that Shidiak is still firm in
his adherence to the gospel, but that he was kept under rigid
inspection, not being permitted to step out of his room without an
attendant.

17. Phares Shidiak informed us to-day, that he had been told that his
brother Asaad had been at the college of Ain Warka. He thought it might
be true, as one object in delivering him up to the patriarch was, to
give the people the general impression, that he had no longer any thing
to do with the English. He had now been a sufficient time absent from us
to give general currency to the report, that he was no longer with us,
and now, perhaps, the patriarch had let him go free.

_Asaad is cruelly treated._

27. The messenger, who went before to Cannobeen, had set out to go for
us a second time, and this morning early returned with the following
story:--Being met by a man near Batroon, whom he suspected to be from
Cannobeen, he inquired him out, and found him to be a messenger sent by
Asaad himself to his uncles and other connexions, to beg them to come
and deliver him. Asaad saw the man, and gave him his commission from the
window of the convent, without the knowledge of the patriarch, or the
others in his service. This messenger said, _that Asaad was in close
confinement, in chains, and was daily beaten_; and that the great cause
of complaint against him was, that he refused to worship either the
pictures, or the virgin Mary.

I had written a letter of mere salutation to Shidiak by my messenger,
which letter he enclosed in one from himself, and sent it on by his
brother, returning himself with the messenger from Asaad. This brother
of his, he is much afraid, may be ill-treated by the patriarch.

28. J., the messenger, called, and said, that he himself should not go
to Cannobeen, but twelve or fifteen of his other relatives would go and
endeavour at least to save him from chains and stripes. J. had been to
the emir Beshir the less, who lives at Hadet, begging him, (with a
present) to save his brother, if it should prove that he had suffered by
the suspicion or the resentment of the patriarch. The emir promised to
interfere--"But why," said he, "should Asaad go and join the English?
they are a people I do not love."

_June_ 2. A youth of the neighbourhood said it was reported that Asaad
was a complete maniac; that he rent his garments, raved, reviled, &c.
and that he had been sent to the convent at Koshia, like other lunatics,
for a miraculous cur