A day or two later, the Perwāna, filled with reverence for Jelāl’s unequalled sanctity, went and paid him a visit with the utmost deference. Before the Perwāna could broach any subject of conversation, Jelāl said to him: “Mu’īnu-’d-Dīn! the vision related to you by your learned friend is quite true in the main facts, though I never saw him there at any time.” He then extemporised the following ode:— “Fellow-visitant wert thou? Then say what thou sawest there last night. ’Twixt my heart and inspiring loved darling what passed in thy sight? And if thou, in thy dream, with thy eyes sawest my beautiful love, Tell us then, in the earrings he wore there what jewels were wove. If with me thou be fellow in coat, as in thoughts and in creeds, Let us hear the details of that ragged old mendicant’s weeds. If thou poverty’s son be, and unspoken mysteries hear, Thou’lt recount all the words that were thought by my silent compeer, If thou’st learnt whence the source of mankind and of souls did proceed. Since the source was but one, what then means all this search, all this greed? And if thou hast not seen any place of his form and face free, Say then what, in the thoughts of his lovers, that face and form be. And if I head the lists of those lovers, as thou seemest to say, Tell us, What are those lists? What his messages, words, answers? Pray!” A musical service was then got up, this ode being chanted during its performance. The Perwāna was so utterly bewildered by this incident, that he could say nothing. He therefore rose, bowed, and took his leave. 79. One day, it is said, the Prophet (Muhammed) recited to ‘Alī in private the secrets and mysteries of the “Brethren of Sincerity” (who appear to be the “Freemasons” of the Muslim dervish world), enjoining on him not to divulge them to any of the uninitiated, so that they should not be betrayed; also, to yield obedience to the rule of implicit submission. For forty days, ‘Alī kept the secret in his own sole breast, and bore therewith until he was sick at heart. Like a pregnant woman, his abdomen became swollen with the burden, so that he could no longer breathe freely. He therefore fled to the open wilderness, and there chanced upon a well. He stooped, reached his head as far down into the well as he was able; and then, one by one, he confided those mysteries to the bowels of the earth. From the excess of his excitement, his mouth filled with froth and foam. These he spat out into the water of the well, until he had freed himself of the whole, and he felt relieved.