ummoned
to Constantinople by the Turkish authorities. While in Constantinople He
ignored every restriction, especially the hostility of ministers of state
and clergy. The official representatives of Iran again brought their
influence to bear upon the Turkish authorities and succeeded in having
Baha'u'llah banished from Constantinople to Adrianople, the object being
to keep Him as far away as possible from Iran and render His communication
with that country more difficult. Nevertheless the Cause still spread and
strengthened.

Finally they consulted together and said: "We have banished Baha'u'llah
from place to place but each time he is exiled his cause is more widely
extended, his proclamation increases in power and day by day his lamp is
becoming brighter. This is due to the fact that we have exiled him to
large cities and populous centers. Therefore we will send him to a penal
colony as a prisoner so that all may know he is the associate of
murderers, robbers and criminals; in a short time he and his followers
will perish." The sultan of Turkey then banished Him to the prison of Akka
in Syria.

When Baha'u'llah arrived at Akka, through the power of God He was able to
hoist His banner. His light at first had been a star; now it became a
mighty sun and the illumination of His Cause expanded from the east to the
west. Inside prison walls He wrote epistles to all the kings and rulers of
nations summoning them to arbitration and Universal Peace. Some of the
kings received His words with disdain and contempt. One of these was the
sultan of the Ottoman kingdom. Napoleon III of France did not reply. A
second epistle was addressed to him. It stated: "I have written you an
epistle before this, summoning you to the cause of God but you are of the
heedless. You have proclaimed that you were the defender of the oppressed;
now it hath become evident that you are not. Nor are you kind to your own
suffering and oppressed people. Your actions are contrary to your own
interests and your kingly pride must fall. Because of your arrogance God
shortly will destroy your sovereignty. France will flee away from you and
you will be overwhelmed by a great conquest. There will be lamentation and
mourning, women bemoaning the loss of their sons." This arraignment of
Napoleon III was published and spread.

Read it and consider: One prisoner, single and solitary, without assistant
or defender, a foreigner and stranger imprisoned in the fortress o