me Tannoos Shidiak, accompanied by a young emir,
saying, that they had knowledge of our attempt to liberate Asaad,
through the medium of the emir A. "It will not do," said he, "you will
not accomplish your object so." They both said, that the emir A. was a
great liar, had a little mind, and little, if any, influence with his
uncle. In short, _they_ proposed _a more excellent way_, viz. that we
should give _them_ also a good reward to engage in this noble work of
brotherly love.

24. The messenger from the emir A. arrived from Cannobeen, with the
following letter from the patriarch, in answer to his own.

"After kissing the hands of your honourable excellency, &c. &c. With
regard to your slave, _Asaad Esh Shidiak_, the state into which he is
fallen, is not unknown to your excellency. His understanding is
subverted. In some respects he is a demoniac, in others not. Every day
his malady increases upon him, until I have been obliged to take severe
measures with him, and put him under keepers, lest he should escape from
here, and grow worse, and infuse his poison into others. Two days ago,
he succeeded in getting away in the night, and obliged me to send men to
bind him and bring him back; and after he was come, he showed signs of
returning sanity, and begged to be forgiven. But he does not abide by
his word, for he is very fickle; and the most probable opinion
respecting him is, that he is possessed of the devil. However, as he
was, to appearance, disposed to yield me obedience, I treated him kindly
and humanely, and used every means to promote his permanent cure. This
is what I have to communicate to your excellency, and the bearer will
inform you further. Whatever your excellency commands, I obey, and the
Lord lengthen your life.

JOSEPH, _Patriarch of Antioch._"

27. A youth from Ain Warka informed us, that he had seen a letter in
Asaad's own hand-writing, saying, that he had yielded obedience to the
patriarch, and professed again the faith of the Roman catholic church.
This report, excited great joy, he says, at the college. We are rather
pained by the news, because, if Asaad has done this, we are almost sure
it has been done insincerely, and merely to escape the pains of his
persecution. The same person says, that a relative of the patriarch at
Cannobeen, has been in the habit of writing, every week or two, to the
college, to give the news of what was done with Asaad from time to