Page:Twelve men of Bengal in the nineteenth century (1910).djvu/56

42 with many adventures and enduring many hardships but never losing his passion for the road. Visiting all the famous places of the Moslem world he added greatly to his already large store of knowledge, acquiring fresh wisdom and breadth of view from each new source. Travelling as he did over so extended an area and during so many years, his fame spread far and wide and, preceding him on his homeward way through India, prepared everywhere for him a great reception.

It was not until he had reached his sixtieth year and age was beginning to tell even upon his iron constitution that he finally decided to terminate his travels and return home. Making his way slowly across northern India he came at last to Lucknow, which, since the best days of Delhi were already past, had become the chief centre of Moslem thought and learning. Here the fame of his wisdom and erudition had preceded him and he was welcomed by all the distinguished men of the day who were then gathered there. The Nawab Asaf-ud-dowlah was himself a patron of letters and in Haji Mahomed Mohsin he found a scholar worthy of respect, and one who would be an ornament of his court. But Mahomed Mohsin, though tempted by every inducement of wealth and honours to remain had no ambition to figure among the crowd of satillities at the Nawab's court and after a short stay in Lucknow he returned at last to Murshidabad whence he had