All know me according to the capacity of their understanding.

Instead of sensible words, men are answered with weapons of war.

O Sásán evils await thee. Thou art my prophet: If mankind follow thee not, for them it is evil, not for thee.

The good will come into thy path.

Lay not affliction to heart; God will give it an end.

The Prophet.

CCCXIX.

Whatever scripture we cancel or cause thee to forget, we bring a better or its like.

Nearer of kin to the faithful is the prophet than they are to their own selves.

O prophet! we have sent thee to be a witness, and a warner, and a herald of glad tidings;

And one who, through his own permission, summoneth to God, and a light-giving torch.

Of the mercy of God thou hast spoken to them in gentle tones. Hadst thou been severe and harshhearted, they would have broken away from thee.

Traverse the earth, and see what hath been the end of those who treat prophets as liars !

Did angels walk the earth, God had sent them an angel-apostle out of heaven. God is witness enough between you and me.

O children of Adam there shall come to you apostles from among yourselves rehearsing my signs

to you; and whoso shall fear God and do good works, no fear shall be upon them, neither shall they be put to grief.

Every nation hath its set time; and when their time is come, they shall not retard it an hour, and they shall not advance it.

Truth is come, and falsehood is vanished. Verily falsehood is a thing that vanisheth.

Assert not your own purity.

Nothing shall be reckoned to a man but that for which he hath made efforts;

And his efforts shall at last be seen in their true

Patience is the column which sustains Prudence. It is not the human force which hurls a man to the ground, but that which restrains the power that might do so. The only way to answer a fool is to answer nothing. Each word of reply can only recoil from the insensate to thyself. To return insult to the insulter is to increase his disrespect, as fuel feeds flame; but he who meets an accuser with calmness has already confuted him.

Mahomet and Omar were walking together when they were met by Khattab who, on account of some fancied injury, began abusing and insulting Omar.

The venerable man bore this for some time in silence, but at length his patience gave way, and he

returned railing for railing. Upon this Mahomet passed on, leaving the two to settle their quarrel as they could. When next the friends met, Omar, deeply offended, said, 'Why didst thou leave me alone to bear the abuse of that insolent fellow?' Mahomet said, 'O Omar! while that man was denouncing you so outrageously, and thou wert silent, I saw ten angels around thee who replied to him. But when thou didst begin to return his insults, the angels one by one left thee, and I also departed.'

Speaking the Truth.

CCCXXI.

Otáye, from his earliest youth,
Was consecrated unto truth;
And if the universe must die
Unless Otáye told a lie,

He would defy the fate's last crash,
And let all sink in one pale ash,
Or e'er by any means was wrung
One drop of falsehood from his tongue,

CHARITY.

CCCXXII.

Charity.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity,' I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give up my body that I may be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not herself, is not puffed up, doth not behave herself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, maketh no account

injury; rejoiceth not at iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth; but whether there are prophesyings, they will come to an end; whether tongues, they will cease; whether knowledge, it will vanish away.

For we

know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I had the feelings of a child, I thought as a child; since I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, obscurely; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall fully know, even as I also was fully known. And now there abide faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Charity.

CCCXXIII.

Every good act is charity. Giving water to the thirsty is charity. Removing stones and thorns from the road is charity. Exhorting your fellow-men to virtuous deeds is charity. Putting a wanderer in the right path is charity. Smiling in your brother's face is charity. A man's true wealth is the good he does in this world. When he dies, mortals will ask what property has he left behind him; but angels will inquire, 'What good deeds hast thou sent before thee?'

CCCXXIV.

Compassion, Economy, Humility.

I have three precious things, which I hold fast and prize-Compassion, Economy, Humility. Being compassionate, I can therefore be brave. Being economical, I can therefore be liberal. Not daring to