The extracts from the Writings of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh contained in this book are mainly from the matchless translations by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, and their published sources are acknowledged in the references and Bibliography. There are many other quotations from Persian manuscripts and publications, and these I have translated, unless otherwise indicated. Most quotations had to be edited prior to translation. The footnotes to these quotations, however, are mostly mine, and this is sometimes indicated explicitly where confusion may arise. Verses taken from the Qur'án are numbered in accordance with the Arabic text, although their numbering may differ from that given in English translations. Persian and Arabic names are transliterated in accordance with the system adopted for books on the Bahá'í Faith, but quotations are reproduced in their original form.

The early followers of Bahá'u'lláh seldom sought to be photographed. Occasionally group photographs were taken, from which it has been possible to obtain many of the individual photographs which I have included, in the belief that their historical interest outweighs the fact that some are faded and out of focus. It should be noted that Volume I includes photographs of a number of individuals who also feature in this volume. I am deeply indebted to the Audio-Visual Department of the Bahá'í World Centre for supplying most of these photographs, and also to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Írán, to Mr. Habíb Manavi and to Mr. Ebrahim Khalili, who provided one each. The Radio Times Hulton Picture Library kindly supplied the view of Adrianople. I should like to thank Mr. Rouhullah Shakibai for his excellent reproduction of most of the photographs printed in this book.

I desire to record my warm appreciation to Mrs. May Ballerio (née: Hofman) for her untiring efforts in helping me to speed up the preparation of the manuscript and for her skilful editing; also to Mr. Mark Hofman for the making of the index. My thanks go to Mrs. Rosemary O'Mara for proof reading and typing the manuscript from my original scribbled notes, many of which were illegible and often difficult to decipher, to Dr. Margaret Magill, to Mrs. Frances Beard and to Miss Eithna Early for additional typing assistance. I am also grateful to Mr. Rustom Sabit, Mrs. Sammi Smith and Mr. Paddy O'Mara for their careful reading of the proofs.

And finally, this volume, which has taken so long to produce because of the lack of time on my part, has been written during my free hours at home. I am indebted to my wife Lesley for her constant support and encouragement.

There is a distinctive tone in the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh revealed in Adrianople in as much as they were revealed soon after the public unveiling of His station. In these He often portrays the treacherous behaviour of Mírzá Yahyá, the arch-breaker of the Covenant of the Báb, and, as the outpouring of His Revelation reaches its climax, He proclaims the advent of the Day of God to the generality of mankind and issues His summons to the kings and rulers of the world.

While for the most part the author has merely outlined the main points of a Tablet, he has in some cases dwelt at length on certain topics which constitute the basic spiritual verities of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh and, at times, has deliberately taken excursions into other subjects which throw further light on the original theme, and which are thought to be of interest to the reader. A reading of the first volume is recommended prior to this one, to help provide continuity and further depth.

The study of the Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh is not similar to the study of a normal literary work, no matter how profound that might be. A Tablet is the repository of the Word of God, and to appreciate it one must acquire a pure heart and rid oneself of the veil of acquired knowledge. 'O My servants!' Bahá'u'lláh thus proclaims to the peoples of the world, 'My holy, My

In writing this book the author has been able to do no more than skim the surface of this great Ocean.