abil-i-'Azam, who may well rank as His Poet-Laureate, His chronicler and
His indefatigable disciple, had already joined the exiles, and had
launched out on his long and arduous series of journeys to Persia in
furtherance of the Cause of his Beloved.

Even those who, in their folly and temerity had, in Ba_gh_dad, in Karbila,
in Qum, in Ka_sh_an, in Tabriz and in Tihran, 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 Baha'u'llah, 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 Abbas Mirza, a
son of Muhammad _Sh_ah, the Vazir-Nizam, and Mirza Malkam _Kh_an, 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_dad, insensible of the position which Baha'u'llah now occupied.
Entering into friendly correspondence with Him, he, as testified by
Baha'u'llah 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 Baha'u'llah declined, choosing to
abide in the dominions of the Sultan of Turkey. And finally, during the
last year of His sojourn in Ba_gh_dad the governor Namiq-Pa_sh_a,
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