[61] Herbelot says that, according to the Muhammedans, their prophet had twenty-one wives, six of whom he repudiated, and five died before him; therefore ten remained. [62] Chapter XXXIII. v. 47. has the following passage: “O prophet, we have allowed thee thy wives unto whom thou hast given their dower, and also the slaves which thy right hand possesseth, of the booty which God hath granted thee, and the daughters of thy aunts, both on thy father’s side, who have fled with thee from Mecca, and any other believing woman, if she give herself unto the prophet, in case the prophet desireth to take her to wife. This is a peculiar privilege granted unto thee above the rest of the true believers.” [63] This reminds of Hakem, the moon-maker.――(See p. 3, note 1.) [64] The name of a magician said to have been contemporary with Moses. He is mentioned in the Koran, chap. XX. v. 87. Sale observes (vol. II. pp. 145. 146. N. 9.) that he was not, as the Muhammedans believe, one of the Samaritans, who were not then formed into a people, nor bore that name till many ages after. Selden is of opinion, that this person was no other than Aaron himself, called _al Sameri_, from the Hebrew word _shamar_, “to keep;” because he was the keeper, or guardian, of the children of Israel during the absence of his brother, Moses, on the mount. [65] The Pentateuch, the Psalter, the Gospel, and the Koran. [66] In the Transactions of the Literary Society of Bombay, vol. II. pp. 242-270, is to be found: “A Notice respecting the religion introduced by the Emperor Akbar, by Captain Vans Kennedy, written in 1818,” with an elegant, but in several places abridged, translation of the just-given disputes, between the doctors of the different religions, in form of a dialogue, accompanied with valuable remarks respecting the author of the Dabistán, of which I availed myself in several quotations in the Preliminary Discourse, as well as in this place. [67] This refers principally to papers, such as passports, of the Portuguese, who, as I have been informed by Viscount Santarem, used to represent St. Catherine upon them, this saint being the patroness of Goa and of one of the principal confraternities; and the above-mentioned images are besides often used as ornaments of books and printed papers. [68] Others translate: “two, and three, and four,” consequently nine wives; as the conjunction _va_, in Arabic, may mean _or_ as well as _and_.――(See _Transact. of the Lit. Soc. of Bombay_, vol. II. p. 268.)