Laylet el Kourat, that is, the Night of Power, because the Mahometans believe that the Koran then came down from heaven. After sunset, lamps are lighted in all the streets, chiefly in that called Bazaar, a long, broad, and straight street, through which the procession marches. Ropes are hung every ten steps, to which are tied iron hoops and baskets, each holding several lamps, thirty at the least. All these being in a direct line, furnish a fine prospect, and give a great light. Besides these several figures, the towers or minarets of the mosques are likewise illuminated. An infinite number of people crowd the streets, and with the Santons, &c., who make part of the ceremony, repair to the Cadilesquer, who informs them whether the Ramesan is to be kept that evening. Being informed that the moon has been seen, and that this is the night appointed for the solemnity, about two hours in the night, the Santons on foot, and armed with clubs, begin the march, each of them holding a taper in his hand, accompanied with other men carrying cresset-lights. They dance, sing, bawl, and howl; in the midst of them Scheik-el-Arsat, that is, 'the Prince of the Cornutos,' rides upon a mule; as he passes them, the people make loud acclamations. After him several men come upon camels, with drums, kettle-drums, &c., followed by others in masquerade-dress, on foot, carrying cresset-lights, or long poles, at the end of which are large iron hoops filled with squibs and fireworks, which are thrown amongst the mob. Next to these the men of the beys proceed on horseback, with their hand-guns, &c. ; and the procession is closed by other Santons, who celebrate by their songs the beginning of Ramesan. The whole assembly is composed of scoundrels met together, yet it is on the whole comical and diverting." Their fast continues the whole moon, and whilst it lasts, eating, drinking, even smoking, and putting anything into their mouths, is absolutely forbidden from sunrise to sunset; but in recompense, they are allowed, during the whole of the night, to eat and drink whatever they please without any restraint, with the exception of wine. Formerly, the law punished those who were convicted of drinking wine, by pouring melted lead into their throats.

The Persians have three feasts peculiar to themselves, viz., the next day after their Lent, the sacrifice of Abraham, and the martyrdom of the children of their great prophet Ali. To these religious Persian feasts. festivals, a fourth must be added, which is a civil ceremony, at the beginning of the new year, and usually lasts three days; but at court it is kept eight days successively. On the first day of the month Zilaje (Dulhaggia), at the moment of the sun's entering into Aries, this festival is proclaimed. It is called the Royal or Imperial New Year, to distinguish it from the real new year, which the Persians begin on the day of Mahomet's flight from Mecca. Chardin gives a full account of this feast; but we shall merely notice, that it had grown into disuse for many years, but was re-established from a principle of policy or superstition, or from the interested views of some astronomers, who were very powerful at court, and who pretended that the beginning of a solar year was a better omen than that of a lunar year, especially considering that the first ten days of it, and of the month Moharram, are days of mourning, in memory of the martyrdom of Ali's children.

This last-mentioned solemnity is better known by the name of Hussein,

or Hossein's Feast.

Hussein's Feast.

He was son of Ali and of Fatima, daughter to Mahomet, and was killed in a battle, which he lost, disputing for the dignity of Khalif. Hassein, his brother, lost his life with him. The death of these Mahometan prophets, or heroes, is still mourned for, where some are seen half-naked, and daubed over with blood, in memory of their tragical end; others black their faces and loll out their tongue, with convulsive motions of the body and rolling their eyes, because these two brothers, as the Persian legend relates, suffered so much by drought that they became black, and their tongues came out of their mouths. In the intervals of those pious contortions, they call aloud with all their might, Hussein! Hassein! Hassein! Hussein!

The present state and extent of the Mahometan religion is most amply delineated by Mr. Mills, in the last chapter of his excellent book; in which he traces it through the extensive regions of Tartary;

Present state. the vast empire of China; the various districts of Hin

doostan; from the southernmost point of which this religion is traced through the Eastern islands; along the coasts of the Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Manillas, and the Celebezean islands. The little isle of Goram, one of the Spice islands (between Ceram and Papua), is the eastern boundary of the Mahometan world.

The sword of the Mahometans has for ages ceased to alarm the world, and the fire of their fanaticism has been spent; but their religion has suffered no visible diminution of followers: for although the Christians have triumphed over the Moors in Spain, and checked the advancement of Islamism in Siberia, yet in the middle and lower Asia, and also in Africa, the professors of the Moslems' creed have gradually increased. It is impossible to estimate, with any approach to accuracy, the number either of Mussulmans or of Christians; but, considering for a moment the subject of religion in a geographical sense, it may be generally remarked, that as Christianity has unlimited influence in Europe, so Islamism is the dominant religion in Asia; and that, as the Christian faith has considerable weight in America, Mahometanism has its proportionate sway in Africa.

PART III.

RELIGIOUS TENETS, CEREMONIES, AND CUSTOMS OF THE GREEK AND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES.

coeval with the

CHAPTER I.—GREEK CHURCH.

SECT. I.-GREEK CHURCH PROPER.

THE Greek Church may be considered, in regard to its antiquity, as coeval with the Roman or Latin Church; and for the first eight centuries, the two churches were assimilated, not only in regard to Greek Church the peculiar doctrines of their faith, but also to their Latin Church. acknowledgment of the supremacy of the Roman pontiff. The schism of these two churches is a most memorable epoch in ecclesiastical history, as it forms the most distinguishing picture of the two religions at the present day. The members of the Greek or eastern church, as contra-distinguished to the Roman or western church, are to be found in various parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and are again subdivided into three distinct classes:-1st, those who agree on all points of worship and doctrine with the patriarch of Constantinople, and reject the supremacy of the Roman pontiff; 2d, those who adopt the doctrines and ceremonies of the Greek church, and are entirely independent of the patriarch of Constantinople; and 3d, those who are still subject to the see of Rome, though not conforming in all points to the worship of that church.

ration of.

The Greek church is considered as a separation from the Latin. In the middle of the ninth century, the controversy relating to the procession of the Holy Ghost (which had been started in the sixth Rise and sepa- century) became a point of great importance, on account of the jealousy and ambition which at that time were blended with it. Photius, the patriarch of Jerusalem, having been advanced to that see in the room of Ignatius, whom he procured to be deposed, was solemnly excommunicated by Pope Nicholas, in a council held at Rome, and his ordination declared null and void. The Greek emperor resented this conduct of the pope, who defended himself with great spirit and resolution. Photius, in his turn, convened what he called an oecumenical council, in which he pronounced sentence of excommunication and deposition against the pope, and got it subscribed by twenty-one bishops and others, amounting in number to a thousand. This occasioned a wide breach between the sees of Rome and Constantinople. However, the the Emperor Michael, and the deposition of Photius subsequent