and the collector told them that fifteen years previously a
Burmese teacher who had been converted by the Portuguese, and had even
visited Rome, was denounced on his return by his nephew and commanded to
recant. On his refusal, he was tortured with the iron mall--hammered,
namely, from his feet upwards till he was all one livid wound as far as
his breast, pronouncing the name of Christ at every blow. Some persons
at last told the Emperor that he was a mere madman, on which he was
spared, and the Portuguese contrived to send him away to Bengal, where he
died. The nephew was high in the favour of the present Sovereign, who
was besides far more attached than his grandfather had ever been to the
Buddhist doctrine. Only four Portuguese clergy were in the country, and
they confined themselves to ministrations to the descendants of the
converts of the old Jesuit mission, instead of attempting to extend their
Church. Nothing was to be done but to return to Rangoon, and for this a
passport was necessary, the obtaining of which cost thirty dollars in
presents. Mr. Judson was advised also to procure a royal order for
personal protection, otherwise, when it became known that the royal
patronage had been refused, he might be molested by ill-disposed persons;
but finding that this would be exceedingly costly, he preferred "trusting
in the Lord to keep us and our poor disciples."

It was encouraging that at Pyece, a place on the banks of the Irrawaddy,
the missionaries met Shwaygnong, who had come thither to visit a sick
friend, and came on board eagerly to know the result of their journey.
They told him all, even of the good confession beneath the iron mall, and
he seemed less affected and intimidated than they expected, though he had
nearly made up his mind to cast in his lot with them. "If I die, I shall
die in a good cause," he said. "I know it is the cause of truth." And
then he repeated his actual faith: "I believe in the Eternal God, in His
Son Jesus Christ, in the Atonement which Christ has made, and in the
writings of the Apostles as the true and one Word of God." He also said
he had never, since their last conversation, lifted up his folded hands
before a pagoda, though on the day of worship, to avoid persecution, he
would walk up one side of the building and down the other. To this Mr.
Judson replied, "You may be a disciple of Christ in heart, but you are
not a full disciple. You have not faith and resolution enou