138 Ghazzali's Alchemy of Happiness. 



turn to the contemplation of that painter who is full of all 

 perfection, and of that maker with whom is no change, 

 and earnestly seek after the vision of his beauty with his 

 whole heart. Let him continue day and night with burn- 

 ing and consuming desire in humble prayer, longing after 

 his beauty and after union with him. 



I have made a home for thy love in my heart, 

 While affection for something else hovers around the home. 

 But it is folly to contract friendship, with aught else than 

 thy beauty, 



For there is none to be loved but the eternal Friend. 

 He who has made thee to be his happiness and refuge, 

 Has already joined himself to the perfect excellence. 



! seeker of divine love, that which renders man favora- 

 bly inclined to persons of virtuous character, is the fact 

 that God has created man after his own character ; as it 

 has come to us in the tradition that, " verily God created 

 man after his own image." Hence whenever man sees or 

 hears of a quality belonging to his own race and kind, as 

 justice, generosity, forgiveness or patience, he will certainly 

 have a sympathy with that quality and exercise love to its 

 possessor. If we hear for instance that in a certain country 

 there is a just sovereign or a just vizier, we heartily love 

 that king or vizier, and we are always praising his excel- 

 lence and worth, although there is not the least probability 

 of any advantage accruing to us from his justice. Such 

 a sovereign was Nushirvan, who notwithstanding he was 

 an infidel yet as he was just, the heart of every man is 

 drawn towards him. If again we hear of the knowledge, 

 science, clemency or munificence of any persons, as of the 

 Imam Abu Hanife, of the Imam Shafei, of Bayezid of Bis- 

 tan, or of Juneid of Bagdad, the spirit of a man will be at- 

 tracted towards them on account of those qualities, he will 

 love them, and lie will certainly desire to see them and to 

 be with them. If we hear of a generous man, although he 



