AMRA. 13 



prophet, as his predecessors had done before him, was, to his mild 

 nature, not only abhorrent, but impossible. Yet as his power had 

 never met with any obstacle, which force or address had not subdu- 

 ed before him, the idea of bringing this vast multitude to agree in 

 one system of belief and worship appeared to him not utterly 

 hopeless. 



He consulted, after long reflection, his favourite and secretary, 

 Abul Fazil, the celebrated historian, of whom it was proverbially, 

 said, that "the monarchs of the East feared more the pen of Abul 

 Fazil ;than the sword of Akbar." The acute mind of that great man 

 saw instantly the wild impracticability of such a scheme; but 

 willing to prove it to his master without absolutely contradicting his 

 favourite scheme, he proposed, as a preparatory step, that the names 

 of the various sects of religion known to exist in the sultan's domi- 

 nions should be registered, and the tenets of their belief, contained 

 in their books of law or promulgated by their priests, should be 

 reviewed and compared; thence it would appear how far it was 

 possible to reconcile them one with another. 



This suggestion pleased the great king ; and there went forth a 

 decree from the imperial throne, commanding that all the religions 

 and sects of religion to be found within the boundaries of the empire 

 should send deputies, on a certain day, to the sultan, to deliver up 

 their books of law, to declare openly the doctrines of their faith, and 

 be registered by name in a volume kept for this purpose whether 

 they were followers of Jesus, of Moses, or of Mohammed ; whether 

 they worshipped God in the sun, in the fire, in the image, or in the 

 stream ; by written law or traditional practice : true believer or 

 pagan infidel, none were excepted. The imperial mandate was 

 couched in such absolute, as well as alluring terms, that it became 

 as impossible as impolitic to evade it ; it was therefore the interest 

 of every particular sect, to represent in the most favourable light the 

 mode of faith professed by each. Some thought to gain favour by 

 the magnificence of their gifts ; others, by the splendour of their 

 processions. Some rested their hopes on the wisdom and venerable 

 appearance of the deputies they selected to represent them ; and 

 others (they were but few), strong in their faith and spiritual pride, 

 deemed all such aids unnecessary, and trusted in the truth of the 

 doctrines they professed, which they only waited an opportunity to 

 assert, secure that they needed only to be heard, to convert all who 

 had ears to hear. 



On the appointed day, an immense multitude had assembled from 

 all the quarters of the empire, and pressed through the gates and 



