pen, and were eagerly sought and gladly transcribed, and the
need of a printing-press on the ground began to be felt.

Beirut was visited by the plague in the spring of 1827, but the
deaths were not numerous. In August Mr. Bird, finding it needful to
take his family to the mountains, ascended to Ehden by way of
Tripoli, from which Ehden was distant seven hours. He went by
special permission of the Emir Beshir, and was received in the most
friendly manner by the Sheikh Latoof, and his son Naanui. The
"Patriarch of Antioch and all the East," who resided at Cannobeen,
hearing of this, proceeded at once to excommunicate the sheikh and
his family, who had dared to associate "with that deceived man, and
deceiver of men, Bird, the Bible-man." An infernal spirit appears in
the excommunications of the Romish Church. This of Latoof and family
ran thus: "They are accursed, cut off from all the Christian
communion; and let the curse envelope them as a robe, and spread
through all their members like oil, and break them in pieces like a
potter's vessel, and wither them like the fig tree cursed by the
mouth of the Lord himself; and let the evil angel reign over them,
to torment them by day and night, asleep and awake, and in whatever
circumstances they may be found. We permit no one to visit them, or
employ them, or do them a favor, or give them a salutation, or
converse with them in any form; but let them be avoided as a putrid
member, and as hellish dragons. Beware, yea, beware of the wrath of
God." With regard to Mr. Bird and his family, the Patriarch said:
"We grant no permission to any one to receive them; but, on the
contrary, we, by the word of the Lord of almighty authority, require
and command all, in the firmest manner, that not one visit them, nor
do them any sort of service, or furnish them any sort of assistance
whatever, to protract their stay in these parts or any other. Let no
one receive them into his house, or into any place whatever that
belongs to him, but let all avoid them, in every way, in all things
temporal as well as spiritual. And whoever, in his stubbornness,
shall dare to act in opposition to this our order with regard to
Bird, and his children, and his whole family, shall fall, _ipso
facto_, under the great excommunication, whose absolution is
reserved to ourself alone."

A copy of this document was furnished to Mr. Bird, by the Bishop of
Ehden; who, though feeble in health, was second to no prelate of