Alexander Ross, The Alcoran of Mahomet, translated out of Arabick into French, by the Sieur Du Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and resident for the French king, at Alexandria. And newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all that desire to look into the Turkish vanities. (1649)

vertues; and indeed if Christians will but diligently read and observe the Laws and Histories of the Mahometans, they may blush to see how zealous they are in the Works of devotion, piety, and charity, how devout, cleanly, and reverend in their Mosques, how obedient to their Priests, that even the great Turk himself will attempt nothing without consulting his Mufti, how careful are they to observe their hours of prayer five times a day where ever they are, or however imployed? how constantly do they observe their Facts from morning till night a whole moneth together? how loving and charitable the Muslemans are to each other, and how careful of strangers, may be seen by their Hospitals, both for the poor and for travellers; if we observe their justice, temperance, and other morall virtues, we may truly blush at our own coldness, both in devotion and charity, at our injustice intemperance, and oppression, doubtless these men will rise up in judgment against us; and surely their devotion, piety, and works of mercy are maine causes of the growth of Mahomatism, and on the contrary, our neglect of Religion, and loosness of conversation, is a maine hindrance to the increase of Christianiy; is it not a shame that they should read over their Alcoran once every moneth, and we scarce read over the Bible in all our life? that they shall give such reverence to their Alcoran, as to honor the very Camel that carried it to Mecca and to lay up for holy reliques the napkins and handkerchiefs that rubbed off the sweat from his skin; and we shall prefer lascivious Poems, and want on Ballads to the Sacred word of Almighty God? do we not make our selves unworthy of such an inestimable treasure?

12. The Turks are our neighbors, and their Territories border upon the dominions of Christendom; there have been continuall Wars, and will be still between us, it concerneth every Christian who makes conscience of his wayes to examine the cause, and to look into the grounds of this war, whether they be just or not, which cannot be known by reading the Alcoran in which we see the Mahometans to be the enemies of the Cross of Christ, in denying his Death, and of his Divinity, also in that they deny his Godhead: we shall finde so many passages in it repugnant to, and destructive of Christian Religion, that Christian Princes are bound