310 elelatïon ofehe Apocalyple. C AP. 9. make mention of their As ; and it wasno name given them by way of reproach,as SsabeIlic,eej writeth,EEnead 8. BookS. Fol. 177. But it was alto their moil ancient name, and molt glorious in their own opinion, t Chron. 5. 1 o. 19. and 27. 31. And long before thebook of Chronicles was written , Pfal. 83. 7. Whence it may alfo ap- pear,that it was an honourable name, and fuch as they -would have themfelves chiefly called by. For elfe how fhould they be diftin- guifbed from the /A/vac/is-es that had the fame Orignall ? but that they inhabiting towards the fouth ofIe*ry,did bragmore oftheir fa.- thers name,thefe dwellingEaff and foutheaftward, and being more nigh the Iews, boafted more of their mothers name. And this name did at length overcome the other in glory, it being more famous a- mong the Torrain writers,and it becoming at lai} the Anceftors name unto the Il?3mac/ires themfelves in Readof the former. But whence then came the Saracens?Of Sarah her felf,as it feemeth.For after that their off- fpring fromAgar teemed to be fomewhat mare -bale , then was fitting for their Eftate, that was grown more mighty ( for by the overthrowwhich they gave the 7e1vs , both their heart and their wealthwaxed great,) they cal} off the handmaid,and went into the name of the Ai' flriffr, and fowould be called afterwards Saracens. For fo krone writeth upon Ezec. 25. The Scripture by Madi.1- ?sites , underftandeth, Agarens, whom we now called Saracens, taking to themfelves the name of Sarah falfely, that they might feem to be begottenof her that was a free woman,and the Miftriffe; whence he faith often in other places,that this is a wrong name, be- caufe it had beenperverfely challenged by thefe men to themfelves. Which things do convince,that this name cannot well be derived of the Arabick word Sarak, which fignifies in that tongue, Theeves and Robbers. For what oneman, much leffe a whole nation would take futh a reproachful! name to themfelves ? And there was no reafon why Jerome, that was fo neer to their fìrlt arifng both in time and place, being one that was skilful! in the Tongues, and curious in fuch things as thefe , fhould envy them this name, and call it a perverted name, which might indeed molt fitly and worthily be giventhem coming from this root. If I may be fwffered to give my conjecture, I think it to be a name compounded of Sara, and ano- ther word put to it,Kedar,whofe firít letter after the manner ofthe Hebrewec,concurreth unto the compofition,as if it had been writ- ten,Sara quedar,by contraction Saraand in Chaidee,Sarayor Sara g. Which is as.if they thould call thètnfeïves, Sarean airabians, or Sa- racens,
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