had been without the knowledge of the Prime Minister and
the Minister of Justice; and the King's attorney soon after recalled
the citation. The British Ambassador again proffered his kind
offices, and there were friends among the Greeks themselves. But the
great body of the people were hostile, and Dr. King concludes one of
his letters thus: "I feel that my Lord and Master has called me to
this combat, and though it seems to be waxing hotter and hotter, so
long as my Captain and Leader lives, I have nothing to fear." He was
somewhat cheered by the assurance of a Greek of standing, that his
book, though the cause of much suffering to the author, had given a
turn to public opinion.

After this Dr. King ventured out into the city with considerable
freedom, and conversed with such as he met on the subject of
religion. Many, even some of the priests, saluted him in the
streets, though contrary to the commands of the Holy Synod. A member
of the Synod, who had subscribed the excommunication, on meeting him
returned his salutation.

There was only a lull in the storm. In July of the same year, a
series of articles appeared in a leading newspaper of Athens called
the "Age," designed to excite the prejudices of the Greeks against
our missionary, and to urge them to put a stop to the scandal of his
preaching. The last and most extraordinary of these was avowedly
from Simonides, and was fitted to produce an excitement in the Greek
community. Its statements were improbable in the highest degree, and
there could not have been a more affecting proof of the superstition
and bigotry of the people of Athens, than the general credence given
to this gross fabrication.

The article was called "The Orgies," and was under the headings of
"Mystery of Marriage," and "Mystery of Baptism;" and a translation
of it may be found in the "Missionary Herald" for 1847.1

1 See _Missionary Herald_ for 1847, pp. 366-368.

It was subsequently ascertained, that Simonides was materially aided
by two priests; who were elevated, not long after, one to an
archdeaconry, the other to an archbishopric, under the "Great
Church" at Constantinople. What immediately followed, will be
described by Dr. King himself.

"While reading the article in my family, the Governor of Attica, Mr.
Soutzos, came in and desired to speak with me alone. He informed me
that he had come to say to me from the Minister of the Interior,
that, on the one hand, they wished to give me