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for three years traded for her at Damascus, and other places; and in the management of this charge, gave her that content, and so far insinuated himself into her favour and good opinion, that about the 28th year of his age sho gave herself to him in marriage, being their forty years old; and from being servant, thus advanced him to be the master both of her person and estate; which having rendered him equal in wealth to the best men of the city, his ambitious mind began to entertain thoughts of possessing himself of the sovereignty over it.
His ancestor's had, for several descents, been chiefs of the tribe; and his great-grandfather Hashem, had made himself very considerable, not only at home, but also amongst his neighbours abroad; and had his father lived, the power and wealth of his family, after the death of his grandfather, would have descended to him, as being the eldest son; and after his decease to himself; and it was only his misfortuno in being left an orphan during the life of his grandfather, that deprived him of this.
These considerations, meeting with an ambitious aspiring mind, soon put him upon designs of raising himself to the supreme government of his country. Being a very subtile, crafty man, after having maturely weighed all ways and means whereby to bring this to pass, concluded none so likely to effect it, as the framing of that imposture which he afterwards vented with so much mischief to the world.
The course of trade which he drove into Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, having made him well acquainted both with Jews and Christians, and observing with what eagerness they, and the several
