ct to the patriarch.

On his arrival, he was loaded with chains, cast into a dark, filthy
room, and bastinadoed, every day, for eight days, sometimes fainting
under the operation, until he was near death. He was then left in his
misery, his bed a thin flag mat, his covering his common clothes. The
door of his prison was filled up with stone and mortar, and his food was
six thin cakes of bread a day, and a scanty cup of water. In this
loathsome dungeon, from which there was no access but a small loop hole,
through which they passed his food, he lay for several days; and he
would lift up his voice, and cry, "Love ye the Lord Jesus Christ
according as he hath loved us, and given himself to die for us. Think of
me, O ye that pass by, have pity upon me, and deliver me from these
sufferings."

Now when his groans and cries were thus heard, a certain priest, who had
been a former friend of Asaad, was touched with compassion. His former
friendship revived, his bowels yearned over his suffering brother, and
he besought every one who could speak with the patriarch, that they
would intercede and endeavour to soften his feelings towards his
prisoner. By dint of perseverance, the priest at length succeeded, and
obtained permission to open the prison door of his friend and take off
his irons. The first request he made of the priest on his entering, was,
that he would give him a little food, for he was famishing with hunger.
The priest immediately brought him a little bread and cooked victuals,
which he ate, and said, "The name of the Lord be blessed."

Those present began to exhort him to turn to the mother of God, if,
peradventure, she would have mercy upon him, and bring him back to the
way of salvation. He answered, "If she has the power of intercession,
let her intercede for us with her beloved Son." The priest was very
assiduous in supplying him with every thing necessary for his comfort;
in particular he obtained the return of his clothes, of which he had
been partly stripped; for the snow was upon the ground, and the cold
filled him with pains.

Now when the others saw the care and attention of the priest, they said,
"You have become a convert to his heretical opinions." But he replied,
"God has said, 'Blessed are the merciful;'" and continued firm in his
purpose. His assiduity was such, that whenever he left the convent for
any time, he would give money to the cook to prevail on him to supply
Asaad with proper food, and t