three days' journey eastward from Jerusalem, near which town they encountered. The Grecians being vastly superior in number (for, including the auxiliary Arabs, they had an army of 100,000 men), the Mohammedans were repulsed in the first attack, and lost successively three of their general, viz., Zeid Ebn Hâretha, Mohammed's freedman, Jaafar, the son of Abu Tâleb, and Abdâllah Ebn Rawâha; but Khâled Ebn al Walîd, succeeding to the command, overthrew the Greeks with a great slaughter, and brought away abundance of rich spoil;4 on occasion of which action Mohammed gave him the honourable title of Seif min soyûf Allah, One of the Swords of GOD.5 In this year also Mohammed took the city of Mecca, the inhabitants whereof had broken the truce concluded on two years before. For the tribe of Becr, who were confederates of the Koreish, attacking those of Khozâah, who were allies of Mohammed, killed several of them, being supported in the action by a party of the Koreish themselves. The consequence of this violation was soon apprehended, and Abu Sofiân himself made a journey to Medina on purpose to heal the breach and renew the truce,6 but in vain, for Mohammed, glad of this opportunity, refused to see him; whereupon he applied to Abu Becr and Ali, but they giving him no answer, he was obliged to return to Mecca as he came. Mohammed immediately gave orders for preparations to be made, that he might surprise the Meccans while they were unprovided to receive him; in a little time he began his march thither, and by the 1 It is, however, a different name from that of the Virgin Mary, which the Orientals always write Maryam, or Miriam-whereas this is written Mâriya. 2 This prince is omitted in Dr. Pocock's list of the kings of Ghassân, Spec. p. 77. 3 Abulfeda, bui sup. p. 94, &c. 4 Idem ib. p. 99, 100, &c. 5 Al Bokhâri in Sonna. 6 This circumstance is a plain proof that the Koreish had actually broken the truce, and that it was not a mere pretence of Mohammed's as Dr. Prideaux insinuates. Life of Mahomet, p. 94.