IV. Such, however, was not the case with the

Imamee, the most dangerous enemies of the house of Abbas, Agreeing with the Ghoollat Id the doc- trine of an iiivinblf imam, they maintained that there had been a series of insibk imams antecedent to him, who had vanished. One branch of this sect (thence called the Seveners — Sebihi) closed the series with Ismail, the grandson of Mohammed Bakir, the seventh imam, reckoning All himself the first. These were also called Ismailites, from Ismail. The other branch, called Imamiles, continued the series from Ismail, through iiis brother Moosa Casini, down to Askeree, the twelfth imam. These were hence called the Twelvers (Esjiaashree). They believed that the imam Askeree had vanished in a cavern at Hilla, on the banks of the Euphrates, where he would remain invisible till the etid of the world, when he would again appear under the name of the Guide (_Mehdee) to lead mankind into the truth. The Imamee, wherever they might stop in the series of the visible imams, saw that, for their political puqjoses, it was necessary to acknowledge a kind of locum tenentea imams- but, while the Zeid- iles, who agreed with them in this point, required in these princes the royal virtues of valour, generosity, justice, knowledge, the Imamee declared themselves satisfied if they possessed the saintly ones of the practice of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving. Hence artful and ambitious men could set up any puppet who was said to be descended from the last ol the visible imams, and aspire to govern the Mohammedan world in his name.
The Twelvers were very near obtaining possession tof the khalifat in the time of the first Abbassides;
I
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for the celebrated Hftronn Er-Raaheed's son, Al- Manioon, the eighth khalif of that house, moved either by the strength or prepoiideraiiue which the Sheah party had arrived at, or, us the eastern historians tell u^;, yielding to the suggestions of lus who was devoled to that seel, named Aii Riza, the eighth imam, to be his suceessor on the throne. He even laid aside the black habiltcnenls peculiar to his family, and wore green, the colour ol' AH and the Prophet. But the family of Abbas, which now nuuibered 30.000 persons, refused their asaent to this renunciation of the rights nf their line. They rose in &rnis, and proclaimed as khalif Al-Mamaon's QQcle Ibrahim. The obnoxious vizir perished, and the, opportune death of AU Riza (by poison, as was 8aid) reUeved the sou of Haroon Er-Rasheed from embarrassment. Ali Riza was interred at Meshed, in the province of Khorasan ; and his tomb is, to the present day, a place of pilgrimage for devout Per-
The Ismai'lit^s were more sutw^ssful in their at- tempts at obtaining temporal power; and, as we shall presently see, a consiilerable portion of their dominions was wrested from the house of Abbas.
Religion has, in all ages, and in all parts nf the world, been made the mask of ambition, for which its powerful influence over the minds of the ignorant so well qualiSes it. , But the puLticaL influence of religion among the calmer and mure reasoning na- tions of Europe is slight ciimpared with its power over the more ardent and susceptible natives of Asia. Owing to the effects of this principle the despotism of the East has never been nf that still, undisturbed nature which we might suppose to be its character. To say nothing of tlie bloody wars and massacres which have taken place under the pretext of religion ■ See Fiiubc'ii KtiuiasSii.
ill thp countries from Japan to the Imius, the Mo- hammedan portion of the East has heen, ulniogt without ceasing', the theatre of sanguinary dramas,^ where ambition, under the disguise ot'rehg'ion, sougMl for empire ; and our own daja have seen, in the case I of the Waliabees, a bold though unsuccessful attempt J of fanaticism to achieve a revolution in a part of the 1 Ottoman empire. It was this union of religion with. \ policy which placed the SuBavee family on the throne \ of Persia in the fifteenth century; and it was also which, at a much earlier period, eslabllshed the 1 dominion of the Fatimile khalifs of Egypt. The '1 progress of this last event is thus traced by oriental f
The encouragement given to literature and scii bj the enlightened Al-Mamoon had diffused a degree 1 of boldness of speculation and inquiry hitherto un- J known in the eiripire of the Arabs. The subtile J philosophy of the Grfeks was now brought i contact with the sublime but corrupted theology the Persians, and the mysticism uf India secretly mingled itself with the mass of knowledge. We are not, perhaps, to give credit to the assertion of the Arab historian that it was the secret and settled plan of the Persians to undermine and corrupt the reli> gion, and thus sap the empire, of those who had overcome them in the field ; but it is not a Uttle remarkable that, as the transformation of the Mosaic relig;ion into Judaism may be'traced to Persia, and as the same country sent forth the monstrous opi« nions which corrupteil the simplicity of the Gospel,, ! so it is in Persiii that we find the origin of most of J the sects which have sprung up in li^lam. Williout ,1 agreeing with those wlio would derive all knowledge f from India, it may be held not improbable that the • Iinri anil Macrisi, quuled hy Himmer.
intricate metaphysics and myBticiein of th&t country
have been the source of much of the corruption of the various religions which huve prevailed in Cis- Indian Asia. It is at least remarkable that the north-east of Persia, the part nearest to India, has been the place where many of the impoalnrs who prttended to intercourse with the Deity made their appearance. It was here that Man! (Maiiex), the head of the ManichEeans, displayed his arts, and it was in Khorasan l_Suit-land) that Hakem, who gave liimself out for an incarnation of the Di^ily, raised the standard of revolt against the house of Ahbas. But, be this as it may, on sur- veying the early centuries of Islam, we may ob- serve that all tlie rebellions which agitated the empire of the khalifs arose from a union of the claims of Ihe family of Ali with the philosophical doctrines current in Persia.
We are lold that, in the ninth century of the Chris- tian era, Abdallah, a man of Persian Uneage, residing; at AliWBZ, in the south of Persia, conceived the design of overturning the empire of the khaliis by secretly introducing into Islam a sysiem of atheism and impiety. Not to shock deep-rooteil prejudices in favour of the established religion and government, he resolved lo communicate his doctrines gradually, and he fixed on the mystic number seven as that of the degrees through which his disciples should pass to the grand revelation of the vanity of all relifciouB and the indifference of all actions. The political cloak of his system was the assertion of the clairns of the descendants of Mohammed, the son of Ismail, to the imamut, and his missionaries (jdaW) engiiji;ed with activity in the task of making proselytes through- out the empire of the khalifs. Abdallah afterwards removed to Syria, where be died. His son and
THE ABSASB1)«9. SS
grandsnns followed up bia plans, and in their time a convert was made who speedily brought the system into active operation*.
Tile name of this person was Carmath, a, native of the district of Koofa, and from him tlie sect was called Carmathitea. He made great ajteralions in j llie original system of Abdallah ; and as the sect way ■ now grown numerous and powerfiil, he resolved to' I venture on putting the claims of the descendants oF M Ismail to the test of the sword. He maintained' ■ that the indefeasible right to earthly dominion lay I with what he styled the imam Hu^soom (iipotlegl}^- 9 a sort of ideal of a perfect prhice, hke the wise man' I of the Stoics; consequently all tVie reigning princes 1 were usurpers, by reason of their vices and imper^ J fectious ; and the warriors of the perfect prince were'l to precipitate them all, nithuut distinction, lTomtheir thrones. Carmath also taught his disciples to ud'*'! deratand the precepts aq^ observances of Islam in if^M figurative sense. Prajer aignifieil obedience to the' ^ imam Maa^soom, alms-giving was paying the tithe due to him (that is, augmeniiiig the funds of the society), fasting was keeping the political secrets relating to the imam and his service. It wa.s not the t«nseel, or outward word of the Koran, whidtL J was lo be attended to ; the taweel, or exposition,-! was alone worthy iif note. Like those of MokannSf ' 1 and other opponents of the house of Abbas, thc'L followers of Caimaih distinguished themselves bf M wearing white raiment to mark their hostility lo tlMPl reigning Uhalifa, whose garments and standards rc^l toined the black hue which they had dlsplayejjl against the white banners of the house of Ommiyab.*J A bloody war was renewed at various periods durinj[ J
• Macri«i i» HamniEr's authurity far tha preceding »«-• count of Abdallab. 11 h to be obierved Ibat thipi Abikllali in unnoticed by Hetbctgt,
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tai entire century between (he fnllowera of CsiriiiiLtli and ttie troops of the Uhalils, with va.vyin^ success. In the I'ourse of ibts war the lioly city of Mecca wus taken by the sectaries (as it has been of late years by the Wuhabees), after tlie fall of 30,000 Moslems in its derence. The celebrated black stone was taken and conveyed in triumph to Hnjar, where it remained lor two-and-twen(y years, lill it was redeemed for 50,000 ducats by the emir of Irak, and replaced in its arig;tnal seat. Finally, like so many of their predecessors, the Carmatliites were vanquished bj the yet vis^roua power ofthe empire, and their name, though not their principles, was extinguished.
During this period of contest between the house of Abbas and theCarmathites, a dai {mUsionary') of the latter, named Abdallah, contrived to liberate from the piison into whiiili he had been thrown by the khalif Motadhad a real or pretended descendant of Fatima, named Obeid -Alkh*, whom he conveyed to Africa, and, proclaiming him to be the promised Mehdi {guidt!), succeeded in establishing for him a dominion on the nor lb coast of that country. The gratitude of Obeid-Alluh was shown by his putting to death him to whom he was indebted Jcir his power; but talent and valour can exist without the presence of virtue, and Obeid-AUah and his two next descendanis extended their sway to the shores of the Atlantic, Moez-ladin-AIIuii, his great-grandson, having achieved the conquest of Egj-pt and Syria, wisely abandoned his former more ilistant donii- s along the coast of the Mediterranean, his eye being fixed on the more valuable Asiatic empire of the Abbassides. This dynasty of Fatimite khalifs,
lenpss ofthe descent oCObeiJ-Allah has lieea uf disiiute amoDg the eastern histuriuiiii and
e in the iutcTeBta ol'tbe houae ufAbbaa ulcaiueil
moke him out an impMtot.
THE ASSASSINS. 37
as they were called, reigned during tWo centuries at Cairo, on the Nile, the foes and rivals of those who sat in Bagdad, on the banks of the Tigris. Like every other eastern dynasty, they gradually sank into impotence and imbecility, and their throne was finally occupied by the renowned Koord Saladin.
Obeid- Allah derived his pedigree from Ismail, the seventh imam. His house, therefore, looked to the support of the whole sect of the Seveners, or Ismail- iles, in their projects for extending their sway over the Mohammedan world ; and it was evidently their interest to increase the numbers and power of that sect as much as possible. We are accordingly justi- fied in giving credit to the assurances of the eastern historians, that there was a secret institution at Cairo, at the head of which was the Fatimite khalif, and of which the object was the dissemination of the doc- trines of the sect of the Ismailites, though we may be allowed to hesitate as to the correctness of some of the details.
This society, we are told, comprised both men and women, who met in separate assemblies, tor the common supposition of the insignificance of the latter sex in the east is erroneous. It was presided over by the chief missionary {Dai'al'Doat*)y who was always a person of importance in the state, and not unfrequently supreme judge {Kadhi-al- kodkatf). Their assemblies, called Societies of Wisdom (Mejalis-alrhicmet), were held twice a- week, on Moildays and Wednesdays. All the members appeared clad in white. The president, having first Waited on the khalif, and read to him the intended lecture, or, if that could not be done, having gotten his signature on the back of it, proceeded to the assembly and delivered a written discourse. At the
^ * That is, Missionary of Minionaries,
t Cadhi of Cadhis.
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conclusion of it tho!« present kissed hix hand aiid reverently touched witli llieir forehead the hand- writing of the khalir. In tliis state the society con- tinued till the reign of that extraordinary madman the khalif Hakem-bi-emr-iliah {Judge by the com- mand of God), who determined to place it on a splendid looting. He erected fur it a stately edifice, Biyled the House of Wisdom iDaral-kicmef). abundantly furnished with books and mathematical instrtimenls. Its doors were open to all, and paper, pens, an'l ink were profusely supplied for the use of those wlio chose to frequent it. Professors of law, inatliematics, logic, and medicine were appointed lo give instructions ; and at the learned disputations which were frequently held in presence of the khalif, these professors appeared in their state callans {KkalaU), which, il is said, exactly resembled the robes worn at the English universities. The income assigned to this establishment, by Ihe mu- nificence of the khalif, was 257,000 dneais annually, arising from the tenths paid to the crown.
The course of instruction in this university pro- ceeded, according^ to Macri.si, by the following nine degrees; — I. The object of the first, which was long and tedious, was to infuse doubt!' and ditficulties into the mind of the aspirant, and to lead him to repose a blind confidence in the knowledge and wis- dom of his teacher. To this end he was perplexed with captious questions; the absurdities of the literal sense of tbe Koran, and its repugnance to reason, were studiously poiuied out, and dark hints were given that beneath this shell lay a kernel sweet to the taste and nutritive to the soul. But all further infurmation was most rigorously withheld till he had consented to bind himself by a most solemn oath to absolute faith and blind ot>edieuce to his instructor. 2. Wher. he had taken the. oath he was admitted to
THE ASSASSINS.
the second decree, which inculcated the acknowledg- ment of the imams appointed by God as the sources of all knowledge. 3. The third degree informed him what was the number of these blessed and holy imams; aad this was the mystic seven ; for, as God had made seven heavens, seven earths, seas, planets, metals, tones, and colours, so seven was the number of these noblest of God's creatures. 4. In the fourth degree the pupil learned that God had sent seven lawgivers into the world, each of whom was com- missioned to alter and improve the system of his predecessor; that each of these had seven helpers, who appeared in the interval between him and his successor; these helpers, as they did not appear as public teachers, were called the mule (samW), in contradistinction to the speaking lawgivers. The seven lawgivers were Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, and Ismail, thesonof JaafFer; the seven principal helpers, called Seats (soos), were Seth, Shem, Ishmael (thesonof Abraham), Aaron, Simou, All, and Mohammed, the son of Ismail. It is justly ohsen-ed* that, as this last personage was not more than a century dead, the teacher had it in his power to fi£ on whom he would as the mute prophet of the pre- sent time, and inculcate the behef in, and obedience to, him of all who had nut got beyond this degree. 5. The fiflh des;ree taught that each of the seveu mute prophets had twelve apostles for the dissemination of his faith. The suitableness of this number was also proved by analogy. There are twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve months, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve joints in the (bur fingers of each hand, and so forth. 6. The pupil being led thus far, and having shown no symptoms of restiveness, the precepts of the Koran were once more brought under consideration, I he was told that all the positive portions of * Hamoier, p.S4,
40 SECRET SOCIETIES.
religion must be subordinate to philosophy. He was consequently instructed in the systems of Plato and Aristotle during a long space of time ; and (7), when esteemed fully qualifled, he was admitted to the seventh degree, when instruction was communi- cated in that mystic Pantheism which is held and taught by the sect of the Soofees. 8. The positive precepts of religion were again considered, the veil was torn from the eyes of the aspirant, all that had preceded was now declared to have beea merely scaffolding to raise the edifice of knowledge, and was to be flung down. Prophets and teachers, heaven and hell, all were nothing ; j^ture bliss and misery were idle dreams ; all actions were permitted. 9. The ninth degree had only to inculcate that nought was to be believed, everything might be done*.
In perusing the accounts of secret societies, their rules, regulations, degrees, and the quantity or nature of the knowledge communicated in them, a difficulty must always present itself. Secrecy being of the very essence of everything connected with them, what means had writers, who were generally hostile to them, of learning their internal constitution and the exact nature of their maxims and tenets ? In the present case our authority for this account of a society which chiefly flourished in the tenth and eleventh centuries is ML*3risi, a writer of the fifteenth century. His authorities were doubtless of more ancient date, but we know not who they were or whence they derived their information. Perhaps our
* Mr. De Sacy (^Journal des Savant, an 1818) is of opinion that the Arabic words Taleel and Ibahat will not bear the strong sense which Hammer gives them. The former, he says, only signifies that Deism which regards the Deity as merely a speculative being, and annihilates the moral relations between him and the creature ; the latter only denotes eman- cipation from the positive precepts of laws, such as fastings prayer, &c., but not from moral obligations.
THE ASSASSINS, 41
safest course in this, as in similar cases, would be to admit the general truth of the statement, but to suffer our minds to remain in a certain degree of suspense as to the accuracy of the details. We can thus at once assent to the fact of the existence of the college at Cairo, and of the mystic tenets of Soofeeism being taught in it, as also to that of the rights of the Fa- timites to the khalifat being inculcated on the minds of the pupils, and missionaries being thence sent over the east, without yielding implicit credence to the tale of the nine degrees through which the aspirant had to pass, or admitting that the course of instruc- tion terminated in a doctrine subversive of all religion and of all morality.
As we have seen, the Dai-al-doat, or chief mission- ary, resided at Cairo, to direct the operations of the society, while the subordinate dais pervaded all parts of the dominions of the house of Abbas, making converts to the claims of Ali. The dais were attended by companions {Refeek), who were persons who had been instructed up to a certain point in the secret doctrines, but who were neither to presume to teach nor to seek to make converts, that honour being reserved to the dais. By the activity of the dais the society spread so widely that in the year 1058 the emir Bessassiri, who belonged to it, made himself master of Bagdad, and kept possession of it during an entire year, and had money struck, and prayer made, in the name of the Egyptian khalif. The emir, however, fell by the sword of Toghrul the Turk, whose aid the feeble Abbasside implored, and these two distinguishing acts of Mohammedan sovereignty were again performed by the house of Abbas. Soon after- wards the society at Cairo seems to have declined along with the power of the Fatimite khalifs. In 1123 the powerful vizir Afdhal, on occasion of some disturbance caused by them, shut up the Dar-al-
42 SECRET SOCIETIES.
hlcmet, or, as it would appear, destroyed it. His successor Mamoon permitted the society to hold their meetings in a building erected in another situ- ation, and it lingered on till the fall of the khalifat of Egypt. The policy of Afdhal is perhaps best to be explained by a reference to the state of the East at that time. The khalif of Bagdad was become a mere pageant devoid of all real power ; the former dominions of the house of Abbas were in the hands of the Seljookian Turks ; the Franks were masters of a great part of Syria, and threatened Egypt, where the khalifs were also fallen into incapacity, and the real power had passed to the vizir. As this last could aspire to nothing beyond preserving Egypt, a society instituted for the purpose of gaining partisans to the claims of the Fatimites must have been rather an impediment to him than otherwise. He must therefore have been inclined to suppress it, especially as the society of the Assassins, a branch of it, had now been instituted, which, heedless of the claims of the Fatimites, sought dominion for itself alone. To the history of that remarkable association we now proceed.
THE ASSASSINS.
Chapter HI.
Ali of Kei~Hia son Uasaaa Sabah— HasEia sent lo study d Mihabaur— Mteta thure Omai Khiaza and Nizam-al-Moolk \ — Agreement madu by them — Hassan intioduced by Niu lo Sultan MalEk Shah— Obliged to leave the Court— Anoc- ^fpt — Kettuns to Persia — Makes himself Mattel of Ala-
Thbrb was 11 man named Ali, who resided i city of Rei, in Persia. He was a slrenuous She^ \ and maintained that liis family had originally c from Koofa, in Arabia ; but the people of Khoraaan I asserted that his family had always dwelt in one of J the villages near Toos, iii that province, and that I consequently his pretensions to an Arabian extrac- I lion were False. Ali, il would appear, was anKiouB | to conceal his opinions, and enipUiyed the strangest I asseveratiuns lo convince the governor of the pro- | vince, a rigid Sooiiite, ol' his orthodoxy, and finally retired into a monastery to pass the remainder of his days in meditation. As a. further means of clearing himaelf from the tha,rge of heresy he sent his only sou Hassan Sabah* lo Nishaboor to be instructed by the celebrated imam Mowafek, who resided at th^ ^ place. What lessons he may have given the yoi _ Hassan previously to parting witli him, and what J communication he may have aflurwards kept up wi^ T him, are points on which history is silent.
The fame of the imam Mowafek was great c bI] Persia, and il was currentlj' believed that those '
• Ot Ilasian-ben-Sabah (iwt 0/ Sa6oAJ, so named from Sabah Homairi, one ofhi^ preteaded Arabian
who had the good fortune to sludy the Koran and the Soonna* under him were secure of their fortune in after-life. His school was consequently thronged b; youths ambitious of h nowledgc and future distinc- tion ; and tiere Hassan met, and formed a strict intimacy with, Omar Khiam, afterwards so dislin- Ciiished as a poet and an astronomer, and with Niaam-a!-Moolk IRegvlation of the Reitlm), who became viiir to the monarchs of the house of Seljook. This lust, in a history nhich he wrote of himself and his times, relates the followlne; instance of the early development of the ambition of Hassan. As these Ihree, who were the most disting-uished pupils of Ibe imam, were one day together, "It is the general opinion," said Hassan, " that the pupils of the imam are certain of being fortunate. This opinion may be verified in one of us. So come, let us pledge our- selves to one another that he who shall be successful will make the other two sharers in bis good fortune." His two companions readily assented, and the pro- mise was mutually given and received.
Nizam- al-Moolk entered the path of puh tics, where hia talents and his noble qualities had free course, and he rose through the various gradatious of office, till at length be attained the highest post ia the realm, the viziriate, under Alp Arslaii (Strong Lion), the second monarch of the hou.=e of Seljook. When thus exalted he forgot not liis former friends ; and calling to mind the promise which he had made, he received with great kindness Omar Khiam, who waited on him to congratulate bim on his elevation ; and he offered at once to employ all his interest to procure him a post under tlie governmenl. But Omar, who was devoted to Epicurean indulgences, and averse from toil and care, thanking his friend,
■ The Soonna is tlw body of ttaaiiioiia, answeiing to the Miehua orthe leva, beld by the oilhoiliji Mussulmauti.
THE ASSASSINS. 45
declined his proffered services ; and all that the vizir could prevail on him to accept was an annual pension of 1,200 ducats on the revenues of Nishaboor, whither he retired to spend his days in ease and tranquillity.
The case was different with Hassan. During the ten years' reign of Alp Arslan he kept aloof from the vizir, living in obscurity, and probably maturing his plans for the future. But when the young prince Malek Shah (King King) mounted the throne he saw that his time was come. He suddenly appeared at the court of the new monarch, and waited on the powerful vizir. The story is thus told by the vizir himself in his work entitled Wasaya {Political Insti- tutes), whence it is given by Mirkhond.
"He came to me at Nishaboor in the year that Malek Shah, having got rid of Kaward, had quieted the troubles which his rebellion had caused. I re- ceived him with the greatest honours, and performed, on my part, all that could be expected from a man who is a faithful observer of his oaths, and a slave to the engagements which he has contracted. Each day I gave him a new proof of my friendship, and I endeavoured to satisfy his desires. He said to me once, 'Khqjah (master), you are of the number of the learned and the virtuous ; you know that the goods of this world are but an enjoyment of little duration. Do you then think that you will be per- mitted to fail in your engagements by letting yourself be seduced by the attractions of greatiiess and the love of the world ? and will you be of the number of those who violate the contra^ct made vMh God?* 'Heaven keep me from it!' replied I. 'Though you heap honours upon me,' continued he, 'and though you pour upon me benefits without number, you cannot be ignorant that that is not the way to perform what we once pledged ourselves to respect- ing each other.' ' You are right,' said I ; ' and I
D 5
4S
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I
am rciidy la salisfy yon in whut I promised. All that I [lossess of honour and power, received from my fathers or acquired by myself, belongs to you ia common with me.' I then introduced him into the society of the sultan, I assigned him a ranlc and suit- able titles, and I related to the prince all thai had formerly paused between him and me, I spolse in terms of such praise of the extent of his knowledge, of his excellent qualities, and his p;oo(I morals, that he obtained the rank of minister and of a confidential man.. But he was, like his father, an impostor, a hypocrite, one who knew how to impose, and a wretch. He so well possessed the art of covering himself with an enlerior of probity and virtue that in a Utile time he completely gained the mind of the sultan, and inspired him with such confidence that that prince blindly Ibllowed his advice in most of those alTairs of a greater and more important nature which required good faith and sincerity, and he was always decided by his opinion. I have said all this to let it be seen that it was I who had raised him to this fortune, and yet, by an effect of his bad character, there came quarrels between the sultan and me, the unpleasant rt'sult of which had like to have been that the good reputation and favour which I had enjoyed for so many years were near going into dust and being anuihilated; for at last his malignity broke out on a sudden, and the effects of his jealousy showed themselves in the most terrible munner in his actions and in his words."
In fact, Hassan played the part of a treacherous friend. Everything that occurred in the divan was carefully reported to the sultan, and the worst con- struction put upon it, and hints of the incapacity and dishonesty of the vizir were thrown out on the fitting occasions. The vizir himself has left us an account of what he considered the worst trick which his old
THE ASSASSINS.
schoolfellow attempted to play him. The sultati, it seems, wishing to see & clear and regular balance- sheet of the revenues and expenditure of his empire, directed Nizam-al-Moolk lo prepare it. The vizir required a space of more than a year for the accom- plishment of the task. Hassan deemed this a good opportunity for distingiiishinof himSelf, and boldly offered to do what the sultan demanded in forty days, not more than one-tenth of the time required by the vizir. All the clerks in the finance department were immediately placed at the disposal of Hassan ; and the lizir himself confesses that at the end of the forty days the accounts were ready lo be laid before the sultan. But, just when we might expect to see Hassan in triumph, and enjoying the highest favour of ihe monarch, we find him leaving the court in disgrace and vowing revenge on the sullan and his minister. This circumstance is lefi unexplained by the Ornament of the Realm, who however acknow- ledges, with great naiveie, that, if Hassan had not been obliged lo tly, he should have left the court him- self. Bui other historians inform us that the vizir, apprehensive of the consequences, had recourse to art, and contrived to have some of Hassan's papers stolen, so that, when the latter presented himself before the sultan, full of hope and pride, and com- menced his statement, he found himsctf obliged to slop forwant of some of his most important documents. As he could not account for this conftision, the sultan became enraged at the apparent attempt lo deceive him, and Hassan was forthwith obliged lo retire from court with precipitation.
Nivam-al'Moolk determined lo keep no measures with a man who had thus sought his ruin, and he resolved to destvoy him. Hassan fled U> llei, but, not thinking himself safe there, he went further south,
48 SECRET SOCIETIES.
and took refuge with bis friend the reis* Aboo-'l-Fazl {Father ofExceMevce)^ at Isfahan. What his plans may have hitherto been is uncertain ; but now they seem to have assumed a definite form, and he unceas- ingly meditated on the means of avenging hiniself pi) the sultan and his minister. . In consultation one day with Aboo-'l-F#izl, who appears to have adopted buf speculative tenets, after he had poured out his com- plaints against the vizir and his ipaster, he conclude^ by passionately saying, " Oh that I had but two faith- ful friends at my devotion ! soon should I overthrow the Turk and the peasant," meaning the sultan and the vizir. Aboo-'l-Fazl, who was one of the ipost clear-headed men of his time, and who still did not comprehend the long-sighted views of Hassan, begaQ to fancy that disappointment had deranged the intel- lect of his friend, and, believing that reasoning would in such a case be useless, commenced giving him at his meals aromatic drinks and dishes prepared with saffron, in order to relieve his brain. Hassan per- ceived what his kind host was about, and resolved to leave him. Aboo-'l-Fazl in vain employed all his eloquence to induce him to prolong his visit ; Hassan departed, and shortly afterwards set out for Egypt.
Twenty years afterwards, when Hassan had ac- complished all he had projected, when the sultan and the vizir were both dead, and the society of the Assas- sins was fully organized, the reis Aboo-'l-Fazl, who was ciie of his most zealous partisans, visited him at his hill-fort of Alamoot. " Well, reis," said Hassan,
• lieis, from the Arabic RAs (the head), answefs vfi some respects to captain, a word of similar origin. Thus the master of a ship is called the Reis. Sir John Malcolm says, " it is equivalent to esquire, as it was originally understood. It im- plies in Persia the possession of landed estates and some ma- gisterial power. The reis is in general the hereditary head of a village."
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" which of us was the madman ? did vou or I stand most in need of .the aromatic drinks and the dishes prepared with safiron which you used to have served up at Isfahan? You see that I kept my word as soon as I had found two trusty friends."
When Hassan left Isfahan, in the year 1078, the khalif Mostanser, a man of som^ energy, occupied the throne of Egypt, and considerable exertions were made by the missionaries of the society at Cairo to gain pro- selytes throughout Asia. Among these proselytes was Hassan Sabah, and the following account of tiis con- version, which has fortunately been preserved in his own woMs, is interesting, as affording a proof that, like Cromwell, and, as we have supposed, Moham- med, and all who have attained to temporal power by n^eans of religion, he commenced in sincerity, and was deceived himself before he deceived others.
" From my childhood," says he, " even from the age of seven years, my sole endeavour was to acquire knowledge and capacity. I had been reared up, like my fathers, in the doctrine of the twelve imams, and I made acquaintance with an Ismai'lite companion {Refeek), named Emir Dhareb, with whom I knit fast the bonds of friendship. My opinion was that the tenets of the Ismailites resembled those of the Philosophers, and that the ruler of Egypt was a man who was initiated in them. As often, therefore, as Emir said anything in favour of these doctrines I fell into strife with him, and many controversies on points of faith ensued between him and me. I gave not in to anything that Emir said in disparage- ment of our sect, though it left a strong impression on my mind. Meanwhile Emir parted from me, and I fell into a severe fit of sickness, during which I reproached myself, saying, that the doctrine of the Ismailites was assuredly the true one, and that yet out of obstinacy I had not gone X)ver to it, and that
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should death (which God avert!) overtake me, T ' should die without liaving attained to the truth. At len^h I recovered of that sickness, and I now met with another Ismailite, named Aboo Nejm Zaraj. of whom I inquired toucliinir the truth of his doctrine. Ahoo Nejm explained it lo me in the fullest manner, GO that 1 saw quite through the depths of it Finally 1 met a dai, named Moomin, to whom the sheikh Abd-al-Melik (Sfen'ont of the King. i.e. of God) Ben Attash, the director of the missions of Irak, had given permission lo exercise this office. I besought that hu would accept my homage (in the name of the Fati- mite khalif), but this he at the first refused to do, because I had been in higher dignities than he; but when I pressed him thereto beyond all measure, he yielded his consent. When now the sheikh Abd- al-Melikcame toRei, and through intercour.°e learned to know me, my behaviour was pleasing unto him, and he bestowed on me the office of a dai. He said unto me, ' Thou must go imlo Egypt, lu be a sharer in the felicity of serving the imam Mostander.' When the sheikh Abd-al-Melik went from Rei to Isfahan I set forth for Egypt*."
There is something highly interesting in this ac- count of his thoughts and feelings given by Hassan Sabah, particularly when we recollect that this was the man who afterwards organized the society of the Assassins, so long the scourge of the East. We here find him, according to his own statement, dreading the idea of dying without having openly made pro- fession of the truth, yet afterwards, if we are to credit the Oriental historians, he inculcated the doctrine vf the indifference of all human actions. Unfortunately this declension from ^irtue to vice has been loo often exhibited to allow of our doubting that it may have happened iu the case of Hassan Sabah. Aliirlher le- • Miikboiid.
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flection which presents itself is this : Can anything be more absurd than those points which have split the . Moslems into sects? and yet how deeply has con- science been engaged in them, and with what sia- ceri ty have they not been embraced and maintained ! Will not this apply )□ some measure to the disseasions among Christians, who divide into parties, not for the essential doctrines of iheir religion, bnt for some merely accessory parts?
Hassan, on his arrival in Egypt, whither his fame had preceded him, was received with every demon- stration of respect. His known talents, and the knowledge of the high favour and consideration which he had enjoyed at the court of Malek Shah, the khallf esteem him a most important acquisitioq i to the cause of the IsmaTlites, and no means w omitted to soothe and flatter him. He was met oti.J the frontiers by the Dai-ul-Doat, the sherif Taher4 Casvini, and several other [wrjons of high considera»-j_ tion ; the great officers of state and court waited oa him as soon as he had entered Cairo, where the khalif assigned him a suitable abode, and loaded him with honours and tokens of favour. Bnt such was the state of seclusion which the Fatimite khalifs bad adopted, that during the eighteen months which Hassan is said to have passed at Cairo he never once beheld the face of Mostanser, though that monarch always evinced the utmost solicitude about him, and. . never spoke of liim but in terms of the highest praise
While Hassan abode in Egvpt tbe question of tl succession to the throne (always a matter of disputbl in Oriental monarchies) became a subject of disseiK.P nion and angry debate at court. The khalif had 1 declared his eldest son, Nesar, to be his legitimate J successor; but Bedr-al-Jemali, the Emir-al-Juyoosh, or commander-in-chief of the arcny, who enjoyed . almost uuiimited power under the Fatimites, asserted
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Ihe superior right of Musteali, the kbalif'a second son, which right his power afterwards made good, Hassan Sabah, not .very wisely, a£ it would seem, took the side of Prince Nesar, and thereby drew on himselj' the hostility or Bedr-al-Jemaji, who resolved on his destruction. In vain the reluctant lihalif stru^g;led against the might of the powerful Emir-al-Juyoosh ; he was obliged to surrender Hussanto his vengeance, and to issue an order for conmiittinij; him lo close custody in the castle of Damielta.
While Hassan lay in confinement at Damietta one of tile towers of that city fell down without any ap- parent cause. This being looked upon in the lighl of a miracle by the partisans of Hassan and the khalif, his enemies, to prevent his deriving any ad- vantage from it, hurried him on board of a ship which was on the pointof sailing for Africa. Scarcely had the vessel put to sea when a violent tempest came (in. The sea rolled mountains high, the thunder roared, and the lightning flamed. Terror laid hold on all who were aboard, save Hassan Sabah, who looked calm and undisturbed on the commotion of the elements, while others gazed with agony on the prospect of instant death . On being asked the cause of liis tranquillity he made answer, in imitation pro- bablyjof St Paul, " Our Lord iScydtia) has promised me that no evil shall befall me." Shortly afterwards the storm fell and the sea grew calm. The crew and regarded bim as a man under the
especial favour of Heaven, and when a strong west wind sprung up, and drove Ihem to the coast of Syria, they offered no opposition to his leaving' the vessel and going on shore.
Hassan proceeded to Aleppo, where he staid some time, and thence directed his course to Uagdad. Leaving that city he entered Persia, traversed the province of Khuzisian, aTid, visiting the cities of
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Isfahan und Yezd, went ou to the eastern province of Kerman, everywhere making proselytes to bis opinions. He then returned (o Isfahan, where he made a stay of tour monlhs. He next spent three months in Khuzistan. Having fixed his view on Damaghan and the surrounding country in Irali as a district well calculated to be the seat of the power which be meditated establishing, he devot^ three entire years tu tbe task of gaining disciples among its inhabitants. For this purpose he employed the most eloquent dais he could find, and directed them to win over by all means the inhabitants of the numerous hill-forts which were in tbat region. While his dais were thus engaged be lumself traversed tile more northerly districts of Jofjan and Dilem, and when he deemed the time fit returned to the province of Irak, where Hussein Ka'ini, one of the most Kealous of his missionaries, had been loug since en- gaged in persuading the people of the stroug hill- fort of Alamoot to swear obedience to the khalif Mostauser. The arguments of the dai had proved convincing to tbe great majority of the inhabitants, but tbe governor, All Mcbdi, an upright and worthy man, whose ancestors had built the fort, remained, with a few others, faithful to his duty, and would acknowledge no spiritual head but the Abbasside khalif of Bagdad ; no temporal chief but the Sel- jookian Malek Shah. Mehdi, when he first per- ceived the progress of Ismailisra among his people, expelled those who had embraced it, but afterwards permitted tbern to return. Sure of the aid of a strong parly within tbe fort, Hassan is said to have em. ployed against the governor the same artifice by which Dido is relaied to have deceived the Lybians*. He
* Sir J. Malcolm Bays that tlie peraon with whom lie read thia portion ofhiatutr in Persia uliimtvcd tn him tiuit the English Here well ai^ijuaiiitod with thin BlCdli^rcm, as it was by muans uf it thut they got Calcutta from the poor Emperor ol' Delhi.
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offered him 3,000 ducals for as much ground as he could compass with an ox-hide. The guileless Mehdi consented, and Hassauinslantly cutltng the hide inlo thonsts surrounded with it the fortress of Alamoot. Mehdi, seeing himself thus tricked, refused to stand to the agreement, Hassan appealed to justice, and to the arms of his partisans within the Ibrtress, and by theiz aid compelled the governor lo depart from Atannoot. As Mehdi was setting' out for Damaghan, whither be proposed to retire, Hassan placed in his hand an order on the reis Mozalfer, the governor of the castle of Kirdkoo, couched in these terms : " Let the reis Mozaffer pay to Mehdi, the descendant of All, 3,000 ducats, as the price of the fortress of Alamoot. Peace be upon the Prophet and his family ! God, the best of directors, sufficeth us." Mehdi could hardly beheve that a man of the conse- quence of the reis Mozaffer, who iieid an important government under the Seljookian sultans, would pay the slightest attention lo the order ofa mere adven- turer hke Hassan Sabah ; he, however, resolved, out of curiosity, or rather, as we are told, pressed by his want of the money, to try how he would act. He accordingly presented the order, and, to his infinite surprise, was forthwith paid the 3,000 ducats. The reis had in fact heeii long in secret one of the most zealous disciples of Hassan Sabah.
Historians are careful to inform us that it was on the night of Wednesday, the si\lh of the month Rejeb, in the 483d year of the Hejra, that Hassan Sabah made liimself master of Alamoot, which was to become the chii-f seat of the power of the sect of the Ismailites. This year answers to the year 1090 of the Christian era, and thus the dominion of ihe Assassins was founded only nine years before the Christians of the west established their empire in the Holy Land.
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