about to advance," and he had to hasten to attend the Emperor. The
dome whither the missionaries followed him was dazzling with splendour,
very lofty, and supported on pillars entirely covered with gold, and
forming long avenues, through one of which the Emperor advanced alone,
with the proud gait and majesty of an Eastern monarch, with a
gold-sheathed sword in his hand. Every one prostrated his forehead in
the dust except the two Americans, who merely knelt with folded hands. He
paused before them, and demanded who they were.

"The teachers, great king," replied Mr. Judson.

"What? You speak Burmese--the priests that I heard of last night? When
did you arrive? Are you like the Portuguese priests? Are you married?"
and so on, he asked; then placing himself on a high seat, with his hand
on the hilt of his sword, he listened to the petition read aloud by Moung
Zah. He then held out his hand for it; Moung Zah crawled forward and
gave it; the Emperor read it through to himself, and held out his hand
for the little tract which was handed to him in like manner. The hearts
of the missionaries throbbed with hope and prayer; but, after reading the
two first sentences, the Emperor threw it from him, and when the gift was
presented would not notice it. The answer communicated through Moung Zah
was: "In regard to the objects of your petition, his Majesty gives no
order. In regard to your sacred books, his Majesty has no use for them;
take them away." Something was said of Colman's skill in medicine; upon
which the Emperor desired that both should be taken to the Portuguese
priest, who acted as his physician, to ascertain whether they could be
useful in that line, and then lay down on his cushions to listen to
music.

They were taken two miles to the residence of the Portuguese, who of
course perceived that they brought no wonderful secret of medicine, and
then returned to their boat. They afterwards saw Moung Zah in private,
and heard that the Burmese laws tolerated foreign religions, but that
there was no security for natives who embraced them, and that it was an
unpardonable offence even to propose it. The English collector went to
the Emperor, but could obtain nothing from him but permission for them to
return to Rangoon, where they might find some of their countrymen to
teach. There was no actual prohibition against teaching Burmese
subjects, but there was no security that the converts would not be
persecuted;