Even those who, in their folly and temerity had, in Ba_gh_dád, in Karbilá,
in Qum, in Ká_sh_án, in Tabríz and in Ṭihrán, arrogated to themselves the
rights, and assumed the title of “Him Whom God shall make manifest” were
for the most part instinctively led to seek His presence, confess their
error and supplicate His forgiveness. As time went on, fugitives, driven
by the ever-present fear of persecution, sought, with their wives and
children, the relative security afforded them by close proximity to One
who had already become the rallying point for the members of a
sorely-vexed community. Persians of high eminence, living in exile,
rejecting, in the face of the mounting prestige of Bahá’u’lláh, the
dictates of moderation and prudence, sat, forgetful of their pride, at His
feet, and imbibed, each according to his capacity, a measure of His spirit
and wisdom. Some of the more ambitious among them, such as Abbás Mírzá, a
son of Muḥammad _Sh_áh, the Vazír-Nizám, and Mírzá Malkam _Kh_án, as well
as certain functionaries of foreign governments, attempted, in their
short-sightedness, to secure His support and assistance for the
furtherance of the designs they cherished, designs which He unhesitatingly
and severely condemned. Nor was the then representative of the British
government, Colonel Sir Arnold Burrows Kemball, consul-general in
Ba_gh_dád, insensible of the position which Bahá’u’lláh now occupied.
Entering into friendly correspondence with Him, he, as testified by
Bahá’u’lláh Himself, offered Him the protection of British citizenship,
called on Him in person, and undertook to transmit to Queen Victoria any
communication He might wish to forward to her. He even expressed his
readiness to arrange for the transfer of His residence to India, or to any
place agreeable to Him. This suggestion Bahá’u’lláh declined, choosing to
abide in the dominions of the Sulṭán of Turkey. And finally, during the
last year of His sojourn in Ba_gh_dád the governor Námiq-Pa_sh_á,
impressed by the many signs of esteem and veneration in which He was held,
called upon Him to pay his personal tribute to One Who had already
achieved so conspicuous a victory over the hearts and souls of those who
had met Him. So profound was the respect the governor entertained for Him,
Whom he regarded as one of the Lights of the Age, that it was not until
the end of three months, during which he had received five successive
commands from ‘Alí Pá_sh_á, that he could bring himself to inform
Bahá’u’lláh that it was the wish of the Turkish government that He should
proceed to the capital. On one occasion, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and
Áqáy-i-Kalím had been delegated by Bahá’u’lláh to visit him, he
entertained them with such elaborate ceremonial that the Deputy-Governor
stated that so far as he knew no notable of the city had ever been
accorded by any governor so warm and courteous a reception. So struck,
indeed, had the Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-Majíd been by the favorable reports
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