But of all the presages of my future greatness, that which gave me the most pleasure, and confidence in the Divine aid, was a circumstance that my Father Teragay told me, he said, “sometime previous to your birth, I dreamt that a person of a luminous countenance, resembling, in figure and dress, an Arabian, presented me with a naked scymitar, with which when I began to fence, there issued from it numerous sparks which illuminated the whole earth, after which there spouted from my hand a _jet d’eau_, which threw the water into the air, and which fell in large drops on the ground; the interpreters being consulted, thus expounded my dream; of your sons, one will be a world-subduing sword, who will purify the earth from the defilement (of idolatry), and spread the true religion over the face of the globe, and will generally benefit mankind, and his descendants and posterity shall be numerous.” This omen rejoiced me extremely; I was convinced that Sovereignty was written in the page of my destiny, but resolved to be contented with whatever of good or evil might occur to me, and to be satisfied with the decrees of Providence. ----- Footnote 30: Spiritual Counsellor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MEMOIRS OF TIMŪR. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOOK V. COMMENCEMENT OF THE HISTORY. -------------- CHAPTER I. My Father Teragay related to me the following circumstance relative to my name, “soon after your birth, I took your virtuous mother to pay our respects to the celebrated Saint Shaikh Shems Addeen, when we entered his apartment, he was reading aloud the 67th Chapter of the Korān, and was repeating this verse; ‘Are you sure that he who dwelleth in heaven, will not cause the earth to swallow you up, and behold _it shall shake_,’ (Tamurū). The Shaikh then stopt and said, “we have named your son, Timūr.”[31] I was much delighted by this anecdote, and returned thanks to God that my name was taken from the sacred volume; it was also a great inducement for me to learn that chapter by heart. When I had attained my seventh year, my father took me by the hand, and led me to the school, where he placed me under charge of Mullā Aly Beg, the Mullā having written the Arabic alphabet on a plank, placed it before me, I was much delighted with it, and considered the copying of it as an amusement. When I reached my ninth year, they taught me the daily service of the Mosque, during which I always read the 91st Chapter, denominated the _Sun_.