So, 'having made for himself a knapsack, and got
together a few necessaries,' he set out as an evangelist, 'with
perfect trust in his Beloved,' somewhat as S. Teresa started from her
home at Avila to evangelize the Moors. 'But when his brother was
informed of this, he sent and prevented him.' [Footnote: _NH_,
p. 44.]
Compensation, however, was not denied him. Some time after, Yah??ya
made an expedition in company with some of his relations, making
congenial friends, and helping to strengthen the Ba?„bi?„ cause. He
was now not far off the turning-point in his life.
Not long after occurred a lamentable set-back to the cause--the
persecution and massacre which followed the attempt on the Shah's life
by an unruly Ba?„bi?„ in August 1852. He himself was in great danger,
but felt no call to martyrdom, and set out in the disguise of a
dervish [Footnote: _TN_, p. 374.] in the same direction as his
elder brother, reaching Baghdad somewhat later. There, among the
Ba?„bi?„ refugees, he found new and old friends who adhered closely to
the original type of theosophic doctrine; an increasing majority,
however, were fascinated by a much more progressive teacher. The
Ezelite history known as _Hasht Bihisht_ ('Eight Paradises')
gives the names of the chief members of the former school, [Footnote:
_TN_, p. 356.] including Sayyid Muh??ammad of Isfahan, and
states that, perceiving Mirza H??useyn 'Ali's innovating tendencies,
they addressed to him a vigorous remonstrance.
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