ith their swords of hatred and their shafts of enmity the one
whom they know to be an outcast among men and to have been banished from
one country to another. This is not the first time that such iniquity hath
been perpetrated, nor the first goblet that hath been dashed to the
ground, nor the first veil that hath been rent in twain in the path of
God, the Lord of the worlds. This Wronged One, however, remained calm and
silent in the Most Great Prison, busying Himself with His own affairs, and
completely detached from all else but God. Iniquity waxed so grievous that
the pens of the world are powerless to record it.

In this connection it is necessary to mention the following occurrence,
that haply men may take fast hold of the cord of justice and truthfulness.
Haji _Sh_ay_kh_ Muhammad 'Ali--upon him be the glory of God, the
Ever-Abiding--was a merchant of high repute, well-known unto most of the
inhabitants of the Great City (Constantinople). Not long ago, when the
Persian Embassy in Constantinople was secretly engaged in stirring up
mischief, it was noticed that this believing and sincere soul was greatly
distressed. Finally, one night he threw himself into the sea, but was
rescued by some passers-by who chanced to come upon him at that moment.
His act was widely commented upon and given varied interpretations by
different people. Following this, one night he repaired to a mosque, and,
as reported by the guardian of that place, kept vigil the whole night, and
was occupied until the morning in offering, ardently and with tearful
eyes, his prayers and supplications. Upon hearing him suddenly cease his
devotions, the guardian went to him, and found that he had already
surrendered his soul. An empty bottle was found by his side, indicating
that he had poisoned himself. Briefly, the guardian, while greatly
astonished, broke the news to the people. It was found out that he had
left two testaments. In the first he recognized and confessed the unity of
God, that His Exalted Being had neither peer nor equal, and that His
Essence was exalted above all praise, all glorification and description.
He also testified to the Revelation of the Prophets and the holy ones, and
recognized what had been written down in the Books of God, the Lord of all
men. On another page, in which he had set down a prayer, he wrote these
words in conclusion: "This servant and the loved ones of God are
perplexed. On the one hand the Pen of the Most High hath