240 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



which is to ameliorate the land by increasing its 

 fertility and diminishing the extent of waste land, 

 will do no harm to any one, and in the event of its 

 requiring a field, a garden, or a house, it will pay for 

 them a much higher price than they are worth. 

 Moreover, Providence utilises this Company, which is 

 by itself very powerful, thanks to the riches which 

 God has granted it for the good and benefit of His 

 creatures. 



"It is for this that the Company is about to make 

 great efforts, and spend immense sums in order to 

 benefit the creatures of God. It is true that the 

 Company will gain some fruit from its labours, but is 

 it not also the creature of Allah ? 



" So it is with the king when he is just and good. 

 Although he is the chief of his subjects, and placed 

 in a position higher than they are (seeing that upon 

 him depend the fertilisation of the country and the 

 suppression of waste lands), he is in reality only the 

 servitor of his subjects, and his duty is to seek to do 

 them all the good he can, and guard them from all 

 that is hurtful. 



"For those who labour to this end a great reward 

 is promised in heaven, but if they seek an earthly 

 reward God will grant it to them here below ; but if 

 they seek a heavenly reward God will grant it to 

 them in the other world. 



"A prophet of the Israelites said, ' The kings of 

 the Persians are heathens and fire-worshippers ; they 



