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| 12, 1825, "the contempt ible Joseph Peter, patriarch of Antioch," to have any intercourse with "these men," viz., the missionaries. Another firman was soon issued by the Grand Seignior, warning every one against these books. Dr. King sent out a reply, defending, by testimony from the early Fathers, the Canon of Scripture as issued by the British and Foreign Bible Society, as free from the apocryphal writings so much insisted on by the Greek church.
As rejoinder to Dr. King's reply, came another mani festo, commencing in a style proving that pure transcen dentalism is not indigenous to Boston or New England soil: " In the name of the Eternal Being, the Necessary of Existence, the Almighty; file Contemptible Ignatius Peter, patriarch of Antioch and of the Syrians." The paper sought to justify the patriarch in his failure to carry out an agreement made with some English Chris tians, which has already been noticed, and it still more positively forbade the people to receive the Bible or any books from the missionaries. These special efforts of the priesthood were over ruled for good in a way which time alone has helped to bring to view, for they led to the writing by Dr. King of LIFE IN PALESTINE CONTINUED. 18 z his now celebrated " Farewell letter to his friends in Palestine and Syria," which through all these years has proved a shaft of wonderful power, and which our mod ern missionaries still retain in their armory, not as a relic of the past, but rather as a weapon well fitted for the present conflict. A letter, very sad, as showing determinate enmity to our blessed Lord, just now came from Lady Hester Stan hope, from Djaun Lebanon, in answer to one of sympa thy from Dr. King, on occasion of the death of her brother. She says : " I should have liked your letter better, had you not talked of Jesus Christ, in whom I shall never believe, and that you know; therefore never preach to me any more upon that subject, for it will be perfectly useless. The future will prove who is right ; till then let the matter rest, with me at least. Your own book, the Bible, gives no mathematical proof of what you wish to inculcate." In contrast to this, came a visit paid to a Christian emir and his father, who had had their eyes burnt out and their tongues cut off the winter before, by the Emir • Bushir. As • in the case of Milton, so much the more the true light shone in them, and strange to say, their articulation was still almost perfect. A record here appears in detail of Bibles and tracts distributed in the East by Messrs. Wolff, Fisk, Goodell, Bird, and King, from 1822 to 1825, amounting to 3,329 Bibles or parts of Bibles, and 43,800 tracts, making with those already given out by Messrs. Fisk and Parsons, 4,000 copies of the Bible, and 20,000 tracts, besides those Jonas Kfuo. 16
circulated by Mr. Temple. We now begin to see the harvest from this seed sown fifty years ago. Dr. King closes Vol. IV. of his journal, "Let not missionaries or missionary societies be discouraged, be cause they see no present fruits of their labor. They shall reap in due season, if they faint not."
CHAPTER XII. HOMEWARD THROUGH EUROPE. Asia Minor—Death of Pliny Fisk—Smyrna—Spain—Nismes Paris—Duke de Broglie—Louis Philippe—Lafayette—Count Verhuell—Countess of St. Aulaire—Visits in England—Hannah More. DR. KING left Beyrout for Smyrna, Sept. 26, 1825, in company with an English nobleman and his suite, some of whom, infidel as to religion, sought to entangle the missionary in his talk. One of them died within a few days, of malignant fever, without apparent knowledge of his danger. He had asked that no clergyman should ever be sent for to visit him, if sick. Reason was taken away almost from the first. All that Dr. King could do, at the funeral, was to seek to impress the truth upon the rest of the hitherto gay company. A stop was made at Tarsus, and a visit paid to the falls of the Cydnus, so full of association with the brief and brilliant career of Alexander the Great, and the early aspirations of the boy Saul of Tarsus. The journey was pressed onward through Asia Minor. One can well ima gine the many points of interest : old volcanoes and ruins of places now scarcely known. Danger of attack by rob bers supplied a dash of 'excitement. In one place the travellers passed about a hundred and fifty graves of men who had been murdered quite recently. Lord St. A. 184 fOLVAS KING. said that in case of difficulty, he was ready to turn Mus sulman ; but neither this willingness, nor the better resolution of the missionary to trust in God, was brought to the test. At Buluwaden, the party " took lodgings in . a khan, which had one tolerable room, but it was so full of Turks and Rayahs, that we concluded to sleep in the stable where our horses were. Indeed, one part of the stable was intended for men, and had six or seven chimneys or fireplaces. At our feet as we lay down horses might have been fed. This came nearer to what I used to suppose an oriental khan to be, than any I have seen before in this country. I could not but think of Him who was `wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger." A curious superstition was found attached to a spring about three feet in diameter, which bubbled and whirled at the top of a mound, as if from intense heat, but still was cold. The Turks consult it when about to buy a horse. In such a case they "pile up three stones, one upon another, then hold a cloth or the corner of a hand kerchief in the water for one or two minutes. On taking out the cloth they find a small hair attached to it and the color of this hair shows them, they say, what color the horse ought to be." The name of Philadelphia was found most appropri ately to be "Allah Shahein," "the city of God, for he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God." And in its ruins was a striking fulfilment of the prophecy relating to the church there. Rev. 3 : 12. Upon arriving at Smyrna, eighty-nine days after HOME WARD . HRO UGH E UROPE. IS5 leaving Beyrout, sad news met the homeward bound missionary. The vessel of Lord St. A. which, after land ing the passengers at Tarsus, was to make its way round to meet them at Smyrna, had been taken by the Greeks, and stripped of everything, including Dr. King's books, manuscripts, minerals and clothing. Making the journey by land had been the means of preserving their lives. Some of the boxes were afterwards recovered. Upon opening them, Dr. King writes, " Many of my beautiful Korans and Arabic manuscripts, and Syriac and Persian books were gone, or torn in pieces, and the greater part of my letters, I believe. I however found the most im portant of my journals and private writings." But there was a greater trial. Pliny Fisk was gone ; the dear friend, whom Dr. King had left in perfect health, had fin ished his work on earth. At the grave of Parsons the two had sung," Brother, thou art gone before us." Now the survivor was left to sing alone, " Brethren, ye have gone before me." The fact was one difficult to realize. Here at hand were freshly written letters from Pliny Fisk, full of love to the dear friend who had come for three years to his aid in mission work. But one of those insid ious eastern fevers, at first scarcely threatening danger, had suddenly done its office, giving however this servant of God time to write a second letter as follows: " MY BELOVED BROTHER KING: Little did we think when we parted, that the first, or nearly the first intelli gence concerning me, would be the news of my death; yet this is likely to be the case. I write you as from my dyieg bed. The Saviour, whom I have so imperfectly 16*
served, I trust now grants me his aid, and to his faith ful care I commit my immortal spirit. May your life be prolonged and be made abundantly useful. Live a life of prayer. Let your conversation be in heaven. Labor abundantly for Christ. Whatever treatment you meet with, whatever difficulties you encounter, whatever vexa tions fall to your lot, and from whatever source, possess your soul in patience, yea, let patience have her perfect work. " I think of you now with my dying breath, and remem ber many happy hours we have spent together. And I die in the glorious hope of meeting you, where we shall be freed from all sin. Till that happy meeting, dear brother, farewell. "P. FISK." Dr. King's long term of service is in accordance with the above dying prayer. At Smyrna, Jan. 19, 1826, a Greek family named Mengous, knowing of Dr. King's great desire to speak the Greek language not only with correctness but with elegance, consented to receive him under their roof, wishing in return to perfect themselves in English. This removal is important only in relation to ensuing events. If the young American learned things other than Greek in this hospitable mansion, it is not to be wondered at by those who knew of the extreme attrac tiveness of the daughter of the house. Notwithstanding Dr. King's acquaintance thus with one of the best families in the place, his name was by order of the bishop, read out in the French and Italian HOMEWARD THROUGH EUROPE. 187 churches, as "an American who distributed bad books, contrary to church and religion, and that it was a sin to read them." In a different spirit came a letter, written, the day after Dr. King had preached on board the United States corvette Erie, by Dorotheos Papa Michael, who was present with other Greeks on that occasion. " ELOQUENT AND VENERABLE MAN, Mr. King, all hail ! Many times before, my friend, and especially yesterday, I could not but wonder at the zeal which you have in preaching the word of God; nor less could I help prais ing the density of your ideas ; from thence auguring con cerning the gigantic steps which your mission has made, is making, and will make. "The fear of God, my friend, united with upright words, and with sincere searching for the truth, are truly those energetic means by which everything may be ac complished. Want of time does not permit to praise also the zeal, which yesterday I witnessed in the great atten tion of the sons of America to your words, sure and in contestable signs of internal worship and of a continued returning of the heart [towards God]. "My friend, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with us all. So let it be. Farewell. "DOROTHEOS PAPA MICHAEL." To Smyrna, Dr. Wolff also soon came, and the work of distributing tracts was carried on as before in Egypt and Syria. 188 ,7ONAS KING. M.-J. Van Lennep's name now appears, representing a family planted in Eastern Asia Minor, and owned of God for the furtherance of the Gospel. After about five months stay in Smyrna, Dr. King saw the way clear to continue his journey, passing Mag nesia, now a mission station, on his way to Constantino ple. At Thyatira, he was told that tracts left there by Messrs. Fisk and Parsons had been read by more than two hundred persons. Dr. King arrived at Constantinople, taking lodgings in Pera, just after the surprising stroke by which the Sultan had relieved himself of the Janizaries. Over
Turkish law was so stringent in regard to the Greeks, that Dr. King could not pursue his Greek studies in Constantinople to advantage, and consequently returned to Smyrna—glad to leave a place which, although he was treated there with great kindness by the English resi dents, he yet found to be a city " full of oppression, de ceit, and false religion, of confusion, plague, and death." " Fuit Ilium " seemed the most appropriate passing remark, as a few tumuli were seen in the distance on the plains of Troy. - Smyrna friends gave him a most cordial welcome, and mission work was resumed there for a time, soon inter rupted by the arrival of the " Erie," whose officers pressed Dr. King to join their mess, either to Mahon, or to America. This invitation it seemed wise to accept, and Dr. King bade farewell to the lands of the East. HOMEWARD THROUGH EUROPE. 189 August 9, 1826. Visits were made to Tripoli,'where Decatur burned the frigate " Philadelphia," which had run aground and been taken by the Tripolitans. It was commanded by Commodore Bainbridge, whose war-cloak has been made historical by his nephew Dr. McLean, late President of Princeton College; and also to Algiers, where Dr. King renewed acquaintance with Mr. William Shaler, consul, whom he had met in Paris. At Mahon, on invitation, Dr. King held a friendly discussion with two Roman-catholic friends, who, as usual, denied the right of private interpretation of the Scriptures. The establishment of the Circumlocution Office was not left to the present day. It cost him a world of trouble to obtain a passport for Marseilles or Barcelona, but it was finally secured through the interposition of Commodore Rodgers and other officers of the United States government vessels, for whose kindness in many emergencies Dr. King was deeply grateful. Expenses at the best hotel in Barcelona at this time were x$I a day. The inhabitants were a singular mixture of Spanish and Arab types, having many customs pecu liar to the East. In drinking, they would hold the ves sel a little distance above the mouth, inclining the head back, and would thus pour the water into it in a stream. The original coat-of-arms of the Bonaparte family was to be seen there, showing, as the name implies, what is called a noble origin : on one side a lion, on the other six stars ; above them an eagle and a casque with feathers. The archives of the Count of Aragon were also of interest, containing a treaty with the Moors, dated in the
year 86 of the Hegira. An old papal bull, issued in the tenth century, was also on exhibition. At this time the dust caused by the demolishing of the walls of the Inqui sition had hardly settled. A Jew had been hung only three months before, simply because he was a Jew. Poi soning was of frequent occurrence. Over fifteen hun dred had been assassinated in the province of Catalonia within three years, and no note made of it, except here and there by the erection of crosses. Did not such a land call for a pure gospel ? It was a delight to cross the line between Spain and France, and to join at Nismes in observing the Monthly Concert with true Christian friends, whose first exclama tion was, " We have been praying for you for four years !" A letter from Jeremiah Evarts, Secretary of the American Board, was received here, having been for warded from Smyrna. It refers to Mr. Gregory Perdi cari and two other Greeks, who had come to America for education by Dr. King's advice, recommending that al though these young men were now provided for, no oth ers should be sent, unless funds should be secured in advance for their support. Dr. Evarts expressed great interest in the cause of Greece. Missolonghi had just fallen. He said the American Board were ready to em ploy Dr. King as agent to arouse the church, hoping he himself, after a time, might return to Greece ; for from the engagement made with Amherst he might no doubt be honorably released, as it was the common opinion that there was no need to teach Arabic in our colleges, and Amherst just now had no funds to spare. The let- HOME WARD THR O UGH EUROPE. 191 ter closes with words of touching sympathy in regard to Mr. Fisk, on whose help in various ways the Board had been depending. Such a letter could not fail to produce some excitement on Dr. King's part. On its, proposals might hinge his whole future life. Dr. King says, " All sinful as I am, still I feel as if there was an invisible hand guiding me." To this letter Dr. King returned a glowing appeal in behalf of the Greeks, defending them on every point. To Nismes came also at this time Rev. H. G. O. Dwight, since so well known as missionary at Constan tinople. It was pleasant, too, to receive letters of greet ing from that true Christian gentleman, Baron de Stael, from Prof. Kieffer, Thomas Waddington, and the well-known philanthropist, John Yenning, who was indeed a light set in a dark place, St. Petersburg, and from Count Admiral Verhuell, peer of France, and president of the Evangelical Missionary Society at Paris. The latter writes in behalf of the society, and also of some young missionary students in training for the foreign work, ask ing Dr. King to visit them, also to prepare in detail such facts and fruits of his experience in the East as would prove useful to any future laborers there. Offers of fur ther assistance as to funds were also made in a very con siderate way, and were peculiarly acceptable on account of the loss of clothing through Greek pirates, which has been before mentioned. Mr. Wilder had written that t,000 francs were placed to Dr. King's credit in Paris; and now through these Paris Christians the Lord pro vided for every temporal want.
Several missionary meetings were attended by Dr. King in the vicinity of Nismes. At one Monthly Con cert at Anduze about four hundred persons were present. Letters now came from Rev. Daniel Temple and Rev. Eli Smith, then his associate at Malta, and also from Rev. Josiah Brewer. Mr. Temple wrote, "I am sorry to say that Government refuses to give me permission to print your valedictory letter, assigning as a reason that it is ' an overt attack upon the dominant religion of these pos sessions.' You will be gratified to hear that Asaad Shi diak, your teacher in Arabic, mentions your letter to his friends as the means of his conversion to the truth as it in Jesus." Leaving Nismes, a visit was paid to Montauban. Here Dr. King addressed the students on Missions, and made note of their course of study. Monday, April 2, Dr. King writes : "At 6 P. if. ar rived at the place which I left four years and seven months before to go up to Jerusalem, not knowing the things which might befall me there. I will not attempt to describe the emotions which I felt when I first came in sight of this city. In silence I praised the God of heaven, all whose ways are mercy, sought of him forgive ness through Christ for all my unfaithfulness, and beg ged of him to order all my future ways in kindness, to keep me from falling into sin, to enable me to walk in humility, and as becomes a poor sinner who hopes for pardon alone through the blood of Christ." The following note shows into what a circle Dr. King was at once received at Paris : " Dined at the Duke lIO_;IE WARD THROUGH EUROPE. 193 de Broglie's in company with the Countess de St. Au laire and Madame R., who was formerly much in com pany with Madame de Staol. After dinner General La fayette came in. Conversed with all on the subject of religion. When speaking to the children of the Duke de Broglie and of the Count de St. Aulaire (who is Ro man-catholic), all came round me to listen. I spoke of regeneration, love to Christ, the sinfulness of man, etc. General Lafayette himself seemed to listen with pleas ure, and invited me to come and spend a little time with him and his family at La Grange. The Countess of St. Aulaire invited me to call and see her the next day, say ing that she was a Roman-catholic, and that she had something in particular to communicate to me. "At I P. M. I called on the Countess de St. Aulaire, who began immediately to open her mind to me with regard to her religious views and feelings, the difficulties she had to encounter, etc. She is one of the most inter esting women I have met with in France. Her New Testament is marked from one end to the other, and I think she is truly born of God. She introduced me to all her daughters, and I spoke to them on the subject of religion. I spent with her nearly two hours and a half. "Dined with Mr. Porter and spent the evening at General Lafayette's. He introduced me to all his fam ily. Madame Lafayette said she had desired much to see me. The General again invited me into the country." Dr. King also called on Count Verhuell, Baron de Sacy, and by invitation on Madame Lasteyrie, the daugh ter of Gen. Lafayette. A proposal came from Dr. Thayer Jon:. $'n;, 1 7 194 5 ONAS JUNG, of Amherst that Dr. King should join him in charge of an institution there, afterwards called Mount Pleasant. A Greek princess was a refugee in Paris at this time under circumstances of great trial. Her husband had been killed by the Turks, and four of her children had recently died. The Duchess de Broglie and the Countess of St. Aulaire took Dr. King to see this lady ; and the truths of the New Testament, a copy of which he left with her after the visit, proved, as ever to those who re ceive them, of unspeakable comfort to her. After giving an account of a missionary meeting, Dr. King writes : " At six, dined with the Duchess de Brog lie, who had invited me the Thursday before, in order to read the Scriptures and explain them to her family and others that might be present. There were present, be sides the duke and his family, his sister Madame Ran dall, Madame de St. Aulaire and all her children, the brother of the Baron de Stai 1, and others. There were perhaps ten of these Roman-catholics. After dinner I conversed with the children on religion, and at S read and explained the fifth chapter of second Corinthians, and concluded with prayer. How interesting to have such a meeting at the Duke de Broglie's ! Really it is of the Lord, and all glory be to his name." The next day appears the following entry : " At half past two went to call on Madame Scherer, Rue St. Ho nore, No. 362, who received me in the most cordial man ner, though an entire stranger. Soon after I began to converse she and all her family wept ; and here also I proposed having prayer, in which we united. At quarter
before six went to dine with his excellency, Mr. Brown, the American ambassador. Spent the evening at his house, where I met some persons of distinction. " Tuesday, 24. At half past two went by invitation to Madame Jules Mallet's, Rue Montblanc, No. 13, to meet a number of ladies, for the purpose of reading to them the Scriptures, with explanations and prayer. Among those present was the daughter of Baron Cuvier. There were twelve or fourteen present, and all ladies of high rank. How interesting to be invited to hold reli gious meetings among this class of people—at Paris, where a few years ago one was almost ashamed to own that he believed in Christ." Meetings were held also in the interests of the Tract Cause and that of Christian morals. One day while con versing ivith the Countess St. Aulaire, "Mademoiselle Randall came in, and in speaking of the dismission of the National Guards, and of the Duke of Orleans (after wards Louis Philippe), Ah,' said the Countess of St. Au laire to me, `you would be delighted to see the duke ;' and I said, Yes, certainly, if I could be introduced to him.' Upon this, Mademoiselle Randall, who is very in timate with him, at once offered to introduce me." This promise was not forgotten. A note came, saying that the duke would receive Dr. King at Neuilly, the next day at 12:30. "He received me in his room alone, and we spent about one hour in conversation with regard to America, France, Greeks, Turks, and evangelical mis sions. He seems to be very liberal in his views, is a warm friend of the Greeks, and wishes that the Euro- 196 yOiVAS KING. pean powers would unite to put down the pride of the Turks, and to give liberty to the Oriental Christians, who should have a government of their own establishment in Constantinople. He spoke against slavery, and seems to be a friend of man. On his asking me whether it was true that the Sandwich Islands and Otaheite had become Christian, I gave an account of our mission to Hawaii ; and on his asking what religion we introduced, I told him the doctrines which we preach—man lost by nature, Christ his only Saviour, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and the fruits of it the spirit and temper of Christ. I told him that these were the doctrines God had blessed to the conversion of Greece, Rome, and all pagan Eu rope, and that we believed these doctrines would be blessed in these last days. I then related to him the conversion of Jews at Constantinople by the preaching of these doctrines. The end of the world is then ap-
for nobody makes any effort to save them, and the Chris tians who are among them avoid speaking on religion ; but when an apostolical spirit shall revive in the Eastern churches, and men are willing to lay down their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus, we may then expect to see some conversions. It is nothing,' said I, ` but the grace of God through Christ that can change our own hearts, HOMEWARD THROUGH EUROPE. 197 and nothing else that can soften the heart of Jews and Mussulmans and civilize pagans.' "At length I told him that our missionaries endeav ored to preach as much as possible as St. Paul and St. John and the early disciples of Christ preached—in a word, to know nothing else but ` Jesus Christ and him crucified." `If they continue to limit themselves to this,' said he, ` they will do well.' "On my rising to leave, he followed me to the door of his apartment, and stood conversing for ten or fifteen minutes. I then begged pardon of him for taking so much of his time. He said he was most happy to have formed my acquaintance, and should be happy to see me again. "Blessed be God that I have thus had opportunity to speak a word to him for Christ and His holy gospel, and in favor of evangelical missions. Much of the morning before I went to call on him I spent in prayer to the Prince of princes and the King of kings that He would prepare our hearts and open the way for me to say some thing for Christ. Blessed be his name, he heard my poor prayer offered in the name of Jesus Christ." Dr. King's irrepressible work among the Catholic no bility excited fears lest his staying at the Mission House might lead to difficulties with the government. May 5, 1827, it was thought expedient by his friends that he should take lodgings elsewhere. "`Is it your design,' inquired I, ` that I should be silent, and not speak the truths of the gospel as I may have opportunity at Paris among Roman-catholics ?' " ` Not in the least,' said Count Verhuell, with em-17
phasis ' who on earth can stop your mouth that you should not be faithful and speak for Christ? But as you are drawing the attention of many towards you, it is bet ter that you should not remain in the Mission House. If you stay six days more, take another lodging. If your funds are short, I will pay for your lodging myself.' " After visits paid elsewhere, everywhere preaching Christ and him crucified, both in the diligence and in the homes of luxury, where he was always welcome, Dr. King accepted General Lafayette's invitation to visit him at La Grange. " Soon after I entered the saloon the general and all his family came in to welcome me to La Grange. To the general, who took me by the hand with both of his, I said, ` May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ ever be with this house, so dear to my dear coun try.' Soon after I entered the house the rain fell in tor rents, mingled with hail and attended by lightning and peals of thunder. I thought of the storm that hung over my country when Lafayette came to her assistance. I thought of the liberty so dear, those privileges so precious, which I had enjoyed, and of which the OId World knows so little. I felt that I wished to reflect and not to con verse. I retired to my chamber, and there I spent some time in prayer. At a little past six we sat down to din ner. The general placed me between him and his daugh ter Madame Lasteyrie. "The evening was spent in conversing about the American war, Major Andre, Major Ales, Arnold the traitor, the system of slavery, the best way to eradicate it, the Colonization Society, etc." HOME WARD THROUGH EUROPE. 199 In Dr. King's Journal are found autographs of La fayette and his family ; of " Charles Carroll of Carroll ton, far advanced in the ninety-first year of his age ;" also those of the Duke de Broglie and his family. The duchess, upon giving these names, said, " I trust that not one of these will be forgotten in your prayers." With her name as one of the " transplanted flowers," whose record was preserved by Rev. Dr. Robert Baird, is connected that of Mademoiselle Clementine Cuvier, daughter of Baron Cuvier. Dr. King writes of her as "very seri ous," and "a person of great distinction in Paris, with a mind highly cultivated." Of the Countess of St. Aulaire he says, "She is a person of great attainments in learn ing, of exquisite taste, and has left all the principal errors of the Roman-catholic church. The Bible is now her study and her delight. She is of a distinguished family, from which three popes have been chosen. She corre sponds with the king of Prussia, and has a numerous lit erary acquaintance." A plan now appears for an institution foreshadowing Lincoln University, which Dr. King suggested should bear the conjoint names of Washington and Lafayette. Dr. King's time, during his stay in Paris, was much taken up in translating into French some of his manu scripts, a work which the friends of missions had asked him to do. The East was then almost a terra incognita. Information as to every point was called for, Again, Armenian type was needed at Malta, and books of refer ence for the missionaries there, all of which he was able to secure. But through it all we learn, by frequent ref- 200 JONAS erence to hours of prayer, whence came the power that made this plain, earnest American missionary so accept able a guest in the first society of Paris. As he left some of these homes, all, even the servants, were in tears. Passing over the Channel, the same warm welcome was accorded to our missionary in many of "the stately homes of England," where further contributions were made to the font of Arabic type. After a meeting at Miss Farrar's, conducted by Miss Stevens, a lady of the Church of England, of eminent piety, who in her reading and explaining of the Scriptures to large circles antici pated the work done by many Christian women at the present day, Dr. King was asked to speak of the work in Palestine. When through with his remarks, "a little boy of eight years, Master T. H. Farrar, stepped up to me, and said, ` Here is one pound towards the types.' This seemed to give an impulse to others, who came also and contributed, and I got more than six pounds. This I considered a large sum." The pages of the Journal are brilliant just now with the names of persons well known beyond their own coun try for their interest in the cause of Christ's kingdom : Drummond, Lord Calthorpe, Mr. Pratt, the biographer of Richard Cecil, Rev. Mr. Saunders, Mr. Symes—who showed Dr. King no little kindness, Rev. Baptist Noel, Lord and Lady Teignmouth, Marquis of Cholmondely, Mr. and Mrs. Hawley, Mr. Harford of Blaise Castle, and others. Rev. Robert Hall asked Dr. King to preach for him, and after this service introduced a captain from HOMEWARD THROUGH EUROPE. 201 Beyrout, who confirmed from his own observation every word that had been said in regard to certain matters in Syria. The coming in of this captain just then, Dr. Hall said, was one of the most remarkable events he had ever known. July 19, 1827, Dr. King writes: "Went to Barley Wood, the residence of the celebrated Mrs. Hannah More, about twelve miles from Bristol. I arrived about to A. n1., and met with a most cordial reception. Mrs. More is now in her eighty-third year, and converses with I might almost say the vivacity of youth. Her eye, though a little dimmed with age, still speaks in conversation, and animates what her tongue eloquently utters. " I remained with her till about 5 P. M., and it was then with much difficulty that I could get away, she was so urgent, and so often repeated her solicitations to have me stay another day at her house. She took great inter est in the accounts I gave her of Palestine ; said, ' I want no more of Italy and France, nothing but Palestine.' She gave me one of her books, the Life of St. Paul, and some little pamphlets, and also £5 for the Arabic type. I afterwards sent to her from Bristol an olive-branch from Bethany. I would gladly have remained a few days at Barley Wood, and also at Bristol with Rev. Robert Hall, and a little longer at Blaise Castle, but I have for a long time past made it a rule not to go to any place, nor to remain there, unless there is hope of doing some good, or unless circumstances evidently point it out as a duty either to go or stay." 202 , O1VAS KING. CHAPTER XIII. MISSIONARY AGENCY IN AMERICA. Arrival in New York—Visits to Friends—Agency with A. B. C. F. M. in New York and the South—Dr. Kirk—Washington. Letter from Ladies' Greek Committee of New York—Becomes their Missionary—Sails from New York—Kind Reception at Paris. AUGUST 2, 1827, Dr. King took leave of England, sailing by packet Pacific for New York, and September 4 he was able to write : "At thirty-eight minutes past ten my feet pressed the soil to which they have so long been a stranger." Here, upon landing, he was immedi ately greeted and made welcome by S. F. B. Morse, Rev. W. A. Hallock, W. W. Chester, Pelatiah Perit, Mr. Will iam Williams of Norwich, Dr. Rice, Rev. Matthias Bruen, and others, while a letter awaited him from Mr. Wilder ; a constellation of names, all but one now passed onward into the heavens. Parents and friends in New England were first to be visited. At Ware village he soon found Mr. and Mrs. Wilder, then went on to meet an appointment made by Colonel Trask at Springfield; then reporting himself to Dr. Humphrey at Amherst, where he preached on Sun day, he passed on to Northampton and Hawley. Here were his now aged parents, feeble in health, yet truly re signed in regard to his long absence. After a few days' MISSIONARY AGENCY IN AMERICA. 203 visit, when another parting seemed doubly hard to bear, while yet Dr. King was both affected and strengthened by his father's fervent prayers, he went with Col. Long-ley to Shelburne, to visit the father of Pliny Fisk. " As I entered the house," he says, "my heart was full. All the scenes of the East came fresh to my mind. And the wounds that had been made by the death of Mr. Fisk seemed to be opened afresh. His father had gone out, so I sat down and wept in silence. He soon came in, and with weeping took my hand and exclaimed, ' Oh, that I have lived to see any one who has seen my son !' All the afternoon he sat close by me, and seemed to feel as if I were all that was left him of his deceased Pliny. He is now seventy-nine years old, and expects soon to go home to his rest. At half-past six in the evening went with him and his son about two miles to the meet inghouse, to attend the monthly prayer-meeting." Passing on again towards New York, where the American Board was to meet, an offer was made Dr. King of a professorship in Yale College, $15,000 being already raised for an endowment. At the first meeting of the American Board Dr. King was called to speak, and special interest was felt in his report as to Asaad el Shidiak. The Board still wished him to undertake an agency, and though the compensation was of necessity small, he said there was a call to it in his own bosom louder than the Board could give, and more tempting than to settle down as professor on an assured salary. He felt impelled to urge upon the Board itself more earnest, onward movement, so many
places in the East were opening to the gospel. Dr. Beecher, Dr. Porter, and Dr. Proudfit, also spoke on the subject, and then followed one of those supreme seasons, when God was indeed shedding down upon every heart the blessing of the Holy Spirit. A subscription of $25,000 was made on the spot, $20,000 of which was an nual for five years ; a large sum at that time. Dr. King also addressed a meeting of 250 ladies in Dr. Mathew's vestryroom, besides one or two others of the same kind in other churches. Mr. Abeel, afterwards so useful in China, was in New York just now, and con ferred with Dr. King as to his going on a foreign mis sion, praying together in reference to this. Rev. Suther land Douglas invited Dr. King to speak on missions to a convention of Episcopal clergy at Washington. Other names now appear in New York as friends of the same great cause. Col. Rutgers, Col. Crosby, Mr. Gilman of Norwich, Rev. Dr. Ferris, Rev. Edward N. Kirk, Dr. Henry G. Ludlow, Mr. Joseph S. James, Moses Allen, and Mrs. Bethune, in whose infant-school be told of Bethlehem ; visiting also Mr. Seaton's Sunday-school of three hundred and fifty scholars. News now came of the death of Dr. Payson at Port land, and Dr. King copied in full the letter, now so cele brated, dictated to his sister just before he entered the gates of heaven. Arrangements being completed with a Committee on Extra Efforts, now appointed by the American Board, it was thought bcst to attempt securing $500,000, payable within five years, and a meeting was called in order to
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