New-York tribune., 1893-11-26

ences. yet surely those which have been given
| were such as by a perfect sequence wouio ieao
| to some such dramatic disclosure as this when
| ever the leaders Of the movement felt sure that
| they could trust their new investigator Yet
Mr. Browne adds with delightful innocence:
ITO this day am at a loss to account for the
motives which prompted this extraordinary
frankness Perhaps some rumor had reached
the man (for rumors in Persia get about In the
| most unaccountable manner) that 1 was anx-
| ious to make acquaintance with the sect 10
which he Belonged perhaps he imagined that
oil Christians were better disposed toward the
Babis than toward the Mahometans; perhaps
the admission merely random shot'
prompted by the consideration THAI at least it
was unlikely to expose him to any risk. From
that moment the author found the search for
Babis an easy one. and in every city he had
endless discussions with them on the peculiari-
ties Of their belief. He found that, while the
old merchant Of Shraz had dwelt on the mira
cles said to have attended the origin and prog
ress of the religion the learned men within
the circle of Friends rather deprecated allu-
sion to these, maintaining that the really potent
fact was the growth of the sect itself. But they
compared the life and martyrdom OF the Bah
Che was tried and shot for his religious opin-
They accepted the Mahometan notion put
forth in the Koran of a succession OF prophets,
including Moses and Christ and Mahomet.
but they added their own founder to the list.
and also accepted ZorJaster on the ground that
a religion which had lasted for many thou
sand years must have more right than wrong
in It. and its founder must have been divinely
inspired These prophets were manifestations
Of divinity and so the Babis trenched on Sut
pantheism on one side. while on another they
gave evidence of having adopted the old Aryan
ideas of reincarnation. For example literary
woman with whom Mr.. Browne became ac-
quainted imagined that she was reincarna-
tion Of Kurratu'l-Ayn. poetess whose memory
is cherished among the Babis not only because
of her genius but because she one of the
early martyrs Of the sect.
1t is not to be wondered at that Babis, hav-
ing rejected the peculiar notions Of Islam about
religions of the book" should have become
friendly with the Zoroastrians. With these
also Mr. Browne became familiar, not only in
the places where they were tolerated. but In
others where they were forced to wear the dull
yellow robes intended to mark them for dis
grace. In the matter Of proselyting there is
a curious and picturesque limitation. Some
times a Zoroastrian changes his creed in order
wishes to return to his old faith his friends
send him to Bombay and there his wife often
becomes a fre-worshppcr with him.
II was not aware" said Mr.. Browne. on one
occasion, that 1t was possible. under any cir
cumstances. for one not born a Zoroastrian
to become one. Do you consent to receive
back renegade after any lapse Of tme?"
Not after six months or So" the an
swer; "for, if they remain Mussulmans longer
than this their hearts are turned black and
incurably affected by the law of Islam"
Mr. Browne also happened upon some curl
Gus incidents that had bearing on magic. For
example. he heard story which in all es-
senta points was the counterpart Of Lanes
famous narrative of the Egyptian sorcerer
with the boy In whose hand was poured n
drop Of ink. lie tells also OF a certain nvesti- |
gator who had an experience not unlike that |
related in the early narratives Of Faust but |
who convinced himself finally that he was the |
victim of his own Imagination. The author |
found also a general belief in the occult sci |
ences, particularly geomancy. astroogy and the |
OF dreams; but 1t added |
usually that most Of the professors of these SCI
ences were charlatans. His study Of Persian |
while 1t indicates that the West |
has nothing to learn in the way Of advanced |
thought. nevertheless proves that historians Of |
philosophy might find Persia worthy Of in
spection. He dwelt for longer or shorter
time in Tabriz, Teheran, Isfahan shiraz. Yezd
and Kirman and his work throughout shows
that he alert to the popular tales OF the
people. to the differences Of social life and to
the civic peculiarites OF the various centres
Of population.