22 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

subdue the enemies of God and Mahomet. To recognize tliese doctrines and to live up to them is to be faithful, to re- fuse to recognize them is to be an unbeliever. The feeling of superiority which such a revelation supplies over races which have not acquired such knowledo^e Islnrn niciKCS believers givcs compactucss to the uatiou, all the members of which believe they are specially under the Divine protection. Translated into action, this portion of the creed means that it is the duty of those who have accepted Ma- homet's teacliing to regard as enemies those who have not so accepted it. The result was that an amount of fanaticism was created in fighting, which at various times in the history of Moslem states has carried on their armies irresistibly to vic- tory. The Moslem faitli, with its sure and certain hope of black-eyed houris, has always supplied a certain amount of fanaticism ; but Moslem fanaticism has always been at its height when its non-sensual, its great positive side, the revela- tion to men who had ceased to believe in their idolatry of the existence of a God, has first dawned upon its votaries. I am speaking here of the influence of Moslemism when Finaiinflu- ^^ is first embraced by a savage or barbarous race, homebudsm ^^1^ ^^ is with tliis pcHod that I am mainly and 13 deadly, almost cxclusively conccmed. There comes a time in the history of such a race, after its adoption of Islam, when other teachings of the religious system come i^tto play, and when the poison of Moslemism begins /to work. Family life is impossible where Islamism exists. Sensuality has every- where been increased under its rule — a sensuality which causes directly and surely a raoral and physical decay of the race. Mahomet," says Sprengel, who has written an exhaustive life of the Prophet, *' became a licentious theocrat." Mahomet affirmed that his de^tion was increased by the innocent pleasures of sensuality and perfumes. Wherever his religion has had full sway, the consequent increase of sensuality has always been the means of w^eakening the race. The modern Turks have diminished in numbers, have been incapable of advancing in civilization, have lost ground, and have gradually become weaker through their sensuality, and especially through