1822 Aug. 4

Bey of Tripoli Proclamation

Address I

Mean time hear the rights by the gift of which of I give you the first fruits of

my love [...?...?] of the love for you which it has [...?] kindled in my breast

People! Beloved people! People! whom God hath entrusted to my care!

Opening one day for so did God ordain the book of life, I read in it this

sentence © Ruler! act not of thy own will purely: do not that which is of

moment, but with the advice of wise and honest Counsellors.

No sooner had I read those words than it seemed to me as if a film had fallen

from my eyes. It seemed to me as if all the errors of my life were standing in

array before me. I should have sunk under the sight, had not the same divine

words which thus brought to my eyes the evil, brought with them, and left in my

heart the remedy

On a sudden, it seemed to me as if the Prophet were looking down upon me: and

that © not with hand, as when he delivered to our forefathers the book of truth,

but with tongue and lips, he spake to me these words.

My Son! thou hast erred. I will set thee right: thou hast been severe I will

make thee gracious: thou hast been selfish I will make thee generous thou hast

been weak in mind I will make thee wise: thou has been in peril, I will make

thee safe: thou has been weak in power I will make thee strong: thy power would

end with thy life, I will continue it to the end of time. Do that which I

command thee, the whole multitude of the faithful shall envy thee, until they

imitate thee: all generations to come shall bless thee, even as a second Prophet

from whose word they will have received an existence compared with which the

state of all who went before thee was a state of affliction, fear, and darkness