Page:William Muir, Thomas Hunter Weir - The Caliphate; Its Rise, Decline, and Fall (1915).djvu/252

 655] notwithstanding sullen mutterings of approaching storm, the surface yet was still. At last, by their advice, ʿOthmān despatched a trusty follower to each of the great centres, Damascus, Al-Kūfa, Al-Baṣra, and Fusṭāṭ, to watch and report whether suspicious symptoms anywhere appeared. Three returned saying that they discovered nothing unusual in the aspect of affairs. The fourth, ʿAmmār, was looked for in vain; for he had been gained over by the Egyptian faction. Thereupon ʿOthmān despatched a royal edict to all the provinces as follows:—At the coming Pilgrimage the governors from abroad would, according to custom, present themselves at court; whoever had cause against them, should then come forward and substantiate their grievance, when the wrong would be redressed; else it behoved them to withdraw the baseless calumnies that now were troubling men's minds. Proclamation was made accordingly. The plaintive appeal was understood; and people in many places when they heard it wept and invoked mercy on their Caliph.

The governors repaired to Medīna at the time appointed, but no malcontent came forward to make complaint. Questioned by ʿOthmān, his lieutenants knew not of any grievance, real and substantial. To the outward eye, everything was calm; and even the royal messengers had returned without finding anything amiss. But all knew of the dangerous sore in the body politic, and of its spreading rapidly. The wretched Caliph invoked their pity and their counsel. But they could offer nothing of which he might lay hold. One advised that the conspirators should be arrested and the ringleaders put to death; another, that the stipends of all disloyal men should be forfeited; a third, that the unquiet spirits amongst the people should be diverted by some fresh campaign; others that the governors should amend their ways. ʿOthmān was bewildered; one thing only he declared;—to measures of severity he never would assent; the single remedy he could approve was despatch of fresh armies to fight in foreign parts.

Nothing was settled to avert the crisis, and the Governors departed as they came. When Muʿāwiya made ready to leave, he entreated ʿOthmān to retire with him to Syria, where a loyal people would rally round him. But he