ad left them a second time, the patriarch again sent
his nephew to enquire of me what I wished; whether it was money, or what
else, promising that he would answer my enquiries.

I returned and told him, that I had a request to make of _one thing
only_, and that I hoped he would answer me, not as to a little child,
who would ask a childish thing. He asked me what it was. I said I have
to ask of you the favour to send from your priests two faithful men to
preach the gospel through the country, and I am ready, if necessary, to
sell all that I possess to give to them as part of their wages. He
promised me it should be done. But I had reason to expect that he would
receive such a request as from the mouth of one out of his reason. Now
there was at the convent a man called Hoory Gabriel, who was said to be
insane, and was known to all his acquaintance as a man that never would
say a word on the subject of religion, and he was a scribe of the
patriarch, and from the time of my arrival until that day, had never
asked me a single question about my faith, or opinions, nor had given me
the least word of advice about any of my errors. The same night, as this
priest was passing the evening in company with the patriarch, bishop,
and other individuals, as if they had been conversing on my idiocy in
making the request of to-day, the patriarch sent for me to come and sit
with them. I came. The patriarch then asked this priest and the others
present, if two proper men could be found to go and preach the gospel.
They then answered one to another, such an one, and such an one, would
be the fittest persons, some mentioning one and some another, looking at
me in the mean time laughing, to see what I would say.

I smiled in a pleasant manner at all this, and when one asked me, why I
laughed? I said to the patriarch, "Have you not perfect confidence in
the integrity of the priest Gabriel?" He said, "Yes." I then said, pray
let this priest then examine me for the space of a few days, and if he
does not conclude that I am a heretic, I will for _one_, take upon
myself this duty of preaching. This remark put an immediate end to the
conversation.

The third day, when the bishop wished to mock me before the patriarch
and a shekh of the country, I answered his questions according to his
own manner; but in a little time he began to revile me, and rebuke me
for blasphemy against the eucharist, against the virgin Mary and the
pictures, and that becaus