Interview with several of his Rela- || Satan, and so on. tions. Asaad consent ed to go home and leave the English, which was the great point they wished to gain, provided they would get an assurance from the patriarch in writing, to say, on the faith of a Christian, that he would not molest him. "But," said they, "then you must hold your tongue, and not broach your new opinions among the people." March 6. Among those who came to see Asaad to-day, were three of his brothers and an uncle. Mansoor, the oldest of the brothers, we had never before seen. He is a furious bigot, and perfectly ignorant and regardless of the first principles of religion. The second, Tannoos, or Antony, has lived among us as a teacher, and "What," replied Asaad, "must has good native and acquired tal-I go and live like a dumb man? ents; but, though he might be a No, that I will never do. My reProtestant if he were left at liber-ligion binds me not to do it. I ty, he thinks it altogether prepos- must love my neighbour as myterous to attempt to quarrel with self." bishops and patriarchs on the subject of religion. 66 "Why do you not go," said they, to the Druses, and the These two brothers, and the Moslems, and preach the gospel uncle, (the last worse than the to them? You answer, because first,) came and conversed togeth- there is danger. So there is daner with Asaad in his chamber ager in the present case; this is not considerable time. Hearing them a land of liberty, therefore be sivery earnest, I took the liberty lent." also to go in. They continued their rebukes and arguments, (especially the uncle) in so harsh and unfeeling a manner, that it made me tremble to hear them. They contradicted Asaad, scoffed at and threatened him, calling him possessed, mad, under the power of AUGUST, 1827. Asaad.- -"Secure me but the free exercise of my conscience, and I will go with you. My religion is my all, and I must be free in it." They."We can give you no such security. Nobody dares go to the patriarch with such a re 29 quest. You cannot be permitted || then, but I now see that you can to publish your notions abroad among the people. "Then," said Asaad, "there is no more to be said ;"-rising, and with clasped hands walking the room; Religion unshackled-Religion unshackled, is my doctrine " 66 not stir a step, but you meet some of their corruptions." However, he to-day made the experiment, and held an hour's conversation with two visitors on the subject of regeneration. They both thought themselves renewed, but took too little interest in the subject to confine their attention to it. "You see," said Asaad, after they had gone, "how little they feel on such a subject. It is painful to talk with such men. would rather see them contradict, and dispute, and get angry, or any thing, than to appear so dead." I They rose and left the room in an angry despair. Mansoor returned, and wished to speak a word with Asaad at the door. In a moment, Asaad returned. "Do you know what Mansoor has told me " said he. "His last words were, Even if the patriarch and the emir should do nothing; if they make no attempts to take your life; be assured, we || Interview with a younger Brother. ourselves will do the work; so take heed to yourself accordingly." Asaad was much affected by the interview. As soon as he found himself at liberty, he stepped up into the loft where he sleeps, and threw himself on his couch in prayer. Asaad's brother Galeb came again to-day, and discovered more feeling than yesterday on the subject of his brother's leaving the English. He said he had brought an insupportable shame upon the family. Asaad insisted, that such shame was no argument whatever While in this attitude, his next for his leaving us; that all the disyounger brother, Galed, knocked ciples of Christ were to expect it at the door. I called to Asaad to as a thing of course. Galeb asinform him of the fact; but he sured him, that nobody would gave me no answer. I then in- think of molesting him, if he were vited Galeb to another room, at Hadet. I asked Galeb if his where Asaad soon joined us with a brother Mansoor did not threaten full and heavy heart. The two yesterday to kill him. He turned brothers saluted each other with away, coloured, and muttered embarrassment. Asaad evidently something that I did not underwished to be alone, and the broth-stand; but the whole was a full er, after a few mild, unmeaning acknowledgment of the fact. inquiries, left him. Asaad said, "I cannot confide in you." But," said Galed, "if any one were disposed to take your life, could they not do it as well here as at home ?" 7. I yesterday advised Asaad to direct his conversation with the I answered, "No; that the epeople, as much as possible, to mir Beshir himself could not entheir hearts, and say little or ter my house without my permisnothing on the corruption of their sion, and that if the relatives of church. He objected to the coun- Asaad did not cease from their sel. I referred him to similar ad- threats, I should feel myself bound vice he gave me some months ago to shut them out of it." "Ah," said he, "I thought soll After a long conversation, at ás inflexible as ever, he rose abruptly, and was going out without a compliment, when Asaad started up, and asked, "Well, what do you conclude to do?. Do you really intend to send some assassin to take my life in my room ?" The youth, without deigning to look at him, closed the door in sullen grief, and departed. the end of which he found Asaad || health, and we have seen you. Then quiet our mother, that we, through the bounty of God, are in perfect health, and that we have great peace in our Lord Jesus Christ, peace above all that the world can afford, and abundant joy in the Holy Ghost above all earthly joy. But as to our coming up this evening, we do not find it convenient, not even though we had the strongest desire to see our mother and you. the Asaad turning to me, said, "I cannot please these people. Whatever I say, they are sure to be angry. Soft words, or hard words, it makes no difference to them. They come as if I were under their kingly authority. They lay hold of my cloak, and say, Give me this. If I say, I will not give it,' they are angry; and if I reason with them with all mildness of which I am capable, and say,Cannot you be accommodated elsewhere? Can you not wait upon me in a few days? &c. they are equally angry." Correspondence with his 8. A messenger called this morning with the following note: "To our brother Asaad Esh Shidiak May God bless you.We beg you to come home tonight, and not wait till Sunday. We have pledged our mother that you shall come. If you fail to do so, you will trouble us all. 66 I beg you all to love God, and to serve him in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is of all things the most important; for if we love God, if he but renew our hearts by the Holy Ghost, we shall enjoy each other's society for ever and ever. 66 "And now we are prevented from coming to you, and you know we are not void of all desire to see you, but the hinderances to which we have alluded, are, we think, a sufficient apology. We beg you Family.gize for us to our mother, and we to accept our excuse, and to apolopray God to pour out his grace richly on you all, and lengthen your days. "Your brother, GALEB." To this letter, Asaad set down, and instantly wrote the following reply. To our much honored and very dear brother Galed: God preserve him. Your note has reached us, in which you speak of our coming home to night, and say, that if we do not come, we trouble you Your Brother, ASAAD. "P. S. Tell our mother not to think so much of these earthly things, but rather of God Saviour. our Is visited by his Mother. This letter had been gone scarcely time sufficient to reach Hadet, when the mother herself was announced at the door. We welcomed her with all cordiality, and treated her with all the respect and attention we could. But all we could do or say did not alter her resolution to get her son away, if in her power. She besought him by the honor he owed her, by "Now if we were in some dis- the love he professed for her, by tant land, your longing after us in his regard for the reputation of this manner might be very proper; her family, for religion itself, and but we are near you, and you have for his own personal safety, that been here, and seen us all in || he would immediately accompany all. her home; and when she found him inflexible, she declared she would never stir out of the house unless he went with her. To all this Asaad replied, "To what purpose would it be, that I should go home? You wish me to go, you say, that people may be convinced that I am not mad. But you, who come hither, and see, and converse with me, say, after all, that I am mad. How can it be expected that I should convince others that I am not mad, when my own mother will not believe it. Or do you think that if I once get out among you, the air of Hadet will change my opinions, or induce me to be silent? All these are vain expectations. I see no object to be gained. If I should go to Hadet, and be constantly disputing with the people, and telling them, that you are all going astray; that you are worshipping idols instead of the living God; that I could wish to tear down every picture in your churches; that the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper are not Jesus Christ; that I believe the pope to be the beast in the Revelation, whose business is to deceive the people and ruin their souls-by all this I should injure your feelings, enrage the people, excite the opposition of the emirs, and bishops, and patriarchs, and then return here just in the state I am in now. The youngest brother, Phares, who accompanied his mother, conversed freely and in good temper, and listened with attention to all Asaad's arguments, by which he endeavoured to justify his views and determinations. But no argument or evidence could convince the disconsolate mother. Asaad had repeated the name of Christ, and the word of God so often, that *When he first came to Beyroot, this same sentence was dictated to him, and it appeared in his eyes so much like blasphemy, that he refused to write it. she at last, in a fit of impatience exclaimed, "Away with Christ, and the word of God; what have we to do with them!" and when we pointed out to Asaad some text of Scripture, which we thought applicable in any case, she would endeavour to close the book, or catch it from him, as if it taught paganism, or witchcraft. During her stay we dined, and as Asaad took the meat upon his plate, and ate it without a scruple, in this season of Lent, it was remarked with what a gaze of wonder she regarded him. She seemed to say in her heart, "All is over-my son is lost!" After some hours of troublesome expostulation and entreaty, during which Asaad once said he could bear it no longer, and rose, and shook my hand to go, it was finally settled that the mother should go home without him, but that to save the family from the insupportable shame which threatened it, Asaad should give her a paper, stating, in effect, that he was not a follower of the English. When the paper was finished, 66 Now," said Asaad, "go to your home in peace ;" and walked away but suddenly recollecting himself, he called his brother back, and said, "Phares, I wish you fully to understand, that I love you; and I have one request to make of you, which is, that you will take the New Testament, and read it attentively.”—“ Give me a New Testament," said Phares, quickly. We gave him the book, and he went his way, evidently affected and softened by the interview. 9, 1826. The shekh before mentioned (p. 218) communicated to Asaad, through the medium of a priest, the offer of his daughter in marriage, on condition he should leave the English. 10. Set apart a day of fasting and prayer on Asaad's account. He was observed not to be in a came in with a cane, and began cudgelling me, without stopping to inquire at all into the merits of the case, calling out, Will you leave off your heresy, and go to church like other people, or not ?" Mansoor not finding Asaad present, as he seemed to have expected, went to Asaad's chest which stood near me, seized all the happy temper. Towards evening he spoke of going home. I hoped he would finish writing the statement we had requested of him, 66 for," said I, “ if you go home, I shall not see you again for months." "No," said he, " perhaps not for years." His manner was very peculiar. I knew not what was the matter, till, in the evening, after a long conver-books he had received of you, sation on the evidences of inspiration, he said, "I have been in deep darkness to-day. My heart has been full of blasphemy, such as I have scarcely ever known. I have even doubted the existence of God. But now I am relieved." Visits his relatives at Hadet. Hebrew, Syriac, Italian, and Arabic, tore them, one by one, in pieces, and strewed them on the floor. "In the course of the day, I came down near where the soldiers of the emir are encamped, and passed the night in company with my brother Galeb This morning he returned, with a line 17. Four of the relatives of from me to Asaad, and I came off Asaad came down, and succeeded to Beyroot, with the full determiin persuading him to accompany nation never to go home again. them home. He said he could And now I will either go to some not believe, after all that has been place in this country where I can said, that they would do him enjoy my liberty, or I will take violence, and he strongly expect-ship, and leave the country altoed that his visit at Hadet would gether." do good. A majority of us opposed his going, with all we could say; but he thinks he knows the people here better than we do. He left us towards evening, ex-trial of doing good to his relatives, pecting to be absent only a few days. Their Violence, and the consequent 24. Phares Shidiak came to my house to-day, and wished to speak with me in private. As he wished my advice, I counselled him neither to go from the country, nor from his home, but to return, and at least make a further and bearing their persecutions. He, however, continued inflexible. In the space of a few hours, Galeb came in search of Phares, with a letter from Asaad, of which the following is a copy. Asaad's Letter to his Brother Phares. "To my beloved brother Phares; the Lord Most High preserve him. "Yesterday morning," said he, "as I was in my room reading the New Testament, my brother Mansoor entered, drew a sword he had, and gave me a blow upon "Your departure caused me great the neck. I continued with the grief. First, because you were book in my hand, until one snatch-impatient when trial and persecued it from me. Mansoor after- tion came upon you. It is a thing wards drew up his musket, threat-we are regularly to expect, that if ening to shoot me; but my moth- we hope in God in this world, we er interfered to prevent him. My shall give universal offence. But brother Tannoos, hearing a bustle, we have another city, for which |