J. F. Campbell Collection > Koran: or, Alcoran of Mohammed

RIGHT HON. JOHN LOED CARTERET.
s majestt's most HOSOUBABLE PBITT COCNCH-
^Iy Lord,
Notwithstanding the great honour and respect generally and
deservedly paid to the memories of those who have fomided states,
or obliged a people by the institution of laws which have made
them prosperous and considerable in the world, yet the legislator of
the Arabs has been treated in so very different a manner by all
who acknowledge not his claim to a divine mission, and by Christians
especially, that were not your lordship's just discernment sufhciently
knowTi, I should think myself under a necessity of making an
apology for presenting the following translation.
The remembrance of the calamities brought on so many nations
by the conquests of the Arabians may possibly raise some indig-
nation against him who formed them to empire; but this being
equally appUcable to all conquerors, coidd not, of itself, occasion
all the detestation with which the name of Mohammed is loaded.
He has given a new system of religion, which has had still greater
success than the arms of his followers, and to establish this religion
made use of an imposture ; and on this account it is supposed that
he must of necessity have been a most abandoned villain, and hit*
memory is become infamous. But as Mohammed gave his Araba
the best religion he could, as well as the best laws, preferable.