ch. When he drew near, we
caught his attention. He stopped, partly turned towards us--'Who are
these?' 'The teachers, great King,' I replied. 'What, you speak
Burman?--the priests that I heard of last night? When did you arrive?
Are you teachers of religion? Are you married? Why do you dress so?'
These and other similar questions we answered; when he appeared to be
pleased with us, and sat down on an elevated seat--his hand resting on
the hilt of his sword, and his eyes intently fixed on us."

Moung Zah now read their petition, which set forth that they were
teachers of the religion of their country, and begged the royal
permission to teach the same in his dominions; and also prayed that no
Burman might be subjected to molestation from government for listening
to or embracing that religion; and the emperor after hearing it, took it
himself, read it through and handed it back without saying a word. In
the meantime Mr. Judson had given Moung Zah an abridged copy of the
tract called a "Summary of Christian Doctrine," which had been got up in
the richest style and dress possible. The emperor took the tract "Our
hearts," says Mr. J., "now rose to God for a display of his grace. Oh
have mercy on Burmah! Have mercy on her king!" But alas! the time had
not yet come. He held the tract long enough to read the two first
sentences, which assert that there is one eternal God, who is
independent of the incidents of mortality and that besides him, there is
no God; and then with an air of indifference, perhaps disdain, he dashed
it down to the ground! Moung Zah stooped forward, picked it up and
handed it to us. Moung Yo made a slight attempt to save us by unfolding
one of the volumes which composed our present and displaying its beauty,
but his majesty took no notice. Our fate was decided. After a few
moments Moung Zah interpreted his royal master's will in the following
terms: "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." ... "He then rose from his seat, strode on to the
end of the hall, and there, after having dashed to the ground the first
intelligence he had ever received of the eternal God, his Maker,
Preserver, his Judge, he threw himself down on a cushion, and lay
listening to the music, and gazing at the parade spread out before him."

They and their presents were then hurried away with little ceremony. The
next day they