The NIcoran is allowed to be written with the utmost elegance and purity of language, in the dialect of the Koreishites, the most noble and polite of all the Ara bians, but with some mixture of other dialects. It is the standard of the Arabic tongue, and as the orthodox believed, and are taught by the book itself, inimitable by any human pen ; and therefore insist ed on as a permanent miracle, greater than that of raising the dead, and alone sufficient to convince the world of its di vine original ; and to this miracle did Ma homethunself chiefly appeal, for the con firmation of his mission, publicly chal lenging the most eloquent schoohnen in Arabia to produce a single chapter com parable to it. A late ingenious and can did writer, who is a very good judge, al lows the style of the Alcorim to be gene rally beautiful and fluent, especially where it imitates the prophetic manner and scripture phrase ; concise, and often ob scure ; adorned with bold figures, after the eastern taste ; enlivened with florid and sententious expressions; and, in ma ny places, especially where the majesty and attributes of God arc described, sub lime and magnificent.
To the pomp and harmony of expres sion some ascribe all the force and effect of the Alcoran; which they consider as a sort of music, equally fitted to ravish and amaze, with other species of that art. In this Mahomet succeeded so well,
and so strangely captivated the minds of his audience, that several of his oppo nents thought it the effect of witchcraft and enchantment, as he himself coo plains.
Sn arc i,he contrnentarb.s On the Alcoran, that a catalogue of their bare titles would make a volume ; we have a very elegant translation of it into English by Mr. Sale ; who has added a preliminary discourse, with other occa sional notes, which the curious may con sult on this head.
Among Mahometans this book- is held in the greatest reverence and esteem. The Mussulmen dare nottouch it without being first washed, or legally ptuified ; to prevent which, an inscription is put on the cover or label : "Let none touch it but they who are clean." It is read with great care and respect They- swear by it, take omens from it on all weighty oc casions, carry it with them to war, write sentences of it on their banners, adorn it with gold and precious stones, and do not stiffer it to be in the possesion of any who hold a different religion.