governor of Tabriz (Prince Bahman Mirza) should send the Bab in charge
of a fresh escort to the remote mountain-fortress of Maku. The
faithful Muhammad Beg made two attempts to overcome the opposition of
the governor, but in vain; how, indeed, could it be otherwise? All
that he could obtain was leave to entertain the Bab in his own house,
where some days of rest were enjoyed. 'I wept much at his departure,'
says Muhammad. No doubt the Bab often missed his respectful escort; he
had made a change for the worse, and when he came to the village at
the foot of the steep hill of Maku, he found the inhabitants 'ignorant
and coarse.'

It may, however, be reasonably surmised that before long the Point of
Wisdom changed his tone, and even thanked God for his sojourn at
Maku. For though strict orders had come from the vizier that no one
was to be permitted to see the Bab, any one whom the illustrious
captive wished to converse with had free access to him. Most of the
time which remained was occupied with writing (his secretary was with
him); more than 100,000 'verses' are said to have come from that
Supreme Pen.

By miracles the Bab set little store; in fact, the only supernatural
gift which he much valued was that of inditing 'signs or verses, which
appear to have produced a similar thrilling effect to those of the
great Arabian Prophet. But in the second rank he must have valued a
power to soothe and strengthen the nervous system which we may well
assign to him, and we can easily believe that the lower animals were
within the range of this beneficent faculty. Let me mention one of the
horse-stories which have gathered round the gentle form of the Bab.
[Footnote: _AMB_, p. 371.]