y amongst the many days, when the Turk was more earnest than
now, before the Europeans came and gave new ideas to our children,
there lived and labored for the welfare of our people an organized
body of men. At whose suggestion this society was formed I know not.
All that we know of them to-day, through our fathers, is that their
forefathers chose from among them the most wise, sincere, and
experienced forty brethren. These forty were named the Forty Wise Men.
When one of the forty was called away from his labors here, perhaps to
continue them in higher spheres, or to receive his reward, who knows?
the remaining thirty-nine consulted and chose from the community him
whom they thought capable, and worthy of guiding and of being guided,
to add to their number. They lived and held their meetings in a mosque
of which little remains now, the destructive hand of time having left
it but a battered dome, with cheerless walls and great square holes,
where once were iron bars and stained glass. It has gone--so have the
wise men. But its foundations are solid, and they may in time come to
support an edifice dedicated to noble work, and, Inshallah, the seed
of the Forty Wise Men will also bear fruit in the days that are not
yet.

You will say, what good did this body of men do? These men who always
numbered forty were, as I have told you, originally chosen by the
people, and when one of the forty departed from his labors here, the
remaining thirty-nine consulted together and from the most worthy of
the community they chose another member.

What was the good of this body of men? Great, great, my friends. Not
only did they administer justice to the oppressed, and give to the
needy substantial aid; but their very existence had the most
beneficial effect on the community. Why? you ask. Because each vied
with the other to be worthy of being nominated for the vacancy when it
occurred. No station in life was too low to be admitted, no station
was too high for one of the faithful to become one of the 'Forty.'
Here all were equal. As Allah himself doth consider mankind by deeds,
so also mankind was considered by the Forty Wise Men, who presided
over the welfare and smoothed the destiny of the children of Allah.
With their years, their wisdom grew, and they were blessed by Allah.

* * * * *

In the town of Scutari, over the way, there lived and labored a
Dervish. His counsel to the rash was ever ready, his