lease to ask."

As soon as the missionaries arrived, he sent for them and received them
in an open court, where they were seated on a bamboo floor about ten feet
from his chair. He took no notice of Judson, except as an interpreter,
but interrogated Price as to his skill in surgery, sent for his
medicines, looked at them and at his instrument, and was greatly amused
with his galvanic battery; he then dismissed them with orders to choose a
spot on which a house should be built for them, and to look up the
diseased to try Price's skill upon.

Moung Zah, the former minister, recognized Judson kindly, and after a
time the King took notice of him: "You in black, what are you, a medical
man too?"

"Not a medical man, but a teacher of religion, your Majesty."

After a few questions about his religion the King proceeded to ask
whether any Burmese had embraced it.

"Not here," diplomatically said Judson.

"Are there any in Rangoon?"

"There are a few."

"Are they foreigners?"

Mr. Judson says he trembled for the consequences of an answer, but the
truth must be spoken at all risks, and he replied, "Some foreigners and
some Burmese."

The King showed no displeasure, but asked questions on religion,
geography, and astronomy, as though his temper was quite changed. His
brother, a fine young man of twenty-eight, who suffered from paralysis,
became a patient of Dr. Price, and had much conversation with Judson,
showing great eagerness for instruction. He assured the missionaries
that under the present reign there was no danger to the native
Christians, and after a successful operation for cataract, performed by
Dr. Price, the missionaries were so much in favour that while Price
remained at Ava and there married a native lady, Judson was desired only
to go back to Rangoon to meet his wife on her return, and bring her to
reside at Ava.

Their good and tolerant friend, the Viceroy, was dead, and his successor
was a severe and unjust man, so that the people had fled in numbers from
the place, and few Christians remained except at Moung Shwaygnong's
village. There was thus the less to leave, when in December 1823 Mrs.
Judson safely arrived, and two fresh missionaries with her, to whom the
flock at Rangoon could be left. There is a most happy letter written on
the voyage up the Irrawaddy to Ava, when it seemed as though all the
troubles and difficulties of four years had been smoothed away. The
mission had been kindly we