriel said, Lord, what more must I write? The pen resisteth, and refuseth to be guided forwards! God then took the deed, and, before he folded it, signed it with his sacred hand, and affixed thereunto his royal signet, as an indication of his incontestable and irrevocable promise and covenant. Then Gabriel was commanded to convey what he had written throughout the hosts of Angels; with orders that they all, without exception, should fall down and worship the same and it was so abundantly replenished with glory, that the angelical potentates universally reverenced and paid homage thereunto. Gabriel returning, said, O Lord! I have obeyed thy commands; what else am I to do? God replied, Close up the writing in this crystal; for this is the inviolable covenant of the fealty

the mortals I will hereafter create shall pay unto me, and by the which they shall acknowledge me. El Has san tells us, that no sooner had the blessed Angel closed the said crystal, but so terrible and astonishing a voice issued out thereof, and it cast so unusual and glorious a light, that, with the surprise of so great and unexpected a mystery, the Angel remained fixed and immoveable; and although he had a most ardent desire to be let into the secret Arcanas of that wonderful prodigy, yet all his innate courage, and heavenly magnanimity, were not sufficient to furnish him with assurance, or power to make the inquiry.

All being now completed, and put in order, God said to his Angels," Which of you will descend to the Earth, and bring me up a handful thereof?" When immediately such infinite numbers of celestial spirits departed, that the universal surface was covered with them; where, consulting among themselves, they unanimously confirmed their loathing and abhorrence to touch it, saying, How dare we be so presumptuous as to expose, before the throne of the Lord, so glorious and sovereign as ours is, a thing so filthy, and of a form and composition so vile and despicable and, in effect, they all returned, fully determined not to meddle with it. After these went others, and then more; but not one of them, either first or last, dared to defile the purity of their hands with it. Upon which Azarael, an Angel of an extraordinary stature, flew down, and, from the four corners of the Earth, brought up a handful of it which God had commanded: From the south and the north, from the west and from the east, took he it; of all which four diffe rent qualities, human bodies are composed.

The Almighty, perceiving in what manner Azarael had signalized himself in this affair, beyond the rest of the Angels, and taking particular notice of his goodly form and stature, said to him; " O Azarael, it is my pleasure to constitute thee to be Death itself; thou shalt be him who separateth the souls from the bodies of those creatures I am about to make; Thou henceforth shalt be called Azarael Malec el Mout, or Azarael, the Angel of Death."

Then God caused the Earth, which Azarael had brought, to be washed and purified in the fountains of Heaven: and El Hassan tells us, that it became so resplendently clear, that it cast a more shining and beautiful light than the Sun in its utmost glory. Gabriel was then commanded to convey this lovely, though as yet inanimate, lump of clay, throughout the Heavens, the Earth, the Centres, and the Seas; to the intent, and with a positive injunction, that whatsoever had life might behold it, and pay honour and reverence thereunto.

When the Angels saw all these incomprehensible mysteries, and that so beautiful an image, they said, “Lord! if it will be pleasing in thy sight, we will, in thy most high and mighty name, prostrate ourselves before it:" To which voluntary proposal, God replied; I am content you pay adoration to it; and I command you so to do-when instantly they all bowed, inclining their shining celestial countenances at his feet; only Eblis detained himself, obstinately refusing; proudly and arrogantly valuing himself upon his Heavenly composition. To whom God sternly said, "prostrate thyself to Adam.” He made a show of so doing, but remained only upon his knees, and then rose up, before he had performed what

God had commanded him. When the Angels beheld his insolence and disobedience, they a second time prostrated themselves, to complete what the haughty and presumptuous Angel had left undone. From hence it is, that in all our prayers, at each inclination of the body, we make two prostrations, one immediately after the other. God being highly incensed against the rebellious Eblis, said unto him, "Why didst thou not reverence this statue. which I have made, as the other Angels all have done?" To which Eblis replied, "I will never lessen or disparage my grandeur so much, as to humble myself to a piece of clay; I, who am an immortal Seraphim, of so apparently a greater excellency than that: I, whom thou didst create out of the celestial fire, what an indignity would it be to my splendor, to pay homage to a thing composed of so vile a metal." The irritated Monarch, with a voice of thunder, then pronounced against him this direful anathema and malediction: Begone, enemy; depart, Rebel, from my abode! Thou no longer shalt continue in my celestial dominions.-Go, thou accursed flaming thunderbolt of fire! My curse pursue thee! My condemnation overtake thee! My tormentsafflict thee! And my chastisement accompany thee!-Thus fell this enemy of God and mankind, both he, and all his followers and abettors, who sided or were partakers with him in his pride and presumptuous disobedience.....

God now was pleased to publish and make manifest his design of animating man, out of that beautiful and resplendent crystal; and accordingly commanded Gabriel to breathe into the body of clay, that it might become flesh and blood: But at the instant, as the immaculate Spirit was going to enter therein, it returned, and hum

bling itself before the Lord, said, O Merciful King! for what reason is it that thou intendest to inclose me in this loathsome prison? I, who am thy servant, thou shuttest up within mine enemy, where my purity will be defiled, and where, against my will, I shall disobey thee, without being able to resist the instigation and power of this rebellious flesh; whereby I shall become liable to suffer thy rigorous punishment, insupportable and unequal to my strength, for having perpetrated the enormities obnoxious to the frailty of human flesh: Spare me, O Lord! spare me! suffer me not to taste of this bitter draught! To thee it belongs to command, and to me to supplicate thee.

Thus spoke the pure and unspotted Spirit, when God, to give it some satisfaction to these complaints, and that it might contentedly resign itself to obey his commands, ordered it should be conducted near his throne; where, in innumerable and infinite parts thereof, it beheld certain letters decyphered up and down, importing, Mahomet the triumphant leader! And over all the seven heavens, on their gates, and in all their books, he saw those words stamped, exceedingly bright and resplendent. This was the blazon which all the Angels and other celestial beings carried between their beautiful eyes, and for their devices on their apparel.

The Spirit having seen all this, returned to the throne of glory, and being very desirous to understand the signification of those cyphers and characters, he asked, What name that was which shined so in every place? To which question, God answered; Know, that from thee, and from that flesh, shall proceed a chieftain, a leader, who shall bear that name, and use that language;

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