The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-12-11

BY c. II, MILES, OF BALTIMORE.

BY G. II, MILES, OF BALTIMORE.
The design of this play is to explain the life of
Mohammed, from the age OF forty to his death,
period OF twenty years. Many single fact, in his
extraordinary career furnishes ample material for
play; many a fable, too, Voltaire has proved
The love and apostacy of Ali and Fatima, breaking
Abu Talebs heart-Ayesha bethrothed to Omar,
but wrested from him by her father, and consigned
to the Prophets arms-Omar's hypocrisy for the
sake of revenge plots like tkis sparkling with
brilliant scenes, occurred to tempt me from my
original design.
But found the naked history superior to all the
inventions of imagination Where the charm is in
plot and surprise repetition sckens US where the
characters themselves attract, it delights.
After all that has been said, the true character OF
the great founder of Islam is but imperfectly I'M
derstood. Had he not sincerely believed in the
Uaity Of God, had he not detested idoatry, had
he not most ferventy wished to redeem Arabia
from her slavish superstition, hal he not been IN
earnest IN all this he could not have accomplished
such great and permanent results Yet, at the
very outset of his career, when his motives were
purest, his fidelity to Cadijah unmpeached, we
know that he guilty Of wIltul deceit and impos-
ture For, admitting that the appearance of Gabriel
and the Mssra were decisions OF zeaiOt fancy
or of the devil yet surely he could not dupe himself
so far as to believe that the angel hGndeG him the
Koran, which he either wrote himself, received
from hired scribe. Here is the difficulty not
only have we to reconcile truth and falsehood sim
men, there is more less of this-but we are
dealing with one, who, believing himself prophet,
asserts it by imposture-the messenger of Allah
preparing mankind by deliberate lie for the recep-
ton of Eternal Truth.
From this point of view, the play was written
The brevity required in representation the stage
lat which | amed) compelled me to omit much
that might support my Interpretation of this sin
cere impostorn Truth rarely floats on the surface
OF history; it is only by looking long into the
stream that the jewel lurking in the bed.
Goethe thought of bringing MOhammed on the
| German stage, but contented himself with trans
| latng Voltaire. The piece began with hymn
! which Mohammed sings alone, under the open sky.
| First he adores the nnumerable stars, as so many
! gods; then rises the friendly star Cad Jupiter,
and to him, as the king Of the stars, alteration
! is offered. Soon the moon rises, and wins the eye
and heart of the worshpper, who next, greatly re-
| freshed and strengthened, is summoned to new
praise by the ascending sun. But these changes,
however delightful, are still unsatisfactory and the
mind feels that it must rise yet above itself; it
rises to God, the Only, Eternal, Infinite, to whom
all these splendid, yet limited creatures owe their
! existence. After, in this way, he had converted
himself, he imparts these feelings and ideas to his
| friends. His wife and Ali become his disciples,
without reserve. IN lie second act, he attempts,
and Ali with still greater ardor than he to propa-
gate this faith in the tribe Assent and opposition
appear according the variety of characters. The
| feud begins, the strife becomes violent, and Mo.
manned is compelled to flee. In the third act, he
overcomes his adversaries, makes his religion the
| public one and puriies the kaaba from idols but
as all this cannot be done by power, he is obliged
to resort to cunning. The Earthly increases and
extends itself; the Divine retires, and is obscured
! In the fourth act Mohammed pursues his con-
| quests and his doctrine becomes pretence rather
than an end all conceivable means must be EN-,
| ployed, and barbarites become abundant. wo.
| man, whose husband has been put to death by his
order poisons him. In tile nth act, he feels tina
he is poisoned His great camness--the return tc
himself, to a higher life-make him worthy of ad
niraon. He purifies his doctrine, establishes his
kingdom and dies. Poetry and Truth,
1t may be inferred that copied Goethe, varying
the fifth act to suit my convictions but
though it is reproach to borrow from the grea
German, the resemblance is entirely accidental.
1t is no compliment to Christianity to make Mo
manned monster; it is rather bitter sneer a
human creduhty The lesson conveyed by the lii,
and death of the Arabian mpostor is the inability
oil the greatest man, starting with the purest mo
. ttves, to counterfeit mission from God, withou
becoming the slave of hell.
Called, CadJah, Ali, Fatima, and Abu Taleb arr
true to history Amrou and Abubeker only mod
eTately so. The view Of Omar is new, perhap
unjust; Ayeshas passion for Ali, only plausib le
The introduction Of Sophian into the fifth act wa
concession to unity OF action 1t was hard enough
to support a continuous action, without MAINTAIN
ing, at the same time, a rigid adherence to conjec
t7Eyss about the manner of the Prophets death TIL
Arabian Nights, which, Is Lane truly says, are h
best snd Tuost pictures Of Arabian manners, NOR