CHAPTER III.
THE DESERT.
Nadir, in his turn, was visited by misfortune. Calumny pursued him: injustice extended high enough to reach him. He was banished from the wife of his bosom, from the son whose eyes were just opened to the light, and his life was dried up like the summer, when, although full of fire and vigour, it has lost its colours.
The people, whom he had taught to be industrious and happy, were given up to avaricious men, who converted their labour into an oppressive burden; and the memories which once refreshed the soul of Nadir now became to him a bitter and empoisoned spring.
He beheld iniquity spreading over his land, and was forced to behold it in silence. Iniquity dreaded even his silence, and Nadir was compelled to fly into barren deserts, where the devouring eyes of iniquity come not to seek their prey. He here met the sage, who said to him: "I wished to end my days in peace. These rocks, which have been piled immoveable one upon the other since the birth of the world, will not renounce their nature to rush down of their own accord and crush me. The rain may benumb my limbs with cold, without my accusing it of any want of obedience to the law which was given to it; therefore, I bear no hatred to these threatening rocks, nor to the rain which chills me; but the sight of iniquity wearies my soul into hatred of it: for there were twins produced at one birth—iniquity, which is the foe of order; and the hatred of iniquity, which is the re-establishment of order."
Shortly after he had uttered these words, the sage expired; and Nadir, beholding him close his eyes, exclaimed, "Now, indeed, I am alone."
The eyes of the sage once more opened, and he said: "My son, the plant knows that it is seen by God, but man bears God within himself; let him then never say I am alone;" and with these words the sage expired. Nadir left the cavern, and reflected on the meaning of his words. Seated upon a rock, he beheld a serpent gliding towards him from between the stones, now and then raising its head, and looking round as if seeking for some object on which to vent its fury. Nadir seized a piece of the rock, and crushed the head of the serpent, while the body writhed and struggled long after the head had remained crushed between the stones. At last it lay motionless, stretched along the rock. Nadir surveyed it: he also surveyed the lifeless remains of the sage extended in the cavern. "Both," said he, "are about to give back to the earth the dust which they took from it; but what advantage was there in taking the serpent from the dust?" And he questioned the work of the Most High.
Three Chapters on the Life of Nadir, p. 110.
The sun had just sunk behind the rocks which bounded the horizon. A cold wind arose, driven by dark clouds; it whistled through the rocks and penetrated even to the heart of Nadir, already filled with grief for the death of the sage. He remained motionless, abandoning himself, without defence, to the cold wind and to his grief. But a thought of the past arose to his mind: he remembered what he had been, and said, "Nadir shall not perish overpowered by affliction and the winds of night!" He arose, gathered the leaves and brambles scattered here and there in the clefts of the rock, where also grew the wild roots which served him for food. He obtained fire from a flint; a brilliant flame suddenly burst forth from the midst of a thick smoke; the light played upon the rocks, and seemed to people the desert. The features of the sage reposing in the cavern, were lighted up with a tint resembling that of life. Nadir gazed upon him, and tears flowed from his eyes, to the memory of friendship; but strength had once more returned to his soul. The flame grew dim, sank, and at last died away. A grey coating of ashes covered the still burning embers; but soon, of that great heap of brambles, there remained nothing but a faint trace, scarcely visible upon the spot on which they were consumed. "Behold," said Nadir, "they, too, have returned to the dust; but I, whom they have warmed, what right have I to ask why they were taken from it?"
The wind had died away, bearing with it the dark clouds. The moon slowly unveiled her disk in the blue vault of heaven, where trembled myriads of glittering stars. Each one of these heavenly orbs seemed to shed a ray upon the heart of Nadir. "Glorious works of the Most High!" he exclaimed, gazing on them, "what mortal will dare to lift his voice to ask what purpose ye serve in the Universe?"