successor of Abu Beer.—The Mohammedan imposture, like every other falsehood of its kind, copies after the truth as far as was thought convenient or proper; and miracles being the grand proof of revelation, it was to be expected that all pretences to that should assume at least the appearances of them. Few systems of faith are more absurd than Mohammed's; yet, though he disclaimed miracles, it was supported, as we are told by latter writers, by a variety of them, which, however, unfortunately for the creed they were contrived to support, are too trifling, absurd, and contradictory, to deserve the smallest attention.

They tell us, but upon grounds too vague and indeterminate to command belief, that Omar was miraculously converted to this faith: a man he is reported to have been, before this event, truly respectable, and in particular a violent opposer of the Arabian prophet. Mohammed, it seems, felt this opposition, and regretted it; he therefore, with the fervour, and as it happened, with the fuccels of a true prophet, according to his followers account, prayed for the conversion of this his dangerous antagonist. Omar, it is said, had no sooner read the 20th chapter of the Koran than he was convinced: upon which he instantly repaired to Mohammed and his followers, and declared his conversion. It is said, that at one time he intended to murder the prophet; and various causes are assigned for the prevention of this shocking piece of sacrifice. After his wonderful conversion, the Mohammedan writers inform us that he was fannamed Al Faruk, or the "divider;" because, say they, when a certain Molem was condemned by Mohammed for his iniquitous treatment of a Jew, and appealed afterwards from the sentence of the prophet to Omar, he cut him in two with his scimitar for not acquiescing in the decision of so upright a judge: which circumstance when Mohammed heard, he gave him the surname of Al Faruk, or "the divider;" because, by this action, he had shewn himself capable of perfectly distinguishing between truth and falsehood. Al Kodai affirms, that 39 of Omar's adherents followed his example the same day he professed himself a votary of Mohammed. The conversion of Hamza and Omar Ebn Al Khattab happened in the year preceding the first flight of the Molems into Ethiopia, or the fourth year of Mohammed's mission, according to Abulkeda. He was unquestionably a great acquisition to the prophet, and enabled him to carry on his schemes to far more purpose than he could possibly have done without him, or if he had continued his enemy. Omar at length found his services in the cause he had undertaken sufficiently honoured and amply rewarded; for on the death of Abu Beccr, who had succeeded the impostor himself, he was promoted to the regal and pontifical dignity. The title first affixed him was the caliph of the caliph of the apostle of God; or in other words the successor of the successor of Mohammed: but the Arabs considering that this title, by the addition to be annexed to it at the accession of every future caliph, would be too long, they, by universal consent, faluted him the emperor of the believers; which illustrious title, at this juncture conferred on Omar, descended afterwards to all the successors of that prince. Our readers will not expect us to follow the caliph with minute exactness through the transactions of his reign. This would indeed swell our article beyond all proportion. We shall therefore confine ourselves to some of the leading facts.

His arms appear to have been particularly successful; the Persians he conquered, and Jerusalem submitted to his power; nor does he appear to have been checked in a single instance. In consequence, however, of his success, an attempt was made to assassinate him. The fact is thus related: Wathek Ebn Molafer, a resolute young Arab, was procured by the king of Ghafan, and sent to Medina for this very purpose. Some time after his arrival, observing Omar to fall asleep under a tree on which he had placed himself, so as not to be discovered by any person, he drew his dagger, and was upon the point of stabbing him, when, lifting up his eyes, he saw a lion walking round about him, and licking his feet. Nor did the lion cease to guard the caliph till he awoke; but then instantly went away. This phenomenon struck Wathek with a profound reverence for Omar, whom he now revered as the peculiar care of heaven. He therefore came down from the tree, on which the lion had forced him to remain, kissed the caliph's hand, confessed his crime, and embraced the Mohammedan religion; being so strongly affected with the wonderful deliverance he had been an eye witness of. His life, however, was at length ended by assassination; for about two years after the conclusion of the Nohawandian war, in which the Arabs probably still farther extended their conquests, though no account of their military operations during that period has reached us, that is in the 23d year of the Hegira, according to Abu Jaafar Al Tabari, the caliph Omar Ebn Al Khattab was assassinated by a Persian slave; of which horrid fact the Arab writers have handed down the following particulars: Abu Lula, a Persian of the Magian sect, whose name was Firuz, one of Al Mogheira Ebn Al Shaabah's slaves, was obliged by his master to pay daily two dirhems, in conformity to the Mohammedan custom, for the free exercise of this religion. Firuz resenting this treatment, complained of it to the caliph, and desired that some part at least of the tribute exacted of him might be remitted; but this favour being refused by Omar, the Persian threatened his destruction; which he soon after effected, by stabbing him thrice in the belly with a dagger, while he was in the mosque at Medina performing his morning devotions. The Arabs then present perceiving that the villain had imbrued his hands in the blood of their sovereign, immediately rushed upon him; but he made so desperate a defence, that he wounded 13 of the assailants, and seven of them mortally. At last one of the caliph's attendants threw his veil over him, and seized him; upon which he stabbed himself and soon after expired. According to Theophanes, this Firuz was an apostate or renegade, and consequently had before embraced the Mohammedan religion: but this assertion is by no means probable; because on his becoming a convert to Islamism, he must have been manumitted by his master, and on his relapsing into Magism, he would have been put to death by the caliph's order: neither of which particulars are consistent with what we find related by the Arab historians, and even by our Greek chronographer himself. Omar languished three days and then died, in the month of Dhu'l'hajja, and the 23d year of the Hegira, which began in the year of our Lord 643. Authors are not agreed with regard to the duration of his caliphate. The Arab historians, whom we are inclined to follow, say that he reigned between 10 and 11 years. Theophanes affirms, that he was murdered in the 12th year of his caliphate, and Dionysius Telmarenis extends the length of his reign to 12 complete years. Only one of the wounds given him by Firuz was mortal, and that he received under his navel. At his death he was 63 years old; which, as we are told by an Arab author, was the age of Mohammed himself, Abu Beccr, and Ayesh, one of the prophet's wives, when they died. When Omar fell in the mosque, Abd'alrahman Ebn Awf, one of Mohammed's first converts, supplied his place during the remainder of the service; and three days before his death, Salih Ebn Tarib, at his command, officiated for him. His body was interred in Ayesh's apartment, near that of the prophet Mohammed. We are informed by Eutychius, that during his caliphate he performed the pilgrimage to Mecca nine times. His extensive conquests made the Moslem empire one of the most powerful and formidable monarchies in the world. His disposition is represented to us, with evident partiality indeed, as one of the best possible, and his temperance has always been highly extolled.