that he was carrying out the commands of the Prophet, who
would reward him with eternal bliss, eagerly entered into the schemes
laid down for him and devoted his life to murder. Thus by the lure of
Paradise the Assassins enlisted instruments for their criminal work and
established a system of organized murder on a basis of religious
fervour. "'Nothing is true and all is allowed' was the ground of their
secret doctrine, which, however, being imparted but to few and concealed
under the veil of the most austere religionism and piety, restrained the
mind under the yoke of blind obedience."[134] To the outside world all
this remained a profound mystery; fidelity to Islam was proclaimed as
the fundamental doctrine of the sect, and when the envoy of Sultan Sajar
was sent to collect information on the religious beliefs of the Order he
was met with the assurance: "We believe in the unity of God, and
consider that only as true wisdom which accords with His word and the
commands of the prophet."

Von Hammer, answering the possible contention that, as in the case of
the Templars and the Bavarian Illuminati, these methods of deception
might be declared a calumny on the Order, points out that in the case of
the Assassins no possible doubt existed, for their secret doctrines were
eventually revealed by the leaders themselves, first by Hasan II, the
third successor of Hasan Saba, and later by Jalal-ud-din Hasan, who
publicly anathematized the founders of the sect and ordered the burning
of the books that contained their designs against religion--a proceeding
which, however, appears to have been a strategical manoeuvre for
restoring confidence in the Order and enabling him to continue the work
of subversion and crime. A veritable Reign of Terror was thus
established throughout the East; the Rafiqs and Fadais "spread
themselves in troops over the whole of Asia and darkened the face of the
earth"; and "in the annals of the Assassins is found the chronological
enumeration of celebrated men of all nations who have fallen the victims
of the Ismailis, to the joy of their murderers and the sorrow of the
world."[135]

Inevitably this long and systematic indulgence in blood-lust recoiled on
the heads of the leaders, and the Assassins, like the Terrorists of
France, ended by turning on each other. The Old Man of the Mountain
himself was murdered by his brother-in-law and his son Mohammed;
Mohammed, in his turn, whilst "aiming at the life of his