k him to
his house, and removed Mrs. Judson thither also as soon as her health
permitted.

The English army, which had all along offered peace on condition of the
payment of a certain sum of money, offers which the Burmans had
constantly rejected, had now advanced so far as to threaten the golden
city itself. The Burmans were thus compelled to negotiate, and all their
negotiations from beginning to end, "were conducted by Drs. Judson and
Price, though they were often interrupted or entirely broken off by the
caprice and jealousy of the Burman monarch and his officers." The king
placing no confidence in the English, and having the most absurd ideas
of his power to force them to his own terms, sent messengers at every
stage of their advance to induce Sir Archibald Campbell to abate his
demands and alter his conditions. No pains was spared to fortify the
golden city, even while Dr. Price and other English prisoners were
engaged in the business of negotiation. Mrs. Judson had the pain of
seeing their house without beautiful enclosure of fruits and flowers,
entirely destroyed, to make a place for the erection of cannon.

A new message now arrived from Sir Archibald. No smaller sum than the
one stipulated, (about five million dollars) would be received, but it
might be paid at four different times; the first payment to be made
within twelve days, or the army would continue its march. In addition,
the prisoners were to be given up immediately. The king, who had learned
the value of Mr. Judson's services, declared that those foreigners who
were not English, were his people, and should not go. The missionaries
were ordered to go again to the English camp, to propose to them to take
a third of the money and give up their demand for the missionaries; and
threatened that if unsuccessful in their embassy, they and their
families should suffer.

Their situation was now truly perilous, for the Burman arrogance was at
this time heightened by the boast of one of their generals, that he
would so fortify the ancient city of Pugan, which lay in the route of
the British toward Ava, that they could never advance beyond it; and
that in fact he would destroy or drive them from the country. The
invincible English took the city, however, with perfect ease; and the
king being enraged that he had listened for a moment to the braggart,
and thus provoked the British officers, had him executed without
ceremony, and gave out that it was to punish h