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THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book III,

Bouhours less stringent as to a few ignorant, orhowever intentioned, who pretend Zain died aconvert, which he in candour disbelieves, for a very-important consideration—“ cecjui me fait croire quepour comble de malheur il est mort Mahometan .” 1Why did Heaven permit such things ? That is a mys-tery! So it is indeed. What is not a mystery to us?Not only the unseen, but much that we see. It standsthere before us, within a foot of us. It stares us inthe face, or nearer, rooted in our heart or head;and we are broad awake! Yet ^how little do weunderstand of it, or its purpose, or can account foreven to ourselves! No doubt there is profoundwisdom and goodness in all that, though far beyondhuman comprehension. These are among the“ admirable secrets ” of which a few favouredpersons may perhaps have some feeble notion, butwe certainly, or the world, none whatever. As itwas the French avowal to make use of Zain in a warto take Constantinople, the Morea, and all Islam,his misfortunes pursued him even beyond the grave;for he thus raised Bajazet into something like anillustrious patriot fighting to defend country, home,religion . 2

But the news of Zain’s hard fate arriving sud-

1 Bouhours : Yie D’Aubusson, v. 294.

2 Bosio : par. ii., lib. xv., 424.