The Book of Akbar 337.1.6

337.1.6

Why then have mischief-makers imputed some offence to me, and caused such unkindness as that furious elephants should have been let loose against my tent?” Maham Anaga by soothing expressions quieted his disturbed mind. At this time a strange thing happened in relation to the Lord of the Earth, who was keeping himself in the disguise of an incognito, and was giving attention to the concealment of his idiosyncrasy—a mystery which has already been conveyed, as far as my capacity would allow, from the heart to paper. The event, of which the following is an account, was the cause of some well-instructed minds coming to a knowledge of truth. One day the world-adorning Shahinshah felt constrained by the presence of short-sighted men, and began to chafe. The power of indignation which in a disposition innately equable is an ingredient deposited by the Lord of power broke out into anger. He became averse to the servants of fortune’s threshold who always attended on his stirrup and separated from them, and issued an order that no one of his retinue should be in attendance on him. He even sent away his grooms and such like persons that the solitude of his retirement might not be contaminated by the crowd of this class of men and went out unattended and alone from the camp of fortune. In reality he was engaged in prayerful communion with his God, ostensibly he was angered with men.