, such as I
have scarcely ever known. I have even doubted the existence of God. But
now I am relieved, and I would just say, I shall not go home to-morrow,
as I hinted."

This temptation seems to have arisen chiefly from a discrepancy in the
scriptures, which I had shewed him, and which I knew not how to
reconcile. He begged that, for the present, I would by no means shew him
another such.

_Suspects himself to have been poisoned._

11. One of the neighbours brought Shidiak a letter, cautioning him, if
he went to the shekh's house, not to smoke or drink with him.

12. Word came to Asaad, that the shekh was with the family below, and
would be glad to see him. Asaad went down, but in a few minutes came up,
pale and trembling, and said he was exceedingly dizzy and faint. He had
just taken coffee below, attended with suspicious circumstances, and
begged to know if he might not be poisoned. We opened a medical book we
had, and explained to him, as rapidly as possible, the symptoms of a
poisoned person. "Oh! these are my feelings," said he, and fell upon his
knees before his seat in silent prayer. We immediately gave him an
emetic, which operated well, and before night he was relieved of every
alarming symptom. The youth who gave the coffee, being sent for, gave
good evidence of having had no bad intentions; and notwithstanding many
suspicious circumstances, we did not think the evidence of an attempt at
poison sufficiently strong, to prosecute any public inquiry into the
matter.

16. A youth from Der el Kamer called to see Asaad. He remarked, that he
once saw a priest at his village tear in pieces five of these books of
ours, but he could not tell for what reasons. He had, apparently, never
seen the ten commandments before, and was very much surprised to find
image-worship so expressly condemned in them. A letter was received by
Asaad from the patriarch, written in very plausible terms.

_Visits his Relatives at Hadet._

17. Four of the relatives of Asaad came down, and succeeded in
persuading him to accompany them home. He said he could not believe,
after all that has been said, that they would do him violence, and he
strongly expected that his visit to Hadet would 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 toward evening, expecting to
be absent only a few days.

_Their violence, and the consequent proceedings of Pha