"Now the Shadow grew ever greater, and the hearts of Elrond and Mithrandir darkened. Therefore on a time Mithrandir at great peril went again to Dol Guldur and the pits of the Sorcerer, and he discovered the truth of his fears, and escaped" (p. 300, The Silmarillion). Indeed, Gandalf (Mithrandir) discovered that the Sorcerer was Sauron himself; taking shape, gathering evil, and searching for the One Ring as well as news concerning the Heirs of Isildur. Elrond recounted the winning of the Ring years ago; and how Isildur did not destroy it then.
The White Council was summoned and Gandalf urged an attack on Dol Guldur while Sauron lacked the power of the Ring. Saruman counciled against all of Gandalf's pleas saying the Ring was washed into the Sea and there it would remain until the end of Middle-earth and they should simply wait and watch. It was during this counsel that Saruman's contempt of Gandalf began to show. For the two Wizards barely spoke except for the meetings of the White Council. Here follows a lengthy block of text that is rich with juicy detail of what took place at the White Council meeting:
"It was at the great Council held in 2851 that the 'Halfling's leaf' was first spoken of, and the matter was noted with amusement at the time, though it was afterwards remembered in a different light. The Council met in Rivendell, and Gandalf sat apart, silent, but smoking prodigiously (a thing he had never done before on such an occasion), while Saruman spoke against him, and urged that contrary to Gandalf's advice Dol Guldur should not yet be molested. Both the silence and the smoke seemed to greatly annoy Saurman, and before the Council dispersed he said to Gandalf: 'When weighty matters are in debate, Mithrandir, I wonder a little that you should play with your toys of fire and smoke, while others are in earnest speech.'
But Gandalf laughed, and replied, 'You would not wonder, if you used this herb yourself. You might find that smoke blown out cleared your mind of shadows within. Anyway, it gives patience, to listen to error without anger. But it is not one of my toys. It is an art of the Little People away in the West: merry and worthy folk, though not of much account, perhaps, in your high policies.'
Saruman was little appeased by this answer (for he had hated mockery, however gentle), and he said then coldly: "You jest, Lord Mithrandir, explorer of the small: weeds, wild things, and childish folk. Your time is your own to spend, if you have nothing worthier to do; and your friends you may make as you please. But to me the days are too dark for wanderers' tales, and I have not time for the simples of peasants.'
Gandalf did not laugh again; and he did not answer, but looking keenly at Saruman he drew on his pipe and sent out a great ring of smoke with many smaller rings that followed it. Then he put up his hand, as if to grasp them, and they vanished. With that he got up and left Saruman without another word; but Saruman stood for some time silent and his face was dark with doubt and displeasure" (p. 350-351, Unfinished Tales). Great stuff here, but I'll save my comments until the end.
Being the leader of the Counsil Saruman's suggestions were followed. No action was taken against Sauron at Dol Guldur at that time. Elrond felt this was a mistake and foresaw a great war with Sauron coming that only by some strange chance would a second darkness over the land be avoided. "'Many are the strange chances of the world,' said Mithrandir, 'and help oft should come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter'" (p. 301, The Silmarillion).
"Thus the Wise were troubled, but none yet perceived that Curunir had turned to dark thoughts and was already a traitor in his heart: for he desired that he and no other should find the Great Ring, so that he might wield it himself and order all the world to his will. Too long had he studied the ways of Sauron in hope to defeat him, and now he envied him as a rival rather than hated his works. And he deemed that the Ring, which was Sauron's, would seek for its master as he became manifest once more; but if he were driven out again, then it would lie hid. Therefore he was willing to play with peril and let Sauron be for a time, hoping by his craft to forestall both his friends and the Enemy, when the Ring should appear" (p. 301, The Silmarillion). Knowing the Ring lore Saruman set watch where it was lost and his spies found Sauron's emmissaries searching the same area. At this Saruman grew afraid fortifying Isengard and thinking about how he might be the first to discover the One Ring. "He gathered a great host of spies, and many of these were birds; for Radagast lent him his aid, divining naught of his treachery, and deeming that this was but part of the watch upon the Enemy" (p. 302, The Silmarillion).
This was a great set of reading today. Saruman is using all his craft to deceive both his friends and enemies to gain the One Ring for his own. And it was a good plan for the White Council still trusted him, save maybe Gandalf, and it did not enter their minds what his true purposes were. Which leads me to the curious smoke ring blowing incident at the end of the White Council meeting of 2851. What did Gandalf mean? Blowing "one great ring" of smoke followed by many "smaller rings"--could this have been a physical picture of the One Ring, the nine, seven and three? And at the end when Gandalf reached up his hand as if to grab the rings and they disappeared--was this a foreshadowed jab at Saruman's intentions? And then, why the discussion of the Hobbits at this time?
It isn't specifically spelled out. But in Unfinished Tales it appears Tolkien had a couple of different theories (you get the sense at times that Tolkien didn't like to spell out everything; as if he didn't fully know the mind of, say, Gandalf a character he created). One, it could have been that Gandalf, by using the Halfling's leaf was making the point that he thought perhaps Hobbits may have a bigger connection to the Ring than any of the Wise could have imagined, especially Saruman. It seems unlikely that Gandalf would make those thoughts so obvious at this time. Two, this could have been a specific warning to Saruman; that if he continued to obsess over the Ring it would consume and evade him. I like the second theory better but it was noted that this was eventually struck out by Tolkien. This is why I included the whole scene to let you the reader decide what you think Gandalf's intentions were. Regardless this we know: "Yet later when the Halflings did indeed become involved in this greatest matter, Saruman could believe only that Gandalf had known or foreknown this, and had concealed the knowledge from him and from the Council--for just such a purpose as Saruman would concieve: to gain possession and to forestall him" (p. 352, Unfinished Tales).
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2851
Today's reading comes from: The Silmarillion, pages 300-302 and Unfinished Tales, pages 350-352
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