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By Duncan Fokbes, Price 15s. a Vocabtilar? LL.D. Roval 8v7 Lo:,-0(.n:— AVm. H. ALLEN & Co., 13, Watekloo Place, S.W. ('n2> IKHWANU-S-SAFA; BROTHERS OF PURITY. TEANSLATED FEOM THE HINDUSTANI OP MAULAVl IKRAM 'ALI, BY JOHN PLAITS, ESQ. nfSPECTOE OP PUBLIC INSTBUCTION IN THE N. CIECLE, CENTEAL PEOYINCES, INDIA, CARRIED THROUGH THE PRESS BY EDWARD B. EASTWICK, C.B., M.P., FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, ETC., ETC., ETC. LONDON: Wm. H. ALLEN & CO., 13, WATERLOO PLACE, S.W. 1869. 376 5 /3/f Lewis and Son, Printers, Swan Buildings, Moorgate Street. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. The Ikliwanu-s-safa, or "Brothers of Pure Friend- ship," {literally, Brothers of Purity) is the title of fifty-one Arabic treatises of some considerable anti- quity, the joint production of several authors (some say five, some ten) who lived and worked together in the closest intimacy and harmony, — whence the title of the work. One of these works alone — that treat- ing of the contest between man and the animal creation, on the subject of the former's claim to supremacy — has, I believe, been translated into Urdu, under the title given to the collected fifty-one treatises in the Arabic. And yet some of the remaining treatises well merit translation. The Urdu Ikhwanu-s-safa has for some years held the honoured position of a " test-book for the first Civil and for the Military Interpreter's Examination, iv translator's preface. and for the Examination for a Certificate of High Proficiency in Urdu." It was, therefore, judged that a careful translation of it into English would prove of the highest utility to students. In undertaking this translation, I have steadily endeavoured to keep two objects in view : 1st. To facilitate the study of the original ; 2nd. To produce a work which might be perused and appreciated by such readers as possess no knowledge of Urdu, for the interest of the story itself. The text of the Urdii Translator has therefore been rendered throughout as closely as is consistent with intelligibility, and due regard to the idiom of the English tongue. As an additional aid to accuracy, I have in the course of translating compared the Urdu with the original Arabic, page by page, throughout. This has not only afforded me a clear insight into the real meaning of many a doubtful passage, but it has enabled me to detect many important errors in the Urdu translation — errors which disfigure the work to a degree that makes it extremely desirable that it should be subjected to careful revision and correction. The truth is, that Maulavi Ikram 'AH's knowledge translator's preface. in general, and his knowledge of Arabic in particular, were so meagre as to disqualify him completely for the work he had the hardiness to undertake. And it is on this account that so much nonsense, and so many absurdities appear in his translation. I feel it due to myself to say that I am not judging his work as though it were a literal translation ; but as pro- fessing " to give the substance of the original." Now, so far is he from accomplishing this, that he repeatedly, through his ignorance of Arabic, either turns good sense into nonsense, or alters the meaning of the Arabic into something quite opposed to it, or embellishes it with something quite irrelevant to the matter in hand. And in those parts of the work which touch on Natural History, he has done all in his power to bring into utter contempt the whole mass of scientific knowledge in the possession of the Mohammedan people. These are not mere assertions on my part. Any competent judge can satisfy himself by a com- parison of the Urdu work with the original ; and the reader will find numerous instances pointed out by me in the notes to my Translation. Regarding the work, however, simply as an Urdu vi translator's preface. composition, it stands deservedly high, though, in my opinion, far below the Bagh-o-Bahdr. The style is stiff and laboured, and there is a lack of connection between the sentences which destroys their symmetry, and often makes it difficult for the reader to discover where one ends and another begins. This, however, I feel disposed to attribute to the defects mentioned in the preceding paragraph ; for it is not to be per- ceived in his Preface. The English translation is based on the text edited by Major Nassau^ Lees, — in some respects the best text there is ; but still not such as to reflect credit on the editor. It contains numerous errors, chiefly typo- graphical, which, by a careful examination of the proof- sheets, might easily have been avoided. Some, how- ever, are errors in the placing of the diacritical points ; and these are calculated to do serious harm to any student who reads the work with an ordinary Indian Munshi. A really good text (with the many gross errors of the Urdu Translator rectified) is a desideratum. PREFACE. PuAiSE beyond measure is due to that self-existent^ Being, who conferred various forms on all created bodies, notwithstanding the singleness of the (com- posing) matter, and who, organizing the human species,^ bestowed distinct powers on each individual. Infinite praise is meet and proper for that Creator who, having brought the human race into (the world of) existence from the caverns of chaos f bestowed on it pre-eminence over all created things ; and, having adorned human nature with the gift of speech, clothed it with the robe of knowledge. What ability is there in weak-framed man to express becoming gratefulness ' Wdjihti-l-t(mjud = that of wliich the existence is necessary. ^ The terms ^'jhis'^ and ^^fasV hare their logical signification here; the former meaning genus, and the latter differentia or characteristic. The passage, rendered literally, would therefore be, " Who constituted the human essence (or substance) by joining the characteristic to the genus." ^ Literally, — From the cellars (or chambers) of non- existence. Vm PREFACE. for His mercies ? and what virtue in my crazy reed to bring me successful through such an attempt ? Verses. How then can I His praises due express When Prophets' tongues to sing the same are weak ? The band of holy sages here confess — " We know Thee not," — His nature though they seek. Whence then may I, mere creature,^ find access To knowledge fit His glorious name to speak ? To mortal man is power given to bless In compass full a nature so unique ? Blessings unlimited are the due of the Prince of the Apostles, the last of the prophets, Mohammad Mustafa, who extricated those who had gone astray, from the waste of error, and guided them into the right path. Through him it was that we obtained, according to the sacred text, — "Ye are the best of peoples,'' pre-eminence over all other nations. Veeses. Mohammad, of created things the lord ; The leader he of man and Jinn ; His, at the Grand Assize, the saving word That heav'nly mercy seeks for sin. ^ MmnTcin = Imhdnu-l-wujud^ is the exact opposite of Wdjibu-l-toujud, and signifies that of which the existence is contingent. It is equivalent to makhlUJc, PREFACE. IX And blessings and peace on his family, and com- panions, by whose instrumentality the true faith was consolidated, and who wer€ our guides into the path of salvation. And now this utterly sinful being, Ikram 'AH pro- ceeds to speak as follows (of the origin of this work) : — When, in accordance with a gracious hint from that illustrious gentleman, of exalted dignity and power, the greatest philosopher of the age, the eleventh spirit^ as to wisdom, the beneficent lord, Mr. Abraham Lockett — may his good fortune continue — and in com- pliance with the request of my honoured brother, and instructor Maulavi Turab 'Ali — may his shadow last long — I came to Calcutta, and, under the guidance of fortune, after obtaining the honour of an interview, became the object of kind attention and favour, the aforesaid gentleman, inasmuch as he was disposed to 1 The word ^ahl is here used in the sense of shnple essence, ov jpure in- telligence. Certain Mohammedan doctors hold the folloTving theory on the creation. Grod, they say, created a single intelligence, possessed of a two- fold existence — the one necessary the other contingent. This intelligence created a second intelligence like liimself, and the highest of the nine heavens ; i.e., the ^arsh or Empyrean. This second intelligence created a thu'd, and the second of the nine heavens, and so on, till the tenth in- telligence — the last that was created — and the ninth, heaven (by which these doctors mean fkefarsh or the earth) were created. M. Ikram 'Ali — may his shade never blush — adds an eleventh to tlie number of intelli- gences, in the person of Mr, Abraliam Lockett ! X PREFACE. take me entirely under his fostering protection, had me enrolled among the servants of the Honourable East India Company, and appointed me to a post under himself. After a few days, with the concurrence of His Honour, the noble, the cream of the learned of the age, the head of the roll of wise men, the exalted in power, Captain John William Taylor, Professor of Urdu — may his good fortune endure ! — he requested me to translate the Ikhwdnu-s-safa (a work which treats of the contest between man and the beast creation) into Urdu, " but," said he, " into very plain and simple language, so that there may be no obscure words in it. Omit, moreover, the scientific terms and the religious discourses, as these are not devoid of difficulty.^ The substance alone of the question at issue is required." In accordance with this request, the writer has rendered but the pith of the subject- matter into the Urdu tongue. He has struck out the religious discourses, and many of the scientific phrases which had no relation to the contest ; but he has retained a few discourses and geometrical and ' The word talcalluf \iQve properly means, ^Hhe being laboured ;^^ but "difficulty" conveys the idea very closely. PREFACE. XI other terms, which bore directly upon the original subject. Of a truth, if regard be paid to the execution, and the ornate and polished style, of this treatise, (it will be perceived) that each discourse is a mine of elegance and perspicuity, and each sentence a store- house of eloquence. And, although the common herd gather no more from its apparent wording than the mere burden of the contest, yet the learned per- ceivers of the recondite, by comprehending the real import, find pleasure in (the consideration of) many nice questions, and matters of speculative theology. The authors of this work were ten men (Abu Salman, Abu'l-hasan, Abu Ahmad and others) who lived together in Basra, ^ and spent their lives in un- interrupted research into science and religion ; in- somuch that they composed fifty-one treatises. In these, numerous rare and wonderful sciences are discussed, and the present treatise, on the contest between man and the beasts, is one of them. In this work arguments h priori and a posteriori are exhibited on both sides with much skill, and, in ' Vulgarly called Bussorah. XU PREFACE. the end, after much hot debate, man is pronounced triumphant. Further, their object in this disputation is merely to display the superior virtues of the human race ; hence it is that they write at the close of the work : " That the properties whereby man reigns ascendant over the brute creation, are varied knowledge and perceptions of the Divine nature, which we have described in fifty-one works; and the aim in this treatise has been to illustrate by the tongues of animals, the realities of knowledge and true per- ceptions of the Divine Being, in order that, by observing these, the thoughtless and negligent might entertain the desire to acquire perfection." The translation of this work was prepared during the government of that essence of exalted nobility, that paragon of mighty princes, the Hatim^ of the age, the Plato of the time, the chief of chiefs, the hero of heroes. His Excellency the Governor- General, Lord Minto — may his good fortune be perpetuated ! — which was in the year 1225 of the Flight, and 1810 of the Christian era. ^ Hdtim was the chief of an Arab tribe named Tdi. His liberality has passed into a proverb. CHAPTER I. ON THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE HUMAN EACE — ITS STEUGGLE WITH THE ANIMAL CEEATION THE COMING OF THE ANIMALS INTO THE PEESENCE OF THE KINO OF THE JINN, BEWARASB THE WISE, TO TMPLOEE EELIEF THIS SAGE's SUMMONING MEN BEFOEE HIM. The circumstances attending the first appearance of the sons of Adam are thus narrated: — While they were few in number, they ever fled through fear of the animals and hid themselves in caves ; and through dread and terror of rapacious beasts, they used to take refuge in hills and mountains. They had not even so much confidence as would admit of three or four men combining to till the soil and eat of the produce ; not to speak of their weaving cloth to clothe their bodies. In short, they ate whatever they could find in the way of various fruits, and herbs, and plants of the forest ; and veiled their bodies with the leaves of trees. In winter they took up their abode in warm, and in summer in cold countries. When this state of things had continued for a short period, and their offspring had multiplied, then the fear of beasts, noxious and innoxious, which had lodged in each mind, was completely dissipated, and 1 IKHWANU-S-SAFAl. thereupon they peopled many forts, cities, towns, and villages, and dwelt in peace. They got together implements of agriculture, and each occupied himself with his special task ; and they took the animals in traps, and began using them for riding, bearing burdens, ploughing and tilling. The elephant, the horse, the camel, the ass, and many other animals that used to roam at large ^ in the wilds and forests, grazing without let or hindrance wherever they found attractive pasture — the shoulders of these were excori- ated through incessant labour,^ and their backs galled. How much soever they might shriek and cry out, his lordship-man was little likely to heed. Many wild animals fled, through fear of captm^e, to remote wilds. The birds, too, left their roosts and flew^ away, taking their young with them. Each individual man fancied that all the animals were his slaves, and so, ever con- structing traps and snares, they, one and all, pursued them with every conceivable artifice and stratagem. ' Literally, — Like a camel without its nose-string. 2 Literally, — Labour of day and night. ^ The only meanings assigned to uranchhu in Shakespear's Dictionary, are "trick," "device," "fraud"— none of which will apply here, but the word is right rendered by Forbes.' The word chhu, affixed to uran (the substantive from wna, to fly) adds the idea of instantaneousness to that oi flight. Chhu is an onomatopetic word, resembling the breathing at the close of the incantations of Hindi! jugglers ; and at the close of the texts of the Koran, which Musalmans repeat to remove the evil influence of the Jinn, &c. It seems to be the equivalent of the English word " presto," used by those who show leger- demain. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 6 Such seizure and retention continued for a long space of time, even until God (may He be exalted) sent the last of the prophets, Mohammad Mustafa (May God bless and save him and his family) for the guidance of mankind. This true prophet directed wanderers into the path ordained of God. Some of the Genii, too, secured the blessing of faith and the glory of Islam, When an age passed away thus,^ too, and the Genius Bewarasb the wise, whose title was * King of heroes,' became the monarch of the race of the Genii (so just a king was he, that in his reign the tiger and the goat used to drink at the same water's edge, and little possibiHty was there of any thu^, thief, knave, or pilferer abiding in his dominions). The island of Bala Saghun,^ situated near the equator, was the royal abode of this just monarch. It chanced that a ship full of men, distressed by contrary winds, put in at that island. All the merchants and men of science on board landed, and began roaming about the country. What do they behold, but a scene of marvellous beauty ! Every tree was covered with fruits or flowers of various kinds ; streams were flowing in all * This might also be rendered, " When an age subsequent to this passed away." But the Arabic version clearly shows the rendering to be as I have given it ; uspar implying the state of affairs after Mohammad's appearance in the world. ^ It seems impossible to fix this island. The name would appear to be a corruption of the Hindi words hhald shugun. 4 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. directions; animals, grown fat on excellent pasture, were skipping and gambolling among themselves. Perceiving the climate to be so very delightful, and the soil so extremely fertile, no one felt it in his heart to return. So, in fine, they gradually erected houses, and took up their abode in that island ; and, capturing the animals in traps, engaged as before in their avoca- tions. When the wild animals saw no prospect of better days here, too, they fled to the deserts. The men, in truth, entertained the notion that these were all their slaves, and so they prepared various kinds of snares, and became intent on capturing them as heretofore. When the animals were assured of this mischievous idea of theirs, they assembled their chiefs, presented themselves in the hall of justice, and gave a minute account to Bewarasb the wise, of all the wrong they had suffered at the hands of men. When the monarch heard from the animals all the circumstances of their case, he instantly exclaimed, "Haste! Let messengers be sent without delay, to bring the men to our presence." In accordance with this order, seventy of the men, inhabitants of different cities,^ who were possessed of rare eloquence, were instantly in attendance. An excellent building was assigned them as a residence, and, after a day or two, when the fatigue of the journey had worn off, the 1 Countries would be the correct word, in accordance with the Arabic. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 5 king commanded that they should be brought before him. When they beheld the monarch on the throne, they invoked blessings on him, and saluted him, and made obeisance, and then stood in order, each according to his degree. This monarch was just and equitable to the utmost degree. In valour and generosity he surpassed all his compeers and congeners. The lowly and wretched of the world sought refuge here and found sustenance. Throughout his dominions no powerful tyrant could oppress any subject, however humble. All such things as are prohibited by Divine ordinance had disappeared during his reign. Nought save the approbation and satisfaction of God was the cherished concern of his soul. He inquired of them with much courtesy, "why have you entered our kingdom? There has never been any communication even between you and us ; what motive so strong, then, has drawn you hither ? " One among them who had seen the world,^ and was eloquent of speech, saluted the king and spake, saying, "Having heard of your Majesty's justice and equity, we have sought your Court; and since no one has hitherto returned dis- _aj )pointed from the royal threshold, we entertain the ^ The Persians saj J aMn-dida hisi/ar goyad durogh; " One who has seen the world tells many lies." Tliis spokesman of the men begins his speech with a palpable lie. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. hope that your Majesty will do us justice." The king asked : — " What is your object?" He replied, " Oh, just king ! these animals are our slaves. Some of them have fled from us, and some, although perforce, are our dependants; but they one and all deny our right to them as our property." The monarch inquired, "Have you any proofs to support this claim ? for claims without evidence in support are not admitted ^ in a Court of Justice." He replied, " Oh king! there are numerous proofs, rational and tradi- tional, to establish this title." The monarch requested him to state them, and thereupon one of the men, a descendant of the noble 'Abbas (May God show him favour) ascended a rostrum, and delivered the following discourse, with much eloquence : — "Praise is the due of that true God who replenished the earth with all things needful for the sustenance of his creatures, and stored it bounteously, and created various animals for the use of weak- framed man ! Blessed is the condition of those who prepare for the life to come in a manner pleasing to Him ! What shall we say to those who disobey and iniquitously turn away from Him?" "Blessings without limit are the right of the true prophet, ["senF' after all the other p rophets, to guide H jj [Moh ammad Mustafa, whom God (may He be e x ^ creatures aright, and whom He appomiea lord 6ver • Literally, — "Are not heard." IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 7 all ! He alone is King of all the Genii and of men, and he is the stay of all at the last day." " And blessing and peace be on his holy family, by whose means religion and the State were regulated, and the true faith propagated." "In fine, in all seasons, praised be that incom- parable Architect, who from a drop of water ^ brought Adam into being, and of His omnipotence made him to have offspring ; and, forming Eve of him, peopled the earth with thousands of human beings, on whom he conferred pre-eminence over all created things, and dominion over land and sea, and whom he fed with various pure meats, as He himself has declared in the Koran in words to this effect : — " All the animals have been created for you, avail yourself of their benefits, and eat them, and make warm garments of their skin and hair. Send them forth to graze in the morning, and bring them home again in the evening.^ They are an ornament to you." And in another place He declares thus, " On the land ride on camels, and on the waters go in ships ;"^ and in one place His command is, " The horse, the mule, the ass have been ^ The Hindu translator lias blundered here. ' Adam was not created of a " drop of water," as ereiy Musalman knows. The original work has as follows: — "Praise be to God who created manldnd of water, and made them to have offspring .... and who formed of him {i. e. of Adam) his wife, &c." The passage is taken from the Koran. 2 Al Koran; Chap. xvi. (The Bee) verses 5 and 6. 3 Al Koran; Chap, xxiii. (The Believers) verse 22 ; and Chap. xl. verse 80. The translation of the Arabic is, "And on them and on ships are ye borne." 8 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. created in order that you may ride on them ;"^ and in another place, He speaks as follows : — " Ride on the backs of these, and bear in mind the blessings of your God."^ Many texts besides these, bearing on this case, have been revealed in the Koran ; and from the Law^ and the Evangel* too, it is gathered that the animals have been made for our use. From this point of view, we are their masters and they are our slaves." Then the monarch turned towards the animals and said, " This man has brought forward texts from the Koran to establish his claim, answer him therefore as yoii best think fit." On hearing this, the mule, with the tongue^ of its case, gave utterance to the following discourse : — "Praised be that one God, the holy, the most ancient, the self sufficient, who existed before the creation of the world. Eternal and Incomprehensible, and by the simple command ' Be,' brought forth from His secret store all existing things ;-~who formed the heavens of water and fire, and raised them on high ; and, creating the off'spring of Adam from a drop of 1 Al Koran ; Chap. xvi. (The Bee) verse 8. 2 Al Koran; Chap, xliii. (The Ornaments) verse 12. ^ The Law as revealed to Moses, and uncorrupted by the Jews. '' By the word Evangel, we are not to understand the Grospels as now existing. These the MusHms hold to have been so much altered, as to contain very little of the Injil, or true Word of Grod. ^ Zabdn-i-trdl signifies the tongue of the case^ and answers to the English expression, " Its condition spoke for it, or told its tale." It is opposed to zabdn-i-makal. The phrase, however, does not apply here, and there is nothing like it in the Arabic. There it says simply that the animal spoke , IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 9 water, sent them in succession into the world, to people and improve, not to ruin it ; and to protect (as it behoves them to do) the animals, and benefit by them, not to oppress and ill-use them." It proceeded as follows : — " Oh, king ! the texts which this man has quoted do not give us to understand that we are their slaves, and they our owners; for they do but mention the blessings which God (may He be exalted) has bestowed on them, as is indicated by a text to the following effect : — " God (may He be exalted) has made the animals subject to you, as He has made the sun and the moon, the winds and the clouds subject to you."^ This does not show that these are our masters and we their slaves, but rather that God (may He be exalted) after creating all things in heaven and earth, made one kind dependent on another, to the end that they might derive mutual benefit, and ward off harm from one another. Hence, in God's making us subject to them, the simple motive is that we should be to them the source of benefit and protection from harm, and not as they suppose, and deceitfully and slanderously assert, that they are the lords and we the slaves. Prior to the creation of man, we and our progenitors dwelt unmolested on the face of the earth, grazing and wandering whither we pleased, and each occupied in seeking the means of support. In short, * This is not a single passage in tlie Koran, but is made up of bits of verses from several chapters. 10 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. we lived together in peace and harmony, in mountains, and forests, and plains, and nourished our young; and, thankful for that which God had ordained for us, we passed our days in praise of Him. We acknow- ledged none but Him. We lived in our homes in peace, without interference from anyone." " When a period passed away thus, God (may He be exalted) formed Adam of clay, and constituted him His vicegerent on the earth. When his offspring multiplied, they began to roam over the forests and plains, and then indeed was the hand of oppression laid heavily on us unfortunates ! They took the horse, the ass, the mule, the ox, and the camel, and pressed them into their service, and with the strong arm of tyranny caused such calamities to befal us as even our ancestors had never witnessed. What could we do ? Seeing no prospect of relief, we fled to the forests and deserts. Even then their lordships ceased not in the least to persecute us. Many and various were the devices with which, armed with snares arid nets, they took up our pursuit. If a few wearied and feeble ones happened to fall into their clutches — Oh, ask me not concerning their case ! — they used to bring them back bound and fettered, and to inflict unspeak- able torments on them." " Over and above all this, to slaughter, to skin, to break the bones, to extract the sinews, to rip open the bowels, to pluck the feathers, to spit, to roast, to grill IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 11 and eat — such are their deeds! And with all this they are not content, but maintain that they are our masters, and we their slaves ; and that those of us who have fled from them are delinquents. Such claim is based on no proof or voucher, but is out-and- out injustice and oppression." CHAPTER II. DESCEIPTIVE OF THE CLOSE ATTENTION OF THE KING OF THE GENII TO THE POINT AT ISSUE BETWEEN THE MEN AND THE ANIMALS, WITH THE VIEW OF AREIVING AT A DECISION. When the monarch heard these accounts of the annuals, he became instantly absorbed in the settle- ment of this dispute, and commanded the attendance of the judges, the law officers, and all the chiefs and the nobles of the Genii. Forthwith, in obedience to call, they all presented themselves in the royal Court. He then addressed the men thus: — "The animals have clearly and fully laid before us the tale and plaint of your tyranny, what have you now to urge in answer thereto?"' One of the men thereupon saluted the king, and spake as follows : — " Oh, refuge of the world ! these are all our slaves, and we are their masters. It behoves us then to exercise over them authority befitting masters; and to work them as we will. Such of them as have willingly bowed to om^ yoke, have found favour with God, and such as have rebelled against us, have, so to speak, rebelled against God." IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 13 The king observed: — "An unsubstantial claim is inadmissible in a Court of Law;^ produce some warrant and some proof beside/' He replied, saying : — " There are many rational and traditional arguments which establish our claim." The king inquired what these arguments were, and thereupon the speaker began as follows : — " Behold the chasteness with which God (may He be magnified) has fashioned us ! He has bestowed on us suitable limbs, each well adapted to our need, a body sym- metrical; a stature erect; reason and knowledge," whereby we may discriminate between good and bad ; nay more, we may discover and make known the affairs of the whole celestial sphere 1 In whom, besides ourselves, are these excellent qualities to be found ? Hence it is evident that we are the masters, and these the slaves." The king then said to the animals, "Now, what answer do you make to this ? " They replied : — " These arguments do not establish their claim." * Literally y — " A claim without evidence is not listened to in a Court of Law." ^ The sentence beginning with the words, " reason and knowledge," and ending with the word *' sphere," is not to be found in the Arabic at all ! After had sidlia the Urdu should have run thus :—jaudat-i-haioass durusti- i'tamiz tezz-i-iah^zyat ghalaha-i'' ahl-ye Tchubiyan Tiamdre siwa, Sfc. A few pages further on, the reader will find that it is this very point of jaudai-i- hawdss that the animals take up ; and Ikram 'Ali had made no mention of it before ! 14 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. The monarch remarked : — " Are you not aware that <^#^erectness in sitting and rising is a part of the character of kings, and that an ill-shaped and bent form be- tokens servitude?" One of them made answer thus : — " May God prosper your Majesty in all good, and preserve you from the misfortunes of the world ! Our humble statement is that the Creator did not make men of their peculiar form and figure, with the view that they should be considered our lords; nor did He give us our peculiar forms and ways with the view to our being their slaves. He is All-wise. Every act of His is pregnant with wisdom. He bestowed on every kind the form which he perceived to be best adapted to it." CHAPTER 111. ON THE DIFFERENCE OF FOKM AND FIGUEE IN MEN AND ANIMALS. " This difference is thus accounted for. When man was made by God, he was stark naked — there was absolutely nothing on his body to protect him from heat and cold. He used to eat of the fruits of the forest, and cover his body with the leaves of trees ; and so He made his figure erect and tall, that he might pluck the fruits of trees, and eat without trouble ; and pluck the leaves, and apply them to his use. Now, our food is grass, and so He made our figures bent, that we might feed well, and suffer no trouble of any kind." The king asked ;- — " And what do you say to this declaration of God's, to wit, * We have made man in the most perfect symmetry ? '" ^ The animal answered saying, " Asylum of the world ! in addition to the obvious sense of our Lord's word, there are many interpretations which none but the wise comprehend. * Al Koran; chap. xcv. (The Fig) verse 4 : " Verily we created man of a most excellent fabric." The commentators, says Sale, generally expound this passage, We created man of comely proportions of body, and great perfection of mind. 16 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. Let the learned be asked for the exposition of this (passage)." And so a learned doctor, in accordance with the king's command, explained the purport of this text in the following manner : — " The day on which God (may He be exalted) formed Adam, was an auspicious one. The stars, each in its lofty man- sion, were shining forth brightly, and were most favourably disposed for the elementary principles to receive the forms impressed; hence the form came forth comely, the statue erect, and the limbs perfect.^ But the words rendered "in the most perfect symmetry," are shown by the following text to be capable of another interpretation : — " God (may He be exalted) made man of moderate proportions,"^ neither very tall nor very short. The monarch observed that "such comely proportion and suitable- ness of the members, sufficed to prove superior excellence." The animals urged, " Such is our case, too. The Most High God has bestowed on us, too, limbs, each in proportion, and adapted to their use. As regards this excellence, we and they are on a par." * Here the following words should be inserted, to agree with the Arabic version : — SddsJiah ne Tcaha to yih unTce fazUat aur Jcardmat atir iftildidr Ice luje Jcdfi hai — Is par hakim Jinnl ne Tcahd leTcin^ Sfc. ^ Al Koran ; chap. Ixxxii. (The Cleaving) verses 7 and 8. " O, man ! what hath seduced thee against thy gracious Lord, who hath created thee, and put thee together, and rigMly disposed thee ? In tohat form Se pleased hath Ke fashioned thee.^'—SaWs Translation. It will be observed that the Urdu translator omits the translation of the last six words of the Arabic. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 17 The men replied, '' Where is the proportionahty of the members in your case? Yours are most for- bidding forms, disproportioned heights, ill-shaped and awkward legs. For among you is the camel, which has great height, a long neck, and a short tail; and the elephant, with a body of immense height, and bulk, and weight, two long tusks projecting beyond the mouth, large broad ears, and little bits of eyes ; and the ox and buffalo, with long tails, thick horns, and no teeth in the upper jaw ; and the fat-tailed ram, with heavy horns and fat buttocks. And there is the he-goat, which has a long beard, and is wanting in buttocks ; and the hare, which has but little height and long ears. Similarly, there are many carnivorous and herbivorous beasts, and many bii'ds, whose height and build are out of proportion, one member bearing no proportion to another." On the instant of hearinoj this, one of the animals exclaimed, ''Alas!^ that you s hould think so-lrgMy ^^ / "^ God's handiwork ! We are His creatures, and ' "^^ from Him proceed the comeliness and perfection of our members. To vilify us is, in reality, to vilify Him. Do vou not know that God of His wisdom ' Here again M, Ikram 'AH has given his imagination full play. The whole of the passage, from "Alas" to "our members," is pure inrention ! The Arabic has, " Far is tliis from the truth ! The most beautiful parts of our foinns have escaped thee, and the justest proportions of them are hidden from thee. Dost thou not know, that when thou vilifiest the creature, thou in reality vilifiest the Creator ? " &c. 2 18 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. created everything for some special reason ? None save the learned and Himself can comprehend His secret purpose/' The same man hereupon observed, " If you are the sage of the animals, perhaps you will inform us what the advantage is in making the camel's neck long." The animal replied, saying: — "The reason is, because his legs were long. If his neck were short, it w^ould be difficult for him to graze ; so his neck has been formed long, that he may feed with advantage. Again, with the power of that same neck he rises up from the ground, and can apply his lips to, and scratch, any part of his body. In the same way, the elephant's trunk is long, to supply the place of a neck; and his ears are large, to enable him to drive away flies and mosquitoes, so that none may enter his eyes and mouth ; for this, by reason of his tusks, remains ever open ; and his tusks are long, to the end that he may defend himself from harm from rapacious beasts. So the hare's ears are made long, for the reason that, having a delicate body and a thin skin, she may cover herself with them in winter, and spread them out as a bed in summer. In short, God (may He be exalted) has bestowed on every animal such limbs as He saw fit. On this point, speaking by the mouth of the prophet Moses, He declares " It was our Lord who bestowed on everything its form, and then guided it aright."^ The purport of which is, that He gave to * Al Koran; chap. xx. (T. H.) verse 52. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 19 each creature the form which he saw best adapted to it, and then guided it into the right path. As to that which you consider beauty, and pride yourselves upon, and which you, in your arrogance, believe proves you our lords, and us your slaves, — it is erroneous. Beauty with each species is that which is admired among its own kind, and by reason of which its members become drawn one to another. This is the reason of the propagation of the species. For the fair form of one species is not admired in another. Each animal sets his heart on the female of his own kind, and does not covet the female of another, even if she be more beautiful. Thus man, too, desires his own kind. Those who are black do not approve of those who are white ; and those who are white do not set their affections on those who are black. ^ Thus, your beauty of form is not a consequence of your lordliness, that you should consider yourselves superior to as." " And as to your assertion that you possess keen- ness of perception in larger measure,^ it too is false. Certain of the animals have the perceptive faculties in greater perfection than you have. Such is the camel, which in spite of his having long legs, and a long neck, and a head raised aloft,^ is able, of dark nights, * A passage more suited to Oriental than European taste is here omitted. ^ See Note 26. The Urdu version had not made the man assert his superior keenness of perception. 3 Literally^ — "Wliich converses with the air." The meaning of the 20 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. I) J perceiving where his feet should be placed, to travel over almost impracticable roads ; whereas, you stand in need of lamps and torches. Such, again, is the horse, which hears from afar the tread of any- one approaching. Oft has it happened that he has heard the approach of an enemy, and, rousing his master, has saved him from the foe. If an ox or an ass be taken but once on a strange road, and let loose, as soon as he is free he finds his way back to his crib without any trouble or bewilderment. (Whereas) you may have passed over a road ever so often, yet if occasion arise for you to travel that road again, you become perplexed, and lose your way. Sheep and goats bring forth hundreds of young in a night, and go forth to pasture on the (following) morning ; yet when they return at eve, the young ones recognise their dams, and each dam recognises its own young. Whereas, if one of you return home after a short period of absence, the recollection of mother, sister, father, brother, has faded from his mind ! Where, then, are the discernment and keen perception which you vaunt so much?V If you possessed any under- expression wMcli is giren in " Shakespear's Dictionary," -will not apply here. The Arabic has " and an elevated head." ' Here an important passage has been omitted in the Urdu. The Arabic has, " and as regards what you mentioned of your superior under- standings, why we perceive no trace or indication of it. Tor if ye pos- sessed superior understanding, ye would not boast, &c." The TJrdtt is : — Atir ghalaha-i- aM. lei jisTcd turn ne ziJcr Jciyd-usJcd asar o 'alamat Icv.chh IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 21 standing at all, you would not boast of such things as God has conferred on you without any effort or labour on your part ; for the wise and discerning count this a matter of glory, that they possess themselves of a thing by their own industry and labour ; or, by their own efforts and exertions, acquire a knowledge of re- ligious truth and sound moral principles. You, for- sooth, possess not one of these things, that you should thereby exalt yourselves above us. But you have a claim which is unfounded, and enmity which is un- reasonable.'* nazar ndhln aM-lcyunki agar, 8(c. The phrase huchh hJii ^akl is incorrect. It should be ''aJcl kl ziyddatl. CHAPTER IV. ON THE SEVERAL PLAINTS AGAINST THE MEN PUT IN BY EACH ANIMAL. The King turned to the men and said, " You have heard this animal's answer ; now state whatever you have further to say." They said, " We have yet in reserve many arguments which estabhsh our title. These are some of them : — We buy and sell them ; feed and clothe them ; shelter them from heat and cold ; shut our eyes to their faults ; guard them from injury from beasts of prey ; physic them through kind- ness when they are ill. These our dealings with them are the result of compassion and tenderness. It is the practice of all masters to deal tenderly and compassionately with their slaves under all circum- stances." On hearing this the King said to the animals, " Do you reply to this." One of them spake, saying : — " As to what this man asserts, that ' we buy and sell the animals/ this custom prevails with respect to men too. Thus, when the Persians conquer the IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 23 Greeks/ they sell them (as slaves) ; and when the Greeks overthrow the Persians, they treat them in a similar manner. The people of Hindustan deal similarly with the people of Sindh, and the people of Sindh with those of Hindustan. So do the Arabs with the Turks, and the Turks with the Arabs. In brief, when one prevails against and conquers another, it regards the enemy's people as its slaves, and sells them. Who knows which are, in reality, the slaves, and which the masters? These are the vicissitudes of fortune, which, in accordance with the decrees of the stars, prevail among men ; as God (may He be exalted) has declared saying : — ' We alternate the periods of fortune among men." The wise (alone) understand these things. " And as to what this man said, that ' we feed them and give them to drink, and treat them well in other respects.' This (treatment) is not owing to affection and kindness, but rather to the fear that, were we to perish, their property would suffer injury, and a stop would be put to their riding and loading burdens, and many other advantages." Hereupon each kind of animal began to lay its several complaint of man's oppression before the ' Lit. " Overcome the Greek Empire ;" but in the Arabic version we find : " Thus do the Persians deal with the Greeks, and the Greeks with the Persians, when the one conquers the other." * Al Koran; chap. iii. (Imran), verse 134. 24 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. King. The asses said : — " When we fall into their clutches they load our backs with bricks, stones, iron, wood, and many other heavy burdens. With what labour and trouble we move along ! while their hands hold sticks and whips, with which they beat us on our posteriors. W^ere the King to behold us at such a moment, he would be moved with sorrow and pity for us ! Where, then, are their affection and kindness, such as this man has imagined?" Next the ox spake, saying ; — " When we fall into their hands we are yoked to the plough, tightly bound to inills and oil-presses, with muzzles on our mouths and blinds on our eyes, while they hold whips and sticks with which they keep beating us on our faces and posteriors." The ram then said : — " What misfortunes do not befal us on our coming into their power ! To provide their own little ones with milk, they separate our lambs from their dams, and, binding them hand and foot, carry them to the slaughter-house, turning a deaf ear to all the cries and supplications of these op- pressed ones for mercy ! There, after starving them, they slaughter them, skin them, embowel them, split open their skulls, cut open their livers, and then take them to butchers' shops, and cut them in pieces, and spit them, and bake them in ovens. We witness all these horrible barbarities, and hold our peace, not uttering a sound of complaint." IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 25 The camel spake next, saying : — " When we fall into their hands this is our case. Our drivers pass strings through our nostrils and pull them, and, load- ing our backs with heavy burdens, they lead us of dark nights over roads, passing through hills and mountains. To be brief, our backs are constantly becoming sore by the bumping and jolting of the dorsers -^ the soles of our feet get cut and bruised by the stones; and they lead us about hungry and athirst, taking us whither they please. We, poor wretches, of necessity do their bidding." The elephant next spake, saying : — " When we become their captives they fasten ropes on our necks and chains on our legs, and, taking an iron goad in their hands, strike us with it all over the head and shoulders." The horse said : — " When we become their pri- soners, they fasten bits in our mouths, saddles on our backs, girths round our waists, and after putting on chain and plate armour, they ride us into the battle-field. Hungry and thirsty, and with eyes filled with dust, we enter the fray and receive sword- cuts on our faces, and spear and arrow wounds on our chests, and wade thi'ough seas of blood ! " The mule said : — "When we fall into their hands, we sufi'er strange calamities 1 They apply ropes to our legs and bits and bridles to our mouths, and keep ^ Or, camel panniers. 26 IKHWANU-S-SAFA US tied up, not setting us free for a moment, even to draw nigh to our mates for the purpose of satisfying our lust. Grooms place pack-saddles on our backs, and mounting thereon, with sticks and whips in their hands, keep beating us about the posteriors and head, and uttering any abuse or obscenity that occurs to them. To such a pitch does this absurdity attain, that they commonly apply the foulest abuse to themselves and their own sisters and daughters!^ If your Ma- jesty will consider this ignorance, and folly and ribaldry of theirs, you will perceive that all the wickedness, and depravity, and ignorance and foolish- ness of the world are collected in them.^ Yet they are not conscious of these vices. They heed not in the least the precepts and admonitions of God and the apostle, although they themselves read texts to the following effect : — " If you desire the forgiveness of your God, you must forgive the offences of others."^ And " Oh, Mohammad 1 command those who believe to forgive the sins of unbelievers;"^ and "There are * A vile specimen of the said abuse here follows. ^ The sentence beginning with the words "all the wfckedness," and ending with the words " in them," as also the next sentence is the Man- ladi's own. The sense of the Arabic is very different . 3 Al Koran ; chap. xxiv. (Light) verse 22, " But let them forgive, and act with benevolence towards them. Do ye not desire that God should pardon you ? " — Sale. ^ Al Koran-, chap. xlv. (The Kneeling) verse 13, "Speak unto the true believers, that they forgive those who hope not for the days of Grod ;" {i. e. " for the prosperous successes of His people in the battle against the in- fidels").— /SaZe. IKHWANU-S'SAFA. 27 no beasts that move on the earth, or birds that fly in the air, but what are a people Hke unto you ;" ^ and again, " When you ride on camels call to mind the blessings of your God, and say, ' Holy is that God who made submissive to our will such an animal as we ourselves should never have been able to subdue, and we are of those who turn to God.' "^ When the mule had ceased speaking, the camel addressed the pig, saying :— " Do you also recount, in the presence of so just a King, the wrongs which your tribe has suffered at the hands of men ; may be he will be moved by mercy and tenderness to release our captive brethren from their hands, for your band, too, is of the herbivorous class of animals." A sage observed that " the pig is not of the herbivorous, but of the carnivorous class : " do you not know (said he) that its tusks project beyond the mouth, and that it feeds on carrion?" Another declared: — "It is a herbivore; for it has cloven hoofs, and eats grass too." A third said : — " It is a compound of both the herbivorous and carnivorous classes of beasts, as ' Al Koran ; chap. vi. (Cattle) verse 38. This, say the commentators, signifies that the beasts, and birds and men are created and preserved by the same omnipotence and providence. 2 Al Koran ; chap, xliii. (The Ornaments) verse 12, " That ye may sit firmly on the backs thereof (^. e. of the cattle), and may remember the favours of your Lord when ye sit thereon, and may say, Praise be unto Him who hath subjected these ! for we could not have mastered them by our own power ; and imto our Lord shall we surely return." — Sale. 28 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. the cameleopard is a compound of the ox, and the camel and the leopard, and, like the ostrich, whose form resembles that of a bird and that of a camel/' The pig replied to the camel, saying : — " I know- nothing. What shall I say, and of whom shall I complain ? Very various and conflicting opinions are held concerning us. Those who are Musalmans look upon us as metamorphosed ^ and accursed, and regard our forms as loathsome, and our flesh as unclean, and avoid mention of us ; whereas the Greeks eat our flesh with relish, consider it a God-send, and the offering it in sacrifice a righteous act. The Jews, on the other hand, bear us hatred and enmity. They abuse and curse us without offence on our part, simply because they are hostile to the Christians and the Greeks ; whereas the Armenians put us on a par with the ox and the goat; and on account of our fatness and plumpness of flesh and our great fecundity, regard us as even better. Greek physicians commonly employ our fat as medicine, and indeed keep it in stock along with their other medicines. Herdsmen and grooms keep us near their cattle and horses respectively, in stables and pasture grounds ; for by our presence among them the cattle and horses are preserved from 1 See the Koran ; chapter v. (The Table) verse 65. " He whom God hath cursed, and with whom He hath been angry, having changed some of them into apes and swine." ... IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 29 many disasters. Enchanters and magicians place our skins in their books, and among their mystical diagrams. Shoemakers and workers in leather pluck and preserve the bristles of our manes and whiskers with great eagerness, for they come of great use to them. We are perplexed, and can say nothing. Whom shall v/e praise, and whom blame?" When the pig had done speaking, the ass looked towards the hare, who was standing near^ the camel, and said to her, " Do you relate to the king all the wrong which man has inflicted on your kind, per- adventure the king may become gracious, and set our captive brethren free from their clutches." The hare replied, saying : — '' We dwell at a distance from them. We abandoned their territory and took up our abode in vales and forests, and hence we are safe from their tyranny. But we are quite at a loss to understand the behaviour of the dogs and animals of prey ; for they help the men to catch us, and guide them to our haunts. The deer, the ox, the camel, the goat, and the wild animals, and all those our brethren that have sought shelter in the mountains, they deliver captive into the hands of men." The hare continued : — " The hounds are to be excused for doing this, their helping them is as it should be ; for they also have a taste for ^ The Ai'abic lias, " Wlio was standing between the fore legs of the camel." 30 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. our flesh. They are not of the same species as our- selves, but belong to the carnivorous class of animals. But horses are of the class of beasts that do not feed on flesh. Why do they aid them? It is nothing but sheer stupidity and foolishness on their part." CHAPTEE V. IN EULOGY OF THE HOESE. When the men heard these words of the hare's, one of them said, " Enough ! Hold your peace. You have defamed the horse quite enough ! Had you been aware of his superiority to all other animals, and his submissiveness to man, you would not have uttered such foolishness." The king asked the man, " Wherein lies his superiority?" He replied, saying, " Sire ! he possesses many excellent qualities and virtues. His form is handsome ; each limb of his is well-proportioned ; his figure and build are pleasant to behold ; his senses are acute ; his colour pure ; he excels in sagacity; he is fleet in running; he is submissive to his rider, moving instantly to right or left, forward or backward, just as he is required to do ; — he does not flinch from hard work ; he is possessed of such good manners, that as long as the rider is on his back, he will not dung or stale ; and should his tail anyhow become wet with puddle or water, he will not shake it, lest the rider should thereby be bespattered. He has the strength of an elephant ; 32 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. for he gallops away with the burden of his rider in his armour and helmet, and with his own bridle, and saddle, and iron armour, weighing in all five hundred mans. He is patient and meek to so great a degree, that, although he receives sword-cuts on his chest in battle, and spear thrusts in his heart, yet he utters no complaint. Such fleetness does he possess, that the wind cannot keep up with the dust raised by his hoofs. In stateliness he is like a strong stallion bull/ In springiness, he resembles the leopard. Should his rider have betted on him, he flies with speed, and brings his rider in first (to the goal). In what animal, except the horse, are such excellent qualities to be found?" The hare remarked, that " these excellent qualities are accompanied by a great defect, which obscures them all." The monarch asked, "What is this defect ?'' The hare replied, "He is very stupid and ignorant. He is utterly unable to distinguish between a friend and a foe. If a foe is on his back, he submits to him, and urged on by him in the fight, he rushes to attack him in whose house he was foaled and reared. In the possession of this property, he resembles a sword ; — ' Here again the Urdu Translator has either bhmdered or taken unwarrantable liberties with the original. The Arabic has, " His walk is like the walk of the bull, as to stateliness ; liis amble Hke the amble of the fox ; his rush like the rush of a huge mass of rock, when the torrent rolls it downward ; and his bound like the bound of the leopard ; and he vies in running for a stake with him who seeks the victory. . . . The hare remarked, &c." IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 33 but then this is a lifeless object, and cannot discrimi- nate between friend and foe, but if it happen to fall on the neck of its owner, or maker, it as unhesitatingly severs the head from the body, as it would do a foe's. It perceives no difference between its own and a stranger. This quality is found in men too ; foi: they bear enmity to their parents, their brothers, sisters, and other relations, and practise all kinds of deceit ! Such conduct as is becoming towards a foe alone, they practise towards their owai kindred. In childhood they receive nourishment from their mother's breasts, and are fondled in their parents' laps, and in manhood they become their foes. In the same w^ay they drink the milk of the animals, make garments of their skins and hair, and derive benefit from them, and then, after all, slaughter and skin those very animals, and embowel them, and make them taste the fire ! Inhumanity and hardheartedness drive from their minds the recollection of the obligations and benefits for which they are their debtors." When the hare had brought her animadversions on man and the horse to a close, the ass said to her, " Enough 1 too much censure is not becoming. Where is there a being such that God (may He be exalted) has conferred on him many excellent qualities and good gifts, and has not withheld one blessing out- weighing all those excellent qualities? And who is 3 34 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. he from whom God has withheld all favours, and has not bestowed on him one blessing such as had not been bestowed on anyone else? There is no one in the world who possesses every noble quality and every blessing. The favours of that Being who grants unasked are not confined to any one thing, but' are bestowed freely on all; on some in greater, and on some in less measure. Those on whom he has con- ferred the dignity of rule, he • has also stamped with the mark of servitude. Behold what exaltation he has bestowed on the sun and moon ! Light, conspicuous- ness, grandeur, superior eminence, all these virtues and great gifts has he bestowed on them to such a degree, that some nations, in their ignorance, regard them as their gods. Yet He has not preserved them from the defect of eclipses, to the end that in the eyes of the wise it may be demonstrated that if these were gods, they would never be shrouded in darkness, and would never wane. In the same way. He has bestowed light and lustre on all the stars, and with these this defect, that they are lost in the sun's blaze. And they remain in perpetual revolution, in order that the signs of their having been created may thus be manifest. The same is the case with the Genii, with mankind, and with the angels. If anyone is possessed of lordly qualities in great measure, a defect or two is sure to be present with them. Perfection is for the Most High God alone, and for none beside." IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 35 When the ass had ceased speaking, the ox said : " It behoves those whom God (may He be exalted) has blessed so bountifully with gifts which he has withheld from others, to show their thankfulness — i. e, they should make those others participators in those bountiful kindnesses. As God has bestowed on the sun its light, so it sheds its light bountifully over the whole universe, and lays no obhgations on any thing. Similarly, the moon and stars, each according to its degree, shed their rays on the world, and impose obligations on none. In the same way it is in- cumbent on men to bestow freely on the animals the Jbounteous favours which God (may He be exalted) has conferred on them." When the ox had said this, all the animals wept aloud, and said, " Oh, just king, have pity on us, and deliver us from the tyranny of these unjust men ! " On hearing this, the king turned to all the sages and learned of the Genii who were present, and said : " You have heard the accounts of the men's injustice, and pitilessness, and oppression, which the animals have related?'' They answered, saying: "We have heard, and all is true. Indeed, we behold it by day and by night. Their wrong-doing is manifest to every wise and intelligent being. It was on this account that the Genii, too, abandoned their terri- tory and fled to the forests and wilds, and sought refuge in hills and mountains. By reason of their 36 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. evil doings and wicked ways, they (e. e. the Genii) stopped going to inhabited places, and yet they cannot escape from their wickedness. To such a degree do they think ill of, and distrust us, that if a child, or a woman, or any ignorant, stupid fellow of a man falls ill, they invariably say, " he is Jinn-stricken," or " he is Jinn possessed." They continually harbour evil thoughts of us in their minds, and pray to be preserved from the wickedness of the Genii; not- withstanding the facts that no one has ever witnessed a single case of a Jinn's killing or wounding a man, or snatching away his clothes, or robbing, or com- mitting burglary in any of their houses, or picking their pockets, or rending their sleeves,^ or breaking open the lock of any shop, or beating any traveller, or fomenting rebellion against any of their kings, or plundering anyone, or imprisoning anyone ! On the contrary, these are their habits : — they are ever intent on injuring one another ; and yet they never repent of such doings, or guard against them." When this (Jinn) too had ceased speaking, the mace- bearer called out aloud, and said: "Sirs! it is now- evening ; the Court is closed. Depart to your several homes, and attend again in the morning." 1 It is the custom in Arabia (and, I believe, in Persia) for people to carry money, &c., in the sleeves of their vests, instead of in pockets, and the crime here mentioned is " tearing or cutting the sleeve to steal the money kept therein." CHAPTER VI. ON THE king's TAKING COUNSEL WITH HIS MINISTEE. When the king had withdrawn from the tribunal, he addressed his chief minister, Bidar, in priva te, in the following words : — " You have heard the discus sion between the men and the animals? Now, what do you advise? How should this case be decided? Which is, in your opinion the best course to pursue ?" The minister w^as a very wise and shrewd man. After making his obeisance, and saluting the king, and invoking blessings on him, he spake as follows : — " In my opinion, it would be better for your Majesty to summon all the judges, and law officers, and doctors of the Genii to your presence, and consult them on this case ; for this is no trifling dispute. It is not clear to which side justice inclines. In such a case, consulta- tion is necessary. By the counsel of several, an afl'air is divested of obscurity.^ It is the duty of the wise and far-seeing not to enter upon such intricate matters without advice and consultation." In conformity to his advice, the king commanded, saying : — " So be it ! ^ "In multitude of counsellors is safety." — Proverbs xsiv. 6. 38 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. Let all the chiefs and nobles of the Genii be in attend- ance." And so, as thus detailed, the judges of the race of Birjis, the law officers of the tribe of Nahid, the wise of the descendants of Bida, the sages of the family of Lukman, the experienced of the race of Haman, the sagacious of the family of Kaiwan, the enterprising and resolute of the house of Bahram, were in attendance. The King addressed them as follows : — " These men and animals have come before us with mutual complaints, and have taken shelter in our dominions. All the animals complain of man's injustice and op- pression. Advise as to the course to be pursued with them, and how their case should be disposed of.'* One of the learned of the race of Nahid, who was present, said : — "In my opinion it is right that all the animals put in a written statement of their case, and the wrong they have endured at the hands of the men, and that the learned be called on to pronounce judicially on this point. If any plan of escape for them be determined on, the judges and law-officers can decree accordingly, whether it be that the men should sell them, or give them their liberty, or alle- viate their misery, and deal kindly with them. Should the men disregard the decree of the judges, and the animals flee away by reason of their oppression, then they should be held quite innocent of wrong or offence." IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 39 The monarch on hearing this, asked : *' What do you all say to this ? " All pronounced it " excellent, and just the advice for the occasion." All, save one of the enterprisers, who approved not of this course, and observed that " if these men consent to sell the animals, who will defray the cost ? " The same law- officer replied, " The King." He rejoined, saying, " Whence will the King obtain so large a sum of money?" The law-officer replied, "It will be paid from the treasury." The enterpriser replied again, saying, — "There is not in the treasury so large a sum as will suffice to defray the cost. Besides, some of the men will not sell; they have great need of them, and are quite indifferent to selling them, even for their value. For example, kings, wazirs, and many well-to-do people, who cannot move without a conveyance of some kind, would never consent to part with them, and would refuse to carry out the decree." The monarch asked, " What, then, in your opinion, is the better course ? " He replied, " In my opinion it is advisable that the King bid the animals conspire together, and flee in one night from their restraint, and depart far from their territory ; just as the ante- lope, the hog-deer, and many wild and savage beasts, have quitted their domain and fled away. When, in the morning, the men find them not, on what will they load their burdens? and on what will they ride? 40 TKHWANU-S-SAEA. Having no resource, and on account of the long dis- tance to travel, they could not go in pursuit of them, and so they v^^ould submit quietly to their loss. Thus the escape of the animals would be accomplished." The King approved of this plan, and demanded of all present v^^hether what he had said was approved of by them ? A sage who was descended from Lukman replied, saying : — '* This is not prudent counsel, and such a course is totally opposed to reason, and is quite impracticable, for the reason that most of the animals are shut up of nights in their {i. e. the men's) power, and the prison doors are fastened, and watch- men placed over them. How, then, could they all flee?" The enterpriser replied, saying :- — "The King could order all the genii to go there on the appointed night and unfasten the doors of the prisons, and the ropes off their legs, and let them out; and to seize the watchmen, and not let them go until the animals had all got far away from their territory. This would secure the King a very great rew^ard. I have offered this advice to your Majesty, actuated by pity for their condition. If, being well-minded, your Majesty would determine on this act of kindness, God (may He be exalted) would aid your Majesty too. In this consists the due expression of gratefulness for God's mercies — viz., to aid and set free the oppressed. It is said to be recorded in the books of some of the prophets IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 41 that the most High God has spoken, saying, ' O King ! I have not bestowed on thee dominion on the earth in order to amass riches and busy thyself with the covetousness and lust of the world, but that thou mayest administer justice to the oppressed ; for I, too, dispense justice to such, even though they be unbelievers.' The King again asked all present, " What say ye to this?'' All approved of it, and said, "Such is the proper course," — all except a sage of the tribe of Kaiwan. He was not satisfied with it, and after invoking blessings on the King, and making obei- sance, he began as follows: — "This is a work of enormous difficulty; it cannot be achieved in any way. It involves many evils and dangers which could never be repaired." The monarch asked, "What are the evils you dread in this plan ? Explain, that we, too, may be- come acquainted with them." He explained, saying, " Sire ! He who proposed this method of freeing the animals made a great mistake. As soon as the men rose in the morning and missed the animals, and be- came sure of their flight, they would feel sure that this was the work of no human being, and that it could not possibly have been planned and executed by the animals themselves ; but that this was the machination and treachery of the Genii." The King replied, saying : " True, undoubtedly true ; they will suspect us." 42 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. The sage pursued : — " Refuge of the world ! When the animals have escaped from their hands, and the advantages they derive from them cease, they will mourn and lament exceedingly, and become the enemies of the Genii. Before this, indeed, they have been our foes in some measure ; after this their ani- mosity and hostility will increase. Sages have de- clared that ' He is wise who reconciles enemies, and at the same time preserves himself from their enmity.' " On hearing this, all the Genii exclaimed : " He speaks truth." After this a sage said, " Why should we dread their hostility ? It cannot reach us. Our bodies are composed of fire, and are very subtilely formed, and are light, so that we can soar to the skies ; whereas, men's bodies are composed of clay, and cling to the earth, above which they are unable to soar. W^e go among them without any inconvenience, and per- ceive them while they cannot perceive us. What is there, therefore, to be afraid of?" The sage of the tribe of Kaiwan answered him thus : — " Alas ! you understand nothing of the case.^ Although men are made of clay, yet they have within ^ The Arabic has been misunderstood here. The translation of that version runs thus : — " Far is this from the truth ! The gravest part of the matter has escaped thee, and the most important part is hidden from thee ! Dost thou not know that although men have bodies which are formed of earth," &c. M. Ikram 'Ali seems to have thought that the Arabic haihdt signified the same as half ! IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 43 them the divine spirit, and angelic minds, which are superior to ours ; and many are the devices and stratagems they know. In by-gone days many a struggle has taken place between the men and the Genii, the narration of which affords a warning to us." The King said : " Acquaint us with those events, stating their true nature, so that we may comprehend them." The sage replied, saying : " Between men and the Genii there exist from of old a natural hostility and an inherent antagonism, the account of which is very lengthy." The monarch said : " Relate something of it to us, as much as is possible, beginning at the origin of it." CHAPTER VII. ON THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN MANKIND AND THE GENII, The sage, in obedience to the King's command, related the circumstances of this antagonism as fol- lows : — " In ancient times, when God had not formed Adam, the Genii covered the face of the earth, the forests, and all habitable tracts; and the seas and rivers were all under their dominion. When a long period passed away thus, and prophets had risen among them, and they had obtained laws pertaining to Religion and the State, and many other blessings, they fell into disobedience and error, and heeded not the precepts and exhortations of the prophets, and filled the whole earth with wickedness. By reason of their violence and wrong- doing, the earth and all that dwelt therein, were driven, with groans and lamentations, as suppliants before the throne of God. When another age passed away, and their hypocrisy and violence went on increasing, God (may He be exalted) sent an army of angels on the earth, who came and punished the Genii, and expelled them from IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 45 the world, and took many of them captive, and then dwelt in the earth themselves. It so happened that the evil spirit, the devil, the accursed, who deceived Adam and Eve, was one of those taken captive. He was then a youth,^ and knew nothing. He was brought up in the midst of those angels, and acquired all their habits^ and customs. When he was in- structed in their wisdom, and had attained to years of maturity, he became the leader and chief of their band, and invariably issued all edicts and interdicts. When another age succeeded this, God (may He be exalted) spake to the angels dwelling on the earth, saying : * I am about to appoint a vicegerent on earth, who is not of your order, and to recall you to heaven.' " ^ The angels had been dwelling on the earth for a long period, and hence they were averse to this measure, removing them from it, and answered God, saying : — " Wilt Thou create him who will work evil in it and shed blood, as the Genii used to do, while we glorify Thee and sanctify Thee?" God spake, saying, "Verily ye know nought of those benefits ^ The Arabic phrase which M. Ikram 'Ali translates " KucTihjdntd natJicS is lam yudriTc, which I should prefer rendering * he had not attained to puberty ;' at least, I have invariably found this to be the meaning of the expression in all the works in which I have met it. ^ All this is quite opposed to the Arabic version, which says, " he ac- quired some of their knowledge, and became like them in all externals ; but Ms hahifs and nature were different from, theirs." '■^ Al Koran ; chap. ii. (The Cow) verse 28—33. 46 IKHWANU-S-SAPA. which to Me are manifest ! And I have sworn by Myself that, after Adam and his seed, I will allow no angel, or jinn or animal to remain on the earth." In fine, when God (may He be exalted) had formed Adam, and breathed a soul into his body, and formed Eve of him, He commanded all the angels to " Unite and bow down to Adam."^ They, pursuant to the Divine command, all bowed down, and submitted themselves to Adam — all except the Evil Spirit — who bowed not down. In his blindness of heart and envy he refused to obey the command of God, and mused thus : " Erewhile I was ruler and chief, and now must I stoop to servitude?" So envy and hatred made him the foe of Adam. And now God commanded the angels to place Adam in the Garden^ of Paradise ; and on his arrival there, a command reached him from the Deity to the following effect : — " Adam ! do thou and thy wife dwell in this garden, and eat abundantly, and at your will, of all the fruits herein ; but near this tree ye shall not go, for if ye approach it ye will have sinned."^ " This Paradise which God gave Adam to dwell in, ^ See the Koran; chap. ii. (The Cow). ^ The Arabic version has : " God commanded the angels to descend with Adam to the (lowest) heaven, and place him in the Grarden of Paradise ;" and this is in accordance with the Koran. Vide chap. ii. p. 5, note 6. — ■ Sale's Translation. ^ See the Koran ; chap. ii. and Chap. vii. (Al Araf), verse 8. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 47 is a garden in the East, on the top of a ruby moun- tain/ which no one has the power to approach and ascend. Its soil is fertile ; its climate of moderate temperature; it enjoys a perpetual spring. Streams innumerable flow on all sides ; trees ever verdant, and laden with ripe fruits, and flowers of various kinds, abound. The animals there are harmless ; and birds with sweet notes, and plumage of varied beauty, sit warbling on the boughs of the trees. Adam and Eve dwelt there in great happiness. The hair on the heads of this pair was very long, hanging down even to their feet, and their bodies were completely veiled by it. This imparted to them much ornament and beauty. They used to roam about with delight among the flower-beds, and along the banks of the streams, eating of the varieties of fruit, and drinking of the water of the streams. All enjoyments were attainable without the slightest labour or efi'ort on their part. Tilling, sowing and reaping, grinding corn, cooking, spinning, weaving cloth, washing, — not one of these labours devolved on them — which in these days their ofispring have the misfortue to be in- * Mohammedans are by no means agreed as to the situation of Paradise. Some place it in the lowest of the seven heavens, and some on earth, in or near Mesopotamia. The Koriin certainly sanctions the belief that it is in heaven. Whence the idea of ruby mountain is obtained, I cannot dis- cover. The curious reader •will find many interesting particulars on this subject in the Notes to Lane's Tra7islation of the Thousand and One Nights. 48 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. volved in. As the animals passed their time there, so this pair spent their days in security and ease. Sorrow was unknown to them. " Now God taught Adam the names of all the trees and animals in the garden ;^ and when He asked the angels their names, as they knew them not," they became confounded and speechless. But when He asked Adam, he immediately mentioned the names of all, as also the advantages and disadvantages at- tending each. On perceiving this, the Angelic Host acknowledged His sway, and were assured of His superiority to them." " When the Evil Spirit perceived this exaltation of Adam, his hatred and envy acquired fresh strength, and his mind was ever busy on plots and devices for abasing him. So, one day he assumed the character of a well-wisher, and approached him, saying: — ' Hitherto God (may He be exalted) has bestowed on none a gift so precious as the eloquence and chasteness of speech which He has bestowed on you. But if you eat of the fruit of this tree, you will acquire still greater knowledge and excellence, and will ever abide here in bliss and perfect tranquilhty. Death will not approach you. You may live in perpetual enjoyment.' When that accursed declared on his oath, " Truly, I ' The Arabic has not been followed here ; the account given in chap. ii. of the Koran is taken instead. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 49 advise you as a sincere friend/'^ these fell into his snare, and eagerly stretched forth their hands, and plucked, and ate of that tree which God had forbidden them to taste. On the instant, the Paradisiacal robes with which they were vested dropped from their per- sons. They began to hide their nakedness with the leaves of trees. The luxuriant hair, too, which covered their heads, fell off, so that they became quite naked. By the sun's heat, their complexion was changed, and became black. In brief, they were disgraced. When the animals beheld this their state, they regarded their appearance with aversion, and fled in terror from them. The pair were exposed to inexpressible humiliation ! The angels were com- manded to expel them from Paradise, and cast them down from the mountain. They cast them down on a spot utterly destitute of fruits and vegetation.^ At all events, they reached the earth, and there mourned for a long space of time, for the sorrow and misery which had befallen them, and were filled with shame for their sinful act. When this sorrow and pain had lasted for some time, God (may He be exalted) was moved with compassion, and accepted their repentance, and for- gave them their sin. He sent an angel on earth, who * See tlie Koran, chap. vii. (Al Araf) verse 20. " Yerilj, I am one of those who counsel you aright." ^ Literally^ — " Where there were no leaves whatever." 4 50 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. came and taught them how to dig the ground, to plough, to sow, to reap, to grind in a mill, to leaven and bake bread, to weave, to sew, and to make garments ; — he taught them all these things." " When their offspring multiplied, the Genii, too, came and dwelt among them, and taught them to plant trees, to build, and many other arts. Mutual amity arose between them, and thus they lived for a long period. If, however, on any occasion the machi- nation and fraud of Satan, the accursed, happened to be mentioned,^ every man became suspicious of hatred and envy on the part of the Genii. When Cain slew Abel, the sons of Abel fancied it was the Genii who instigated him to this deed; hence their enmity and hostility towards the Genii was strength- ened, and they had recourse to plans and stratagems to drive them away; and their animosity induced them to practise sorcery, invocations, charms, shut- ting up in bottles, and many other acts which would distress the Genii. Indeed, they were always intent on such." " When God (may He be exalted) sent the prophet Enoch (on earth), he came and made peace between men and the Genii, and guided them to the true faith. The Genii, too, returned to the dominions of mankind, * So it seems to me tlie Urdu should be translated ; although, translating from the Arabic, I find, " but whenever the sons of Adam recollected what had befallen their father, through the deceit of Satan," &c. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 51 and dwelt in peace among them. And thus the days passed most tranquilly till the second deluge/ and even after^ up to the time of Abraham, the Friend of God. When Nimrod cast Abraham into the fire, the men again imagined that it was the Genii who instructed Nimrod in the art of making balhstas.^ And when Joseph's brothers cast him into the well, they considered that, too, a trick of the Genii. This afforded further ground for ani- mosity." "Again, when His Holiness Moses came into the world, he, too, made peace between us, and many of the Genii believed in the religion of Moses." "When God (may He be exalted,) made His Holiness Solomon, the son of David, sovereign of the whole world, and gave him dominion over all the kings of the earth, the whole race of the Genii and all man- kind acknowledged his sway. Then the Genii boast- fully said to the men, "It is by our aid that Solomon has acquired so vast an empire. Had the Genii not aided him, he would have been but an ordinary king, like others." Further, they were constantly displaying their knowledge of things pertaining to the invisible world, and thus filling men's minds with distrust and ^ I cannot discover what tMs second tufan was, and when it occurred. 2 See the Koran, chap. xxi. (The Prophets). So high was the pile prepared to hum Abraham, that a hallista had to be employed to hurl him on to it. 52 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. apprehension/ When King Solomon died, and the Genii were not aware of the fact, they were all perplexed as to where Solomon could be ! ^ Then the men were assured that if the Genii were acquainted with the secret and invisible, they would not have been so perplexed.^ And when Solomon received informa- tion through the hoopoe, concerning Bilkis (the Queen of Sheba) and inquired of all ' who is able to transport the throne of Bilkis hither before she herself arrives ? ' a Jinn whos.e jjame was Iztaus bin Inan said, boast- ingly, " I will bring it ere you can rise from your seat." King Solomon replied, saying, " I require it to be done in even a shorter time than that;" then Asif-bin-barkhiya,* who comprehended the great name, said : — " I will bring it in the twinkling of an eye," — and bring it he did. When King Solomon beheld the throne, he was struck with amazement, and bowed in adoration to God. Then it became evident ^ The Urdu does not render the Arabic correctly. The meaning of the Arabic is, '* the Grenii used to make men suspect that they were acquainted ws^-anatters pertaining to the invisible world." ^ This is egregiously incorrect ! Not only is there nothing of the kind in the Arabic version, but it is directly opposed to the account of the matter in the Koran, chap, xxxiv. (Saba). The Urdu should have been as follows : — " Jis gliari hazrat Sulaimdn ne wafdt pal, aur hdldnJci jinn ^ azdh-i-zalzl Icuninda men gi/riftdr the, tispar bJd unTco usTcl maut hi Miabar nahill, tab ddmlon pwr Tchuld hi agar ye ghaibddn Tiote to us ^ azab-i-Tdiwdr huninda men thaJire na rahte. ^ See the Koran, chap, xxvii. (The Ant.) 4 The Prime Minister of Solomon. The great name is one of the ninety and nine names of the Deity ; and it is believed that the knowledge of it imparts miraculous power. IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 53 to the Jinn that men surpassed them in dignity and power, and so, abashed and confounded, they with- drew from thence, and all the men pursued them with clapping of hands/ The Genii, mortified in the extreme, fled and became rebels. King Solomon sent an army in pursuit to capture them; and informed them of many devices for keeping them in restraint, saying, ' Such and such are the methods by which the Genii are enclosed in bottles.' Further, he compiled a work on these methods, which was discovered after his death. " When the Holy Jesus came on earth, and called on the Genii and mankind to turn to God, and showed each the path of salvation, saying : — ' Thus is heaven scaled, and proximity to the angels at- tained,' certain of the Genii followed the religion of Jesus, and, becoming devout and righteous, ob- tained access to heaven, whence they used to carry information to the soothsayers on earth. " When the most High God raised up the lasj; of the prophets, and they (the Genii) were prohibited from visiting heaven, they reflected thus : ' Does this portend evil for the dwellers on earth ? or does their God again purpose giving them guidance ?' " And ^ As we would say, " Witli hisses and hooting." - The Arabic text is not complete ; to agree with the Arabic version and the Koran, the words Id nadrl should be inserted before asharra See the Koran, chap. Ixxii. (The Jinn) verse 10. 54 . IKHWANU-S-SAFA. some of the Genii received the true faith, and became Muslims, insomuch that peace continues to exist be- tween them and the Musalman to this day. " When the sage had finished this account, he con- tinued thus : * Oh ye Genii ! now molest them not, and work no mischief between them and yourselves. Would you idly rouse their ancient animosity ? The consequences would be nought but evil! This ani- mosity is like the fire (latent) in stone; if it be brought forth it will set a world ablaze ! God pre- serve us ! In the event of their manifesting such hostility, and overpowering us, what ruin and dis- grace will overtake us !' When all heard this marvellous tale, they, one and all, inclined their heads, and pondered. The King asked the sage, " What is, in your opinion, the right course to pursue? How are we to decide between all these who have come hither to complain, and who have sought refuge in our dominions ? How are we to decide and dismiss them with satisfaction from our kingdom ? " The sage replied, saying : " Good advice is the result of reflection. Nothing can be accomplished in haste. At present I deem it advisable for your Majesty to preside on the morrow's morn in the judgment^hall, and have all these {i. e. the men and the animals) brought before you, and hear the evidence and arguments of both. Then you can IKHWANU-S-SAFA. 55 pass such judgment as is right and suited to the occasion." One of the enterprisers said : " The men are very fluent of speech, and eloquent ; whereas, the animals are weak in this particular, and unable to express themselves. If, then, by reason of the persuasive oratory of the former these lose (their case), and are confuted, will you consign them to their custody to perpetuate their trouble and misery?" The sage replied, saying : — '* Let these dwell under their restraint with patience. The times are not always the same. In the end God will set them free, as he set free the children of Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh ; and as He delivered the descendants of David from the oppression of Nebuchadnezzar, and the tribe of Himyar from the violence of the house of Tubba ;^ and as he delivered the races of Sasan^ and 'Adnan from the oppression of the Greeks and the race of Ardshir^ respectively. Fortune is not con- stant to any. Like the celestial sphere, it is ever whirling round with this world of created things, in accordance with the Divine decrees, making one com- ^ See Sale's Translation of the Koran, chap. xliy. page 402, note, t. ^ Sdsdn was the founder of the dynasty of the Sasanides, who reigned in Persia from a.d 202 till a.d. 636, when Yazdagird, the last of the race, was overpowered by the Arabians. ^ Ardsliir^ the Artaxerxes of the Grreeks, He subdued the Arab tribe of ' Adnan, which had settled on the right bank of the Euphrates. 56 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. plete revolution in a thousand years, or in thirty-six thousand years, or in three hundred and sixty thou- sand years, or in a day of fifty thousand years. Of a truth, the freaks of that chameleon fortune permit none to remain in one (unvaried) course 1 " CHAPTER VIII. ON THE MEN TAKING COUNSEL TOGETHEJR, Here the King, in his council-chamber, was con- sulting with His minister, and chiefs, and nobles ; and there the men, too, seventy in number, inhabi- tants of different cities, were assembled in their own residence, taking counsel together. Each uttered whatever passed through his mind.^ One of them spake thus : — " You all heard the words and dis- cussions which took place this day between us and our slaves ; and still, to this moment, the dispute is not settled. Have you any idea what the King has determined on with respect to us ?" All answered, saying : — " We know not ; but we believe that the monarch is posed by this very consideration. Very possibly He will not appear to-morrow." Another said : "I think He will consult His minister in private to-morrow on our case. One said : " He will assemble the doctors and the learned to-morrow, and * That is (as the Arabic shows), "each spoke conjecturally," or "each conjectured." 58 IKHWANU-S-SAFA. hold a consultation with them." Another spake, saying : " There's no knowing what counsel the sages will give with respect to us ; but I think that the King is at accord with us, and has full confidence in us." One said : " There is fear of the minister ; it is to be hoped that he will not turn against us, and act unjustly with respect to us ?" ^ Another said : " This is no difficult matter (to dispose of) ; we'll give the minister a few presents, and win him over to our side. But there is one (source of) apprehension." All asked: "What is that?" He replied: "There is much to apprehend from the decision of the judges and law-officers." All replied, saying : " This, too, is an easy affair (to dispose of) ; we will give them also some bribes, and satisfy them ; in the end they, too, will bring forward some legal quibble, and give judgment in accordance with our wishes. But the en- terpriser is very wise and virtuous, and will show no partiality to any! Should the King chance to con- sult him, there is fear lest he commend our slaves to the King, and deliver them from our han