6.    France
Epistle to the King of Paris. Two epistles were intended for Emperor Napoleon

6.1. Epistle One
The first epistle was written at Edirne, the second epistle was drafted at Acre. The first epistle does not appear anywhere in Baha’s writings. It is the second epistle which appears in Baha’s writings.

According to Shoghi Effendi, god passes by, p. 175, “To Napoleon III Baha addressed a specific tablet which was forwarded through one of the French ministers to the Emperor, in which he dwelt in the suffering endured by himself and his followers; their innocence; reminded him of his two pronouncements on behalf of the oppressed and the helper; and, desiring to test the sincerity of his motives, called upon him to inquire into the condition of such as have been wronged,” and “extend his call to the weak,” and look upon him and his fellow-exiles “with the eye of loving-kindness”.
According to Shoghi Effendi, P. 207, ibid, “To the Emperor Napoleon III who to quote Baha’s words, had “cast behind his back the tablet revealed for him in Edirne, he, while a prisoner in the army barracks [in Acre], addressed a second tablet and transmitted it through the French agent in Acre.”

In the epistle to the son of the wolf, Shoghi Effendi’s translation, pp. 45-46, Baha says: “Addressing himself (i.e. Baha) unto the king and rulers of the earth, he imparted unto them that which is the cause of the well-being of the world, and of the tranquillity of the nations. Among them was Napoleon III, who is reported to have made a certain statement, as a result of which we sent him all tablets while in Edirne. To this, however, he did not reply. After arrival in the most great prison [i.e. Acre] there reached us a letter from his minister, the first part of which was in Parisian and the latter in his own handwriting. In it he was cordial, and wrote the following: “I have as requested by you delivered your letter, and until now have received no answer. We have however, issued the necessary recommendations to our minister in Istanbul and our Consul in those regions. If there is anything you wish done, inform us, and we will carry it out.”

From his words it became apparent that he undertook the purpose of the servant to have him a request for material assistance. We, therefore, revealed in his (Napoleon III’s) name verses in the Sura-al-Haykal, some of which we now quote, that thou mayest know that the cause of the wronged one hath been revealed for the sake of god, and hath come from Him.”

In the Dawn-Breaker, Nabil’s Narrative, nP.596, Baha is quoted as saying: “as to the tablet we addressed to the Emperor of France [from Edirne], an answer [i.e. letter referred to in the above excerpt from the epistle to the son of the wolf], was received from his minister, the original of which is now in the possession of most great branch [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi]. To him we addressed these words: “Bid the High Priest, O Monarch of France to cease ringing his bells [quotation from the second epistle, see infra] ..”

The French minister to the Emperor through whom Baha forwarded his first epistle from Edirne to Napoleon III was Count Gobineau. Count Gobineau was a French ambassador to Tehran. He composed “Les Religions et Les Philosophie dens L’Asie (Paris, 1865 and 1866). A considerable portion of the book is taken up with an account of the BÂBis. In his book, the history of the BÂBis is carried down to 1852.

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