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Title: The Karen Apostle: or, Memoir of Ko Thah-byu Author: Author: Francis Mason * A Project Gutenberg Australia eBook * eBook No.: 0900061h.html Language: English Date first posted: January 2009 Date most recently updated: January 2009 This eBook was produced by: S' Aung Phwa Chit Project Gutenberg Australia eBooks are created from printed editions which are in the public domain in Australia, unless a copyright notice is included. We do NOT keep any eBooks in compliance with a particular paper edition. Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this file. This eBook is made available at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg Australia License which may be viewed online at http://gutenberg.net.au/licence.html To contact Project Gutenberg Australia go to http://gutenberg.net.auGO TO Project Gutenberg Australia HOME PAGE
THE KAREN APOSTLE: OR, MEMOIR OF KO THAH-BYU, THE FIRST KAREN CONVERT, WITH NOTICES CONCERNING HIS NATION. BY REV. FRANCIS MASON, MISSIONARY TO THE KARENS. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, REVISED BY H. J. RIPLEY, PROFESSOR IN NEWTON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. Harvard Divinity School ANDOVER-HARVARD THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY MDCCCCX CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON: GOULD, KENDALL AND LINCOLN, 59 WASHINGTON STREET. 1843. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, By GOULD, KENDALL & LINCOLN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. WEST BROOKFIELD: C. A. MIRICK AND CO., PRINTERS.
CONTENTS INTRODUCTORY NOTE. CHAPTER I. Early life of Ko Thah-Byu.--His Conversion and Baptism... CHAPTER II. Burman oppression of the Karens.--Singular prophecy.--Arrival of the English.--Prophecies fulfilled concerning white foreigners.--Attachment to them.--Arrival of Teachers.--The Karens obtain books... CHAPTER III. Ko Thah-Byu's first journey into the jungle, to Khat.--Second to Thalu.--Seeks his countrymen in the city of Tavoy.--First journey across the eastern mountains, to Tshiek-ku.--Second visit to Tshiek-ku.--Third journey to Tshiek-ku.--Accompanies Mr. Boardman on his first tour among the Karens.--Visits the southern Karens at Toung-byouk, Pai, and Palouk.--Teachers school at Tshiek-ku.--Goes to Siam.--Journey into the Maulmain Karen jungles.--Returns to Tavoy with Mr. Boardman... CHAPTER IV. Ko Thah-Byu's successful labors.--Style of preaching.--Scene of his successes.--Shades in his character.--Ignorance.--Love of knowledge.--Passion.--Habits of prayer... CHAPTER V. Returns to Maulmain.--Goes to Rangoon.--Visits the Karens.--Second tour.--Spends the rains at Maubee.--Great success.--Burman persecution.--Flees to Pegu... CHAPTER VI. Returns to Maulmain.--Second visit to Rangoon.--Returns to Maulmain again.--Goes to Arracan.--Success.--Sickness and death... CHAPTER VII. Karen mission most encouraging.--Most successful.--The cheapest.--Native preachers most useful.--An establishment required to educate them.--Susceptibility of the Karens to religions impressions.--Testimony of various missionaries... APPENDIX. Historical and Geographical Notices... Scriptural Traditions... Scriptural Precepts... National Traditions... Funeral Rites... Demonology... Prophets... Romance of Missions...
ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Ko Thah-byu preaching in a Karen House. 2 Karen Girl. 3 Tavoy and Mergui. 4 Mr. Judson's House, at Maulmain. 5 Delta of the Irrawaddy. 6 Printing Office At Maulmain. 7 The Tomb of Boardman.
"God is eternal, his life is long, God is immortal, his life is long; One kulpa* he dies not, Two kulpas he dies not; He is perfect in meritorious attributes, Kulpas on kulpas he dies not."[Footnote: * Some long period of time.--E.] The Catholics, who preceded Protestants in Burmah several decades+ of years, appear to have entirely overlooked the Karens; and it was not till after the late war between the English and the Burmese, and the removal of the Baptist mission to the Tenasserim Coast, that they began to attract the attention of the missionaries. The first allusion to any of that nation, is found in Mr. Judson's journal of April 22d, 1827, where among three hopeful inquirers he mentions "Moung Thah-pyoo, a poor man, belonging to Moung Shway-bay;" but it was not till Mr. Judson's second notice, at the close of the year, that we learn the individual mentioned was a Karen. At that time, Mr. Judson speaking of his hopeful inquirers, says,﹃The second is Moung Thah-pyoo,* a Karen by nation, imperfectly acquainted with the Burman language, and possessed of very ordinary abilities. He has been about us several months and we hope that his mind, though exceedingly dark and ignorant, has begun to discern the excellency of the religion of Christ.﹄This is the individual to whom the following reminiscences relate. It is very true that he was a man﹃possessed of very ordinary abilities;﹄and has therefore left no literary relics, from which to compile a bulky memoir. It is true, that he was degraded among a people that characterize themselves as "a nation most debased among the debased;" that he was a poor man, and a slave, till Mr. Judson set him free. But it is also, true, that he was afterwards a faithful and successful missionary, and a distinguished instrument in the hands of God to arouse the attention of the Karen nation to Christianity. From the day of his baptism to his death, he never intermitted his labors in preaching Christ, where the Saviour had not so much as been named, from Tavoy to Siam; from Martaban to the borders of Zimmay; and from Rangoon to Arracan. And though he was the first of his nation to go down into the baptismal waters, he lived to see hundreds and hundreds follow his steps, in whose conversion he held a distinguished part. We cannot err in honoring those whom God honors; and it therefore seems proper, that the name of Ko Thah-byu should be rescued from oblivion, and inscribed among the worthies of the church; that the rising generation may learn what﹃very ordinary abilities,﹄when wholly consecrated to God, may accomplish. [Footnote: + Tens.--E.] [Footnote: * The word Moung is a Burman title of respect applied to middle age men. Kois a similar title applied to elderly men. Pyoo and Byu are different modes, which have been successively adopted, of spelling the same word. Hence Moung Thah-pyoo and Ko Thah-byu designate the same man at different periods of his life.--E.] Ko Thah-byu was born about the year 1778, at a village called Oo-twau, four days' journey north of Bassein. He resided with his parents until he was fifteen years of age. He was then, as he represented himself, a wicked and ungovernable boy; and, when he left his parents, he became a robber and a murderer.﹃How many of his fellow men he had murdered, either as principal or accessary,﹄writes one of the brethren,﹃he did not exactly know himself; more than thirty, without doubt, according to his own confession. His natural temper was diabolical. After the Burmese war, he went to Rangoon, and got into Mr. Hough's service.﹄There some religious impressions were made on his mind, and he ever remembered Mr. Hough with great affection; and not unfrequently "Teacher Hough" was mentioned many years afterwards in his public prayers in Tavoy. "He followed Mr. Judson to Amherst," where "Ko Shway-bay," writes one of the missionary sisters,﹃paid for him a debt of ten or twelve rupees, and took him into his family as a servant.* We had before felt,﹄she continues, "an interest in the Karens as a people who had not adopted the systems of idolatry exhibited by the more civilized nations around them; and this being the first opportunity we had enjoyed of presenting to their minds the religion of the Bible, we naturally felt deeply anxious that the grace of God should make it effectual to his salvation. Truth seemed, however, to make no impression upon his mind for a long time; and Ko Shway-bay getting discouraged with regard to doing him any good, informed us that Ko Thah-byu's moral character proved to be such, that he could no longer retain him in his family. Mr. Judson, however, who at the time lived with us, proposed to pay the debt, if we could find employment by which he could support himself; and he was accordingly transferred to our family. Soon after this period, he began to pay more attention to religious instruction, and though his fits of violent temper gave us a great deal of trouble, it was not very long before we began to see signs of repentance, and the first dawnings of faith in a crucified Saviour. His mind was, however, extremely dark; he was very slow to believe; and then his violent temper often cast him down and quite discouraged him from praying. After some time, however, his faith began to gain a little strength, and we with great joy perceived a gradual improvement in his character. The little Burman church were, however, very slow to perceive the change, and though he often begged for the privilege of baptism, yet, not having gained a full victory over his violent passions, they could not think he had really been 'born again.' After having been with us about a year, the church gained sufficient evidence of the change to receive him as one of their number, and the next sabbath was appointed for his baptism. During the year, however, another Karen man with a family, and a young woman with her two little orphan brothers, relatives of the family, made their appearance in Maulmain, and, being in a most miserable starving condition, we gave them a little place to live in, and took the young woman into the girls' school, while the two little boys were put into Mr. Boardman's school for boys. The young woman improved much in the school and gave good attention to religious instruction; so that Ko Thah-byu had married her previous to the time appointed for his baptism. He had likewise been studying very diligently in order to be able to read the Burman Bible. But before the day for his baptism arrived, Mr. Boardman being ready to sail for Tavoy, and wishing to take the two little Karen boys with him, Ko Thah-byu concluded to accompany him, as his wife was unwilling to be separated so far from her little brothers; and his baptism was accordingly deferred until he should arrive in Tavoy." [Footnote: * According to Burman law, the debtor becomes a slave to the creditor.] His baptism is thus recorded by Mr. Boardman, in his journal of May 16, 1828. "Repaired early in the morning to a neighboring tank, and administered Christian baptism to Ko Thah-byu, the Karen Christian who accompanied us from Maulmain. May we often have the pleasure of witnessing such scenes. The three Karen visitors were present. They appear to be impressed with the truth of our doctrine. They have urged Ko Thah-byu to accompany them, so that I have left it for him to choose, whether he will go or stay. He has concluded to go. Perhaps God has a work for him to do among his countrymen. He is very zealous in the cause of declaring what he knows." Before following him into the jungles, it may not be deemed inappropriate to notice, in a separate chapter, the preparation of the Tavoy Karens to receive the gospel.
'The sons of God, the white foreigners, Dress in shining black, and shining white. The white foreigners, the children of God, Dress in shining black, and shining red.'"And so we saw them. They came with black soldiers and white soldiers, and the rulers were dressed just as the prophet had said. We had never seen white foreigners before; but we had heard the Elders say, 'As to the white foreigners, they are righteous. They were the guides of God anciently, so God blessed them, and they sailed in ships and cutters; and can cross oceans, and reach lands.' The Elders said further, that the Karens were originally seven brethren, of whom the white foreigners were the youngest. Still the generation before us, that told us these things, had never seen them, and knew not how they looked. They merely related what the Elders said anciently. Through the goodness of God, my generation is permitted to see them. The Elders further sung, in relation to the white foreigners, as follows,
'The sons of God, the white foreigners, Obtained the words of God. The white foreigners, the children of God, Obtained the words of God anciently.'"Great Ruler, afterwards we heard, that after staying three years, the white foreigners would return. Then we wept aloud. We said to each other 'If the foreigners go away, the race of the Karens will be wholly cut off;' for in the days of Alompra and Diwoon* they died like dogs; whole families often dying off together; and about the time the white foreigners arrived, the Burmans were preparing to make an end of them, having assembled them together near the city. But the Karens having heard reports that the white foreigners were coming, they prayed diligently for their arrival. The prophet too sung at worship,
'The city of Ava says, she is great; She is not equal to the heel of God's foot. The city of Ava says, she is exceedingly great; She is not equal to the sole of God's foot.'[Footnote: * Alompra was a courageous chief, who, about a century ago, usurped the royal power among the Burmans. Of Diwoon I find no information. He was, doubtless, an individual of some distinction at a more recent date.--E.] "Thus they sung, and prayed, that the white foreigners might come. When they arrived, the Karens in Burmah and Siam heard of each other, and saw each other. "After the foreign rulers and their soldiers had been here a short time, the white foreign teacher Boardman arrived, and came into the jungles and preached the words of God. We gave attention and remembered, that the Elders said, the white foreigners had obtained the words of God, that they were our younger brethren, and that they were righteous. Again, the Elders said,
'Who created the world in the beginning? God created the world in the beginning. God appointed every thing: God is unsearchable.'"All things in heaven and on earth, O children and grandchildren, God created them. 'Never forget God. Pray to him every day, and every night.' And before the arrival of the white foreigners, a prophet singing, said,
'Great mother comes by sea, Comes with purifying water, the head water. The teacher comes from the horizon: He comes to teach the little ones.'Hence not a few of the Karens believed. "We next heard that teacher Wade, at Maulmain, had made Karen books; so teacher Mason sent up Kau-la-pau and myself, in a ship, to learn. Then many of the Karens, here and there, learned to read their own language; and we remembered, that the Elders had said again, 'Children and grandchildren, the Karen books will yet arrive. When their books arrive, they will obtain a little happiness.' Therefore, O great Ruler, God having given thee great goodness and kindness, we are very happy. Now, the Karens, though they be maidens, or mothers, or children, may come and dwell in the city; may dress as they wish; put on what they wish; and adorn themselves as they wish. It was not so in the days of the Burmans: we could never do so then. In the providence of God, how numerous are the reasons that we have to praise thy goodness, and thy beneficence! May God establish thy towns, and thy cities, thy lands, and thy territories. Through thy acts, the Karens, the children of poverty, and the sons of the forest, breathe with ease. May God, then, make great thy power and thy might, till thy government shall embrace all the children of poverty throughout the earth. And may God, whom thou worshipest, do good unto thee, and watch over thee, and thy children and grandchildren. "Again, the Elders said, 'Children and grandchildren, when the white foreigners and the Karens fight, then happiness will arrive. And how will they fight? The white foreigners will come in ships, and shoot at the Karens; and the loads of their cannon and muskets will be changed to savory plantains, and sweet sugar cane; and the Karens will eat them. On the other hand, the Karens, armed with adzes, will go and make holes in their ships. Then the Karens and white foreigners will recognize each other as brethren; and one will say, O my younger brother! and the other will say, O my elder brother! And they will become real brethren, and there will be peace and happiness.' Now the white foreign teachers, that preach Jesus Christ the Son of God, came by ship; and before the people understood what they heard, they contradicted; but the teachers talked to them till they understood, and then they knew that God [whom the teachers preached] was the One God; and the teachers made us books, and were thus able to teach us. Great Ruler, formerly the Karens had no books, and when they wished to learn to read, they went to the Burmese, or Siamese, or Taling kyoungs.* There they made them pull up weeds around the pagodas, carry bricks to build new ones, and go out and beg food, and they beat them and whipped them; so that they could never learn well. [Footnote: * Monasteries of the priests.--E.] "Through thy favor and kindness, the people of my generation are very happy; and we hear again, and more perfectly, of God, of whom our ancestors told us. Great Ruler, though we heard anciently of God from our ancestors, yet through the persecutions of the Burmans and Talings, we gave random worship to images; but we still hoped that our God would save us, and we prayed to him on our pillows. Now, through thy goodness and beneficence, we worship God as we please. May God establish thy city and thy generation. "Great Ruler, our ancestors said, that the white foreigners were our younger brethren, that they guided away God anciently and obtained books and ships, and that they are more skilful than all other nations, and are able to reach lands, and cross oceans. Furthermore, the Elders said, 'When their younger brother arrives, the Karens will be happy. Their younger brother was able to keep in company with God.' And now we see you! We are a worthless nation. We are the poorest of races. We are a tribe of wild men. We are a nation of slaves to all people. Among fools, we are the greatest fools. Now, through the goodness of God, the white foreign teachers have taught us to read, and I am enabled to write to thee. "Great Ruler, thy goodness and beneficence to the Karen nation we shall never forget, down to the generations of our children and grandchildren. Great Ruler, forget us not; cast us not away into the hands of other nations. We are exceedingly happy in thee. Thou art as he of whom we sung anciently.
'The Great Chief, his words are bliss, As the impervious shade of the great Banyan.'"We are happy in thee, far above all other nations that ever ruled us before; but we fear that the white foreigners will go back, and the Siamese and the Burmese will come and persecute us again. Great Ruler, we, the Karen nation, have no cities, no towns, no villages, no hamlets. We are now dwelling beneath thy shadow, and are exceedingly happy; and obtain our sustenance with great ease. Because thou hast been merciful, may God have mercy on thee, generation after generation. If thou givest us up again into the hands of the Burmans, our race will really be brought to an end. Formerly, we dwelt as in the midst of a thorn bush; but in thee, we dwell as on a mat spread down to sleep upon. May God make thee joyful and happy, generation after generation. "The white foreign teachers have preached the words of God, and some of us have become disciples. Great Ruler, it is of thy goodness and beneficence. Further, the Karens, the sons of the forest, a nation of slaves, a people of the deepest poverty, thou hast freed from taxes. Thy goodness and beneficence is so great, that we rejoice till we can rejoice no more. And the people of thy nation, the white foreigners, that live with us here, the ruler of the city and the ruler of the provinces, the officers and soldiers, the doctors and teachers, are good men. Great Ruler, through thy acts I believe the words of the Elders. The Elders said, 'The white foreigners are righteous. They will not do any thing that is improper. They do not act regardless of every thing, like the Talings and Burmans. They never use compulsion. They dwell with truth. When they arrive, the Karens will be happy.' I believe these words. The Karens have been slaves, generation upon generation. When demands were made of us, we must give, whether we had whereof to give or not; when they called us, we must go, night or day, whether able to go or not; they made us sick, they persecuted us, they killed us like insects. But thou, Great Ruler, thou hast snatched us from the hands of an evil people. Truly, thou hast bought us, and then given us our liberty for nought. Truly, thou art righteous; truly, thou dwellest with truth, as our ancestors said. Verily, thou dost love; verily, thou art merciful. The goodness and beneficence of thince acts to us are so great, that they go far beyond what we could ever conceive. May God be with thee. Thy goodness and beneficence in freeing us and making us happy, we will never forget, but tell it to succeeding generations, as our ancestors told us of the white foreigners anciently. Great Ruler, may God watch over thee, and do good unto thee; and widen out thy kingdom and territories, generation after generation forever."
"God is unchangeable, eternal, He was in the beginning of the world; God is endless and eternal, He existed in the beginning of the world. God is truly unchangeable and eternal, He existed in ancient time, at the beginning of the world. The life of God is endless; A succession of worlds does not measure his existence, Two successions of worlds do not measure his existence. God is perfect in every meritorious attribute, And dies not in succession on succession of worlds."God, Omnipotent.
"The Omnipotent is God, Him have we not believed. This Omnipotent one, We have not believed."God, Omniscient.
"God created men anciently He has a perfect knowledge of all things; God created men at the beginning, He knows all things to the present time."God, Omnipresent. "O my children and grandchildren! the earth is the treading place of the feet of God, and heaven is the place where he sits. He sees all things, and we are manifest to him." "God is not far off. He is among us. He has only separated himself from us, by a single thickness of white. Children! it is because men are not upright, that they do not see God." His countenance shines. "The face of God is said to shine continually like the rays of the sun; and the wicked dare not look straight at Him." His glory enlightens heaven. "There can be no night in heaven, there can be no darkness; for the rays of God enlighten it continually like the sun." He cannot look on iniquity. "On those that use obscene language, or swear, or commit fornication, or drink, or kill, the righteous One in heaven cannot look. Avoid wickedness, for the righteous One in heaven cannot look upon it." He created heaven, and earth. "God created heaven and earth. The creation of heaven and earth was finished." The sun, moon, and stars. "He created the sun, he created the moon, he created the stars. The creation of the sun, the moon and the stars was finished." Man. "He created again (creating) man. And of what did he create man? He created man at first from the earth. The creation of man was finished." Woman. "He created a woman. How did he create a woman? He took a rib out of the man, and created again (creating) a woman. The creation of woman was finished." Life. "He created again (creating) life. How did he create life? Father God said, In respect to my son and daughter, I love them. I will give them my great life. He took a little piece of his life, breathed into the nostrils of the two persons, and they came to life, and were real human beings. The creation of man was finished." Food, quadrupeds, and birds. "He created again (creating) food and drink. He created rice, he created water, he created fire, he created cows, he created elephants, he created birds. The creation of animals was finished." Eden. "Father God said, My son and daughter, father will make and give you a garden. In the garden are seven different kinds of trees, bearing seven different kinds of fruit; among the seven, one tree is not good to eat. Eat not of its fruit. If you eat you will become old, you will die. Eat not. All I have created I give to you. Eat and drink with care. Once in seven days I will visit you. All I have commanded you, observe and do. Forget me not. Pray to me every morning and night." The Temptation, and Fall. "Afterwards Satan came and said, 'Why are you here?' 'Our father, God, put us here,' they replied. 'What do you eat here?' Satan inquired. 'Our father God created food and drink for us; food without end.' Satan said, 'Show me your food.' And they went, with Satan following behind them, to show him. On arriving at the garden, they showed him the fruits, saying, 'This is sweet, this is sour, this is bitter, this is astringent, this is savory, this is fiery; but this tree, we know not whether it is sour or sweet. Our father God said to us, 'Eat not the fruit of this tree; if you eat, you will die. We eat not, and do not know whether it be sour or sweet.' 'Not so, O my children,' Satan replied; 'the heart of your father God is not with you; this is the richest and sweetest, it is richer than the others, sweeter than the others, and not merely richer and sweeter, but if you eat it, you will possess miraculous powers; you will be able to ascend into heaven, and descend into the earth; you will be able to fly. The heart of your God is not with you. This desirable thing he has not given you. My heart is not like the heart of your God. He is not honest. He is envious. I am honest. I am not envious. I love you and tell you the whole. Your father God, does not love you; he did not tell you the whole. If you do not believe me, do not eat it. Let each one eat carefully, a single fruit, then you will know.' The man replied, 'Our father God said to us, 'Eat not the fruit of this tree, and we eat it not.' Thus saying, he rose up and went away. But the woman listened to Satan, and thinking what he said rather proper, remained. Satan deceived her completely, and she said to him, 'If we eat, shall we indeed be able to fly?' 'My son and daughter,' Satan replied, 'I persuade you because I love you.' The woman took one of the fruit and ate. And Satan, laughing, said, 'My daughter, you listen to me well; now go, give the fruit to your husband, and say to him, I have eaten the fruit; it is exceedingly rich. If he does not eat, deceive him, that he may eat.' The woman, doing as Satan told her, went and coaxed her husband, till she won him over to her own mind, and he took the fruit from the hand of his wife and ate. When he had eaten, she went to Satan, and said, 'My husband has eaten the fruit.' On hearing that, he laughed exceedingly, and said, 'Now you have listened to me, very good, my son and daughter.'" The Curse. "The day after they had eaten, early in the morning, God visited them; but they did not (as they had been wont to do) follow him, singing praises. He approached them and said, 'Why have you eaten the fruit of the tree that I commanded you not to eat?' They did not dare to reply, and God cursed them. 'Now you have not observed what I commanded you,' he said; 'the fruit that is not good to eat, I told you not to eat; but you have not listened, and have eaten. Therefore you shall become old, you shall be sick, and you shall die.'" Origin of sacrifices to demons. "After this, one of their children became very sick, and the man and his wife said to each other, We did not observe God's command, 'Of the fruit of the tree eat not,' but we ate. Now what shall we do? God has cast us off; we cannot tell what to do. We must go and see Satan, and ask him. They arose and went to him. 'O Satan,' they said, 'God commanded us, Eat not of that fruit. Thou saidst, Eat; and we hearkened to thy words, and ate. Now our child is sick, what wilt thou say? What wilt thou devise?' Satan replied, 'To your father God you did not hearken, you hearkened unto me; now that you have hearkened unto me, hearken unto me to the end.'" Satan then institutes the principal sacrifices, offerings and ceremonies, that are practised in worshiping demons. First, he orders a hog to be sacrificed; and when that fails, a fowl; and after that, he prescribes the mode of fortune-telling by fowls' bones, with many other rites and ceremonies, the details of which would not be interesting. Creation and Fall, in verse. "In ancient times God created the world; All things were minutely ordered by him. In ancient times God created the world; He has power to enlarge, and power to diminish. God created the world formerly; He can enlarge and diminish it at pleasure. God formed the world formerly; He appointed food and drink. He appointed the fruit of trial; He gave minute orders. Satan deceived two persons; He caused them to eat the fruit of the tree of trial. They obeyed not, they believed not God; They eat the fruit of the tree of trial, When they eat the fruit of trial, They became subject to sickness, old age, and death. Had they obeyed and believed God, We should not have been subjected to sickness; Had they obeyed and believed God, We should have prospered in our doings. Had they obeyed and believed him, We should not have been poor." Temptation and Fall. Although the Elders say,﹃Satan is a being of super-human powers, able to take the form of either male or female,﹄he is usually represented as a woman; but in the following fragment he appears in the character of a dragon. This tradition is farther remarkable for giving the names of the progenitors of the human race; and it is worthy of observation, that had it been a modern composition, Adam would not have been Tha-nai; nor Eve, E-u,* but A-wa, as written and printed by both Protestant and Catholic missionaries in Burmah. [Footnote: * U, pronounced like the French u.] "God commanded man anciently; Satan appeared, bringing destruction. God commanded man formerly; Satan appeared, deceiving unto death. The woman E-u and the man Tha-nai Did not meet the eye of the great dragon; The woman E-u and the man, two persons; The dragon looked on them, and they did not meet his mind. The great dragon deceived the woman and Tha-nai; How is it said to have taken place? The great dragon succeeded in deception, deceiving unto death; How is it said to have been done? The great dragon took a yellow fruit, And gave to eat to the son and daughter of God; The great dragon took a white fruit, And gave to eat to the children of God. They did not observe all the words of God; They were deceived, deceived unto death; They did not observe all the commands of God; They were deceived, deceived unto sickness; They transgressed the words of God, And God turned his back on them; Having transgressed the commands of God, God turned away from them." Tree of life and Tree of death. "O children and grandchildren! in the beginning, God, to try man, whether he would or would not observe his commands, created the tree of death and the tree of life, saying, concerning the tree of death, 'Eat not of it.' He wished to see whether man believed. Not believing, he ate of the fruit of the tree of death, and the tree of life God hid. Because the tree of life has been hidden, men have died ever since that time." "Temptation, temptation, the fruit of temptation, The fruit of temptation fell on the ground; The fruit of temptation was bad, It poisoned to death our mother; The fruit of temptation, 'Do thou eat it not.' In the beginning it poisoned to death our father and mother. The tree of death came by woman, The tree of life by man." The Curse. "O children and grandchildren! because we did not believe God we have to work and sweat. Then do not be angry because you have to work; for it is the consequence of man's transgression against God at the beginning." Death. "O children and grandchildren! because in the beginning man ate the fruit of the tree of death, poison descends to us and we all die." Angels. The Karens believe that there are beings in heaven, who have never sinned, and that they are employed in executing God's purposes. "The sons of heaven are powerful, They sit by the seat of God: The sons of heavens are righteous, They dwell together with God; The sons of heaven are good, They lean against the silver seat of God. The beings whom God employs to execute his purposes, Have, to the present time, the reclining place of God." Satan. Satan is known by several names; among which the most common are Ku-plaw, the deceiver, from his deceiving the first man and woman, and Yaw-kaw, the neck-trodden, from the belief that man will ultimately tread on his neck, or overcome him. The Karens believe that he was formerly a holy being in heaven, but that he disobeyed God, and was driven from heaven. "Satan in ancient times was righteous, But he transgressed the commands of God; Satan in ancient times was holy, But he departed from the love of God; And God drove him away, He deceived the daughter and son of God, And God drove you away; For you deceived the daughter and son of God." "O children and grandchildren! though we were to kill Satan, he would not die; but when the time of our salvation comes, God will kill him. Because that time has not yet arrived, he still exists." Deluge. Though I have never met with any direct traditions of the deluge, indirect allusions are occasionally found in their fabulous stories. For instance;﹃It thundered, tempests followed; it rained three days and three nights, and the waters covered all the mountains.﹄Again; "Anciently, when the earth was deluged with water, two brothers, finding themselves in a difficulty, got on a raft. The waters rose and rose, till they reached to heaven; when seeing a mango tree hanging down, the younger brother climbed up it and ate; but the waters suddenly falling, left him in the tree." Dispersion of Men. "O children and grandchildren! men had at first one father and mother; but because they did not love each other, they separated. After their separation they did not know each other, and their language became different; and they became enemies to each other and fought." "The Karens were the elder brother, They obtained all the words of God; They did not all believe the word of God, And became enemies to each other; Because they disbelieved God, Their language divided, God gave them commands, But they did not believe him; and divisions ensued." Resurrection. The astronomical systems of all the nations around the Karens, teach, that the sun, moon, and stars revolve round a great north mountain, in planes parallel to the surface of the earth; while the Karens retain the old idea, that the heavenly bodies go round the earth, descending under and rising above it. Under the earth, they suppose, that there is another world, where people go at death. It is enlightened by the same heavenly bodies as the earth; but its days and nights are the reverse of ours, the sun rising there when he sets here. It is regarded as an intermediate state, where all the dead go, and where the inhabitants are employed much as the inhabitants of the earth, corresponding to the Jewish idea of Sheol. Connected with this subject, the Karens have an obscure notion of a final resurrection. One of their old prophecies says, "O children and grandchildren! you think the earth large. The earth is not so large as the Entada bean! When the time arrives, people will be more numerous than the leaves of the trees, and those who are now unseen, will then be brought to view. O my children, there will not be a hiding place for a single thing on earth." The Karens explain this by saying, that the earth is as large as a bean when compared with the whole of God's works. Concerning the numerous people that are to appear, they confess their ignorance, but think that the inhabitants of Hades [the invisible, or lower world,] are intended, whom God will cause to come up on the earth. Another statement, is, that after the world is burnt up, God will come and raise men to life again; when "the lazy shall become dogs, but the industrious, men." SCRIPTURAL PRECEPTS. Love to God. "O children and grandchildren! love God, and never so much as mention his name; for, by speaking his name, he goes farther and farther from us." Prayer. "O children and grandchildren! pray to God constantly by day and by night." Repentance and Prayer. "O children and grandchildren! if we repent of our sins, and cease to do evil, restraining our passions, and pray to God, he will have mercy upon us again. If God does not have mercy on us, there is no other one that can. He who saves us, is the only one God." Idolatry. "O children and grandchildren! do not worship idols or priests. If you worship them, you obtain no advantage thereby, while you increase your sins exceedingly." Honor to parents. "O children and grandchildren! respect and reverence your mother and father; for, when you were small, they did not suffer so much as a musquetoe to bite you. To sin against your parents, is a heinous crime." "If your father or mother instructs or beats you, fear. If you fear not, the tigers will not fear you." Love to others. "O children and grandchildren! do not be fond of quarrelling and disputings, but love each other. God in heaven looks down upon us; and if we do not love each other; it is the same as if we did not love God. O children and grandchildren! quarrel not, but love each other." Relative duties. "O children and grandchildren! parent and child, master and slave, husband and wife; let not the child deceives his parent, the slave his master, nor the wife her husband." Associates. "O children and grandchildren! do not associate with the wicked. Those that associate with robbers, become robbers; those that associate with the honest, become honest; those that associate with the passionate, become passionate." Murder. "O children and grandchildren! do not take the life of man. If you kill, you must bear your sin. In the next world, you will be killed in return." Wantonly killing animals. "O children and grandchildren! we may eat any thing on earth without sin; for God created them all for us; but do not kill or destroy any thing wantonly. If we kill or destroy wantonly, we sin." Robbery. "O children and grandchildren! do not forcibly take the property of another. Observe, my children, that robbers quickly become slaves. Should you even be a slave, good remains; but there is no calling on God in hell." Theft. "O children and grandchildren! do not steal the goods of another; for the owner worked for them until he sweat. Thieves will have to repay." Adultery and Fornication. "O children and grandchildren! do not commit adultery, or fornication, with the child or wife of another; for the righteous one looks down from above, and these things are exposed to him. Those that do thus, will go to hell." "If you meet the wife of another, avoid her, and pass on the lower side of the road." Polygamy. "O children and grandchildren! if you have one wife, lust not after another female or male; for God, at the beginning, created only two: one male and one female." False swearing. "O children and grandchildren! that which is not true, swear not to, by the true One. Swear not to that which you do not well know." Lying and Deception. "O children and grandchildren! do not speak falsehood. What you do not know, do not speak. Liars shall have their tongues cut out." "O children and grandchildren! do not use deceitful language, but speak the words of truth only. The righteous one in heaven knows every thing that is said." "O children and grandchildren! do not talk at random concerning that which you do not know. Random talkers speedily become slaves." Swearing. "O children and grandchildren! do not curse, or use imprecations, and do not use obscene language. If you curse, or use imprecations, they will return on yourselves." Giving alms. "O children and grandchildren! give food and drink to the poor; and, by so doing, you will obtain mercy yourselves." Doing good to all men. "O children and grandchildren! according to your ability, relieve the distresses of all men. If you do good to others, you will not go unrewarded; for others will make like returns to you." Idleness. "O children and grandchildren! while in this state here on earth, be not idle, but labor diligently, that you may not become slaves; and when persons visit you, have food and drink to give them." Covetousness. "O children and grandchildren! do not envy the possessions of others. Though exceedingly abundant, covet them not. Work yourselves, and eat your own things." Intemperance. "O children and grandchildren! do not be guilty of excess in eating and drinking. Be not intemperate, but take that which is proper only." Obedience to kings. "O children and grandchildren! obey the orders of kings, for kings, in former times, obeyed the commands of God. If we do not obey them, they will kill us." Earthly-mindedness. "O children and grandchildren! do not covet the good things of this world; for when you die, you cannot carry away the things that are on earth." "O children and grandchildren! do not desire to be great men, and possess authority. Great men sin exceedingly, and when they die, go to hell." Anger. "O children and grandchildren! never get angry. If we are angry with others, it is the same as if we were angry with God. The righteous One looks down from heaven upon us. The person who looks on the great and small, the vile and the wicked, children and youth, without anger, and gives them food and drink, he shall be established unchangeably." On Forbearance and Humility. "O children and grandchildren! though a person persecute you with deceit, anger and revenge, though he strike you, thump you, beat you, do not return him evil. If you return evil, you derive no advantage thereby. Then with the heart forbear, and speak to him respectful words; by doing thus, you will not go unrewarded." "The man, who without anger endures all with humility, shall be established unchangeably, for by doing thus, the advantages of meritorious qualities are his." Circulating evil reports. "O children and grandchildren! transgressions in the house do not carry into the woods; transgressions in the woods do not bring into the house." Love to enemies. "O children and grandchildren! if a person injures you, let him do what he wishes, and bear all the sufferings he brings upon you with humility. If an enemy persecute you, love him with the heart. On account of our having sinned against God from the beginning, we ought to suffer." How to act when one cheek is struck. "O children and grandchildren! if a person strike you on the face, he does not strike you on the face; he only strikes on the floor. Therefore, if a person strike you on one cheek, give him the other to strike." When spit on. "O children and grandchildren! if a person spits in your face, do not spit in his face in return. He only spits in the air." The two Roads. "O children and grandchildren! the road that leads to heaven, is a track scarcely discernible, but the road that goes to hell is very great." Rewards and Punishments. "Good persons, the good, Shall go to heaven. Righteous persons, the righteous, Shall arrive at heaven. Unrighteous persons, the unrighteous, At death go to hell. Wicked persons, the bad, Shall fall into the fire of hell. Wicked persons, the wicked, Shall fall into the deepest hell." NATIONAL TRADITIONS. A people beloved of God. "O children and grandchildren! formerly God loved the Karen nation above all others, but they transgressed his commands, and in consequence of their transgressions we suffer as at present. Because God cursed us, we are in our present afflicted state, and have no books. But God will again have mercy on us, and again he will love us above others. God will yet save us again; it is on account of our listening to the language of Satan, that we thus suffer." The Word of God. In one of their old war songs, the Sgau Karens boast in possessing the word of God. "Though thou sayest the Pghos are insignificant, Thou must pay a fine for killing them.-- The Sgaus have the word of Jehovah; They will pay no fine for the life of a Pgho." Departure of God. Many of the Karen traditions both in prose and verse allude to the departure of God, but to what event reference is had, it is difficult to say; for all the accounts are evidently fabulous in their details. For instance, "The Elders said, that God returning anciently said to the Karens, 'Karen, guide me.' The Karens replied, 'The weeds are very thick, we cannot guide thee;' and God said, 'May you pull up weeds generation after generation.' Coming to the Burmans, he said, 'Burman, guide me.' The Burmans replied, 'we are hewing out a canoe, we cannot guide thee;' and God said, 'May you hew out canoes generation after generation.' So said one after another in succession till he came to the white foreigners, the youngest brother, to whom he said, 'White foreigner, guide me.' The white foreigner replied, 'I have no ship, no boat, I cannot guide thee; but I wish to guide thee.' Then God made him take off his hat and put it in the sea, and it became a large golden ship; in which they conducted God away to the west. When they arrived, God blessed them, saying, 'May you ride in ships and boats; May you cross waters and reach lands; may you dress in fine clothes; may you be handsome; may you have rulers from among yourselves; may you have large towns and great cities.' Then God went up to heaven, and the white foreigners returned. Hence it is, that the white foreigners are more skilful than all other nations, and ride in ships to the present time." Some poetical pieces represent God as calling upon the sun, moon, and all created beings, to come and weep at his departure; as in the following fragment. "God about to return commanded, commanded, God about to depart commanded, commanded; He commanded the sun to come and weep for him, He commanded the moon to come and weep for him, He commanded the birds to come and weep for him, He commanded the squirrels to come and weep for him." Return of God. The return of God is confidently expected; and the dead trees are represented as blossoming on his arrival. "At the appointed season, God will come; The dead trees will blossom and flower; When the appointed season comes, God will arrive; The mouldering trees will blossom and bloom again; God will come and bring the great Thau-thee;* We must worship, both great and small. The great Thau-thee, God created; Let us ascend and worship. There is a great mountain in the ford, Can you ascend and worship God? There is a great mountain in the way, Are you able to ascend and worship God? You call yourselves the sons of God, How many evenings have you ascended to worship God? You call yourselves the children of God, How often have you ascended to worship God?" [Footnote: * A mountain so called, which is to be the seat of future happiness, according to some statements.] Sometimes he is represented as coming with a trumpet. "God comes down, comes down; God descends, descends; He comes blowing a trumpet, He descends sounding a trumpet; Blowing, he gathers men, like the flowers of the Areca,+ Sounding, he gathers people, like the flowers of the Areca." [Footnote: + The flowers grow thick and are very numerous.] Sometimes angels in glory would seem to accompany him, while the great among the people play on golden harps. "The glittering, the angels of heaven, The dazzling, the angels of heaven; The great trumpet that God comes blowing! The great one that strikes the golden harp." In one fragment God is represented as coming in rags. "O children and grandchildren! before God comes, Satan will come deceiving men; and in order to deceive, he will come dressed in fine clothes and handsome attire; but follow him not, children and grandchildren! After Satan, will come one with scarcely clothes enough to cover him. Follow him. That one is God. When God comes, he will take the appearance of the poorest of men; and will dress in rags. Follow him." Sometimes God, it is said, is to save them by his youngest son. "O children and grandchildren! God will yet save us again. He has saved us twice, and his youngest son will be able to save us again." Appearance of Satan. Some statements represent Satan as coming to deceive men before God returns. The elders said, "O children and grandchildren! before God arrives, Satan will appear, and the unrighteous, and the lascivious, and adulterers, and deceivers, and the contentions will follow him; and when they have all gone after him, there will be happiness, and God will come." Darkness to come. A Karen assistant after reading the account of the plagues in Egypt, related the following. "The Elders said, there will yet be a great darkness. The darkness will be such that men will not be able to see each other, and they will be compelled to creep and feel. At that time the fagots will become serpents; and the bamboos snakes; and people will feel here, and they will lay their hands on a serpent; and there, and they will lay their hands on a snake." In the following fragment God is represented as purifying men. "When the generation arrives and the time comes, When the age arrives and the time comes; Woman will take two husbands, Man will take two wives. It will not please God, God will strike and the earth will quake; When God shall purify the earth, He will purify thee and me and all." King. Many of their compositions represent them as expecting great temporal prosperity under their own kings. "O children and grandchildren! the Karens will yet dwell in the city with the golden palace. If we do well, the existence of other kings is at an end. The Karen king will yet appear, and when he arrives, there will be happiness." For this they have been in the habit of praying. The following are specimens of their prayers. "O Lord, we have had affliction for a long succession of generations; have compassion, have mercy upon us, O Lord. The Taling kings have had their season, the Burman kings have had their season, the Siamese kings have had their season, and the foreign kings, all have had their season; the Karen nation remains. Let our king arrive, O Lord. Thou, O Lord, whom we adore, to whom we sing praises, let us dwell within the great town, the high city, the golden palace. Give to us, have compassion upon us, O Lord." "O Lord, the God whom we adore, have compassion, have mercy upon us. Let us have kings, and let the city, the town, the great town, the silver city, the new town, the new city, the palace, the royal residence arrive to us all, O Lord. Have compassion, and grant unto us, O great God." Sometimes they represent themselves metaphorically as becoming civilized, while other nations become barbarous. "The Elders said, Children and grandchildren! the high mountain will be leveled; and the plain will become a sink. The deer will ascend the mountains, and the wild goat will descend to the plains." "The great mountain will become a plain, Children be happy and play; The great mountain will be leveled, Children be joyful and play." Some compositions represent the Karen king as the sole monarch of the earth, and that there will be neither rich nor poor in his reign, but that all will be happy. "Good persons, the good, Shall go to the silver town, the silver city; Righteous persons, the righteous, Shall go to the new town, the new city; Persons that believe their father and mother, Shall enjoy the golden palace. When the Karen king arrives, There will be only one monarch; When the Karen king comes, There will be neither rich nor poor; When the Karen king shall arrive, There will be neither rich man nor poor; When the Karen king shall come, Rich and poor will not exist." They believe when the Karen king comes, the beasts will be at peace, and cease to bite and devour one another. "When the Karen king arrives, Every thing will be happy; When the Karen king arrives, The beasts will be happy; When Karens have a king, Lions and leopards will lose their savageness." FUNERAL RITES. Death is a fearful event to a Karen. Whenever the death of an individual is announced, the man drops his axe, the woman her shuttle, and the child his toy, not to be resumed again that day; and the unfinished work, never. The house, or canoe, or other article, on which the man was at work when the intelligence reached him, is abandoned to the beasts of the forest; and the labors of the loom are given to the worms, as articles more deadly than the tunic of Nessus.* The corpse is bandaged up in cloths, or mats, shortly after the person has expired, so that no part is visible, and then the spirits of deceased relatives are called to visit the person who has just died, and guide him to Hades. Rice is next poured down at the head and feet of the corpse, and a basket, such as a Karen carries on his back, with an axe, a knife, a bag, a cooking pot, and a drinking cup, are placed by its side, while one exclaims,﹃O dead! eat as in thy state of consciousness on earth; eat, fear not, be not ashamed.﹄As the neighbors and friends arrive at the house, each one expresses his grief in expressions like the following: Alas! what is this! Now I am afflicted indeed. Alas! alas! formerly thou conversedst happily with me. Alas! what shall I do! O Lord, take this my friend, suffer him not to go where he will be subjected to suffering." [Footnote: * In ancient mythology, Nessus was the name of a centaur, whose tunic proved the occasion of death to Hercules.--E.] If the visitor comes from a distance, food is brought out, and before he eats, addressing the corpse, he says,﹃O deceased! eat and drink; eat and drink as in thy state of consciousness formerly.﹄After the company has assembled, they commence a musical chant typifying life: Thus-- ONE PERSON. WHOLE COMPANY. "What is the matter?" "Ascending the trunk." "What is the matter?" "Ascending the branch." "What is the matter?"﹃Taking the fruit.﹄"What is the matter?" "Descending the branch." "What is the matter?" "Descending the trunk." "What is the matter?" "Depositing the fruit." General chorus. "Pitying the dead exceedingly, Unable to wake him up again." This is repeated, or supposed to be repeated, in several different languages which no one understands, but which have been represented to me as in part from an old language, and in part from the Kyen language. The people next engage at "tiger and fowl," a game resembling drafts, intended to prefigure the struggle of mankind with evil spirits. After this is over, the company rises, and, marching slowly round the corpses, sings; "One house post, a pillar red, Two house posts, a pillar red; Stamping round a smooth path, Beating round a smooth path. Catch a red cock of Hades; He will crow at night and show the morn easily. Chorus. O deceased, deceased! art thou dead, hast thou departed! We speak, we call, but he cannot reply. One house post, a pillar white, Two house posts, a pillar white; Stamping round to the starting point, Beating round to the starting point. Catch a white cock of Hades; He will crow at night and show the morn easily. Chorus. O deceased, deceased! art thou dead, hast thou departed? We speak, we call, but he cannot reply." When evening comes, lights that burn for a short time only, are placed near the head and feet of the corpse, to represent the evening and morning stars, which in their legendary lore, are lights showing departed spirits the way to Hades; and believing, as they do, that that world is antipodal to this, they say to the corpse, "the foot of the tree is there," pointing to the summit of a tree; "the tops of the trees are there," pointing to the roots;﹃the west is there,﹄pointing to the east; and "the east is there," pointing to the west. At the close of this address, the people commence singing the following lines; "The light at the head of the corpse is red, red, The light at the foot of the corpse is red, red. He goes with a torch, the morning star, He goes with a light, the morning star." Hot water is next poured out near the head and feet of the corpse, which closes all the regular ceremonies till the burning of the body, which may occur next morning, or be delayed a day or two. The interval is occupied with drinking and singing, slowly marching round the corpse. The compositions that are sung, often partake of a dramatic character, and the dialogue is sung by men and women alternately; and are usually but ill adapted to the solemnities of the occasion. Love and war are the most prominent subjects. The following are offered as specimens. The Deadly Feud. Lututu killed Likoku's wife with a spear; Likoku's wife he went and stabbed with a spear; Likoku resolved to fight him, Likoku resolved to attack him. Thy slaves are how many? how many? Thy slaves are how many? how many? My slaves come to the number of five hundred; My people come to the number of five hundred: They come in ranks from all parts, They come in ranks from every quarter. Who is the leading champion? Who is the foremost champion? The champion is Saule's son; The foremost man is Saule's son. Where do the spears meet? where? Where are the arrows shot? where? The spears meet at Klekhoda, The arrows are shot at Klekhoda. Thou saidst, though the arrows hit they injure not; Thou saidst, though the spears pierce they hurt not. The arrows have hit and slain thee outright; The spears have pierced and slain thee outright. They weave thy bier, they carry thee; They weave thy bier, they bear thee. They have borne thee over the gravelly plain; They have borne thee past the gravel plain. Thy house comes in sight to-day; Thy house is in sight to-day: Thy house comes in sight, thy children know; Thy house is in sight, thy wife knows: At once thy children wait for thee, Thy bearers tread the steps to thy house; At once thy wife is wailing for thee, Thy bearers tread the ladder of thy house. They have reached the middle of the hall, They have reached the centre of the hall. Where shall be performed thy funeral rite? Where shall be performed thy mourning rite? Perform them in the great hall, Mourn for me in the great hall. How many klos* shall be hung around? How many klos shall be hung in the hall? Hang up five hundred and ten, Hang around five hundred and ten." [Footnote: * A musical instrument of metal, that is played on by beating.] The Lovers. Woman. "Formerly one heart, But now divided: Formerly of one mind, Divided now into two. The brinjal+ wild is of a handsome yellow, The wild brinjal is of a beautiful yellow. May thy wife be white as a flake of cotton, Working like the rapid thunder: The brinjal wild is yellow and handsome, The wild brinjal is yellow and beautiful: May thy wife be white as the opening cotton pod, Working like the running thunder. [Footnote: + The young man is meant to be indicated by the brinjal.] Man. Thou hittest my heart, thou pleasest me; Thou touchest my heart, I am pleased with thee. But thy mother does not love me, Thy father does not love me. Listen to my words, Then stone and water will give light like sand.* [Footnote: * The Karens sometimes pray, "May my heart be white as stone and light as sand; pure as water and light as sand."] Woman. I conversed with thee under the eaves, I talked with thee under the eaves. Our bracelets we put off and exchanged, Our bangles we put off and exchanged. Man. The country of Sere, of Sere, The land of Sere, of Sere; It is famed for the frogs that are there, It is famed for the fish that are there. The hornbills ascend high in the sky, And fly away two abreast." In the morning, when the body is burned, a bone is taken from the ashes and preserved with great care till a convenient time for assembling a large concourse of people. Booths are then built on the bank of some stream, a feast made, and the ceremonies renewed around the bone, which have been described above as performed around the body. On the evening of the day that the bone is buried, the friends of the deceased assemble around the bone and sing a particular dirge, of which the following is a part: "Clear the road, The Queen will go forth, Clear the road well, The Queen will go forth again. The seven great roads, Go the middle road; The seven great paths, Go the middle path. Mother brought up her daughter, Mukha* has seized her; Mother brought up her son, Mukha has got him. Black-backed Mukha Leaped down from behind the partition; Black-winged Mukha Leaped down from about the partition. The great hall descends gradually, A short post remains firm; The great hall descends slowly, A beam remains firm. We do not love to die, Thus we are made insane; We do not love to depart, We are driven to insanity. The flat-billed duck,+ The dead goes with him; The flat-nosed duck, The dead returns with him. Tie up the cord of seven strings++ That the dead may arrive at his grave; Tie up the cord of seven strings, The dead arrives to-day." [Footnote: * An evil spirit, that is supposed to seize and kill persons who become obnoxious to him.] [Footnote: + The wild duck is supposed to go and return to and from Hades.] [Footnote: ++ Between the place where the funeral ceremonies are performed and the grave, strings are tied across the streams, a bridge for the departed spirit.] At the close of the ceremonies around the bone, a bangle* is hung up, and a cup of rice placed under it. The departed spirit is then called; for it is supposed to be hovering around, till the funeral rites are completed. When the spirit answers the call, the string trembles, the bangle turns round, and the string snaps in two as if by miracle. If no answer is returned, the spirit is gone to hell. When he signifies that he is present, he has guided to the grave yard, which is always one of the best spots in the neighborhood. Here the bone is buried, and money with other articles thrown on the grave. Should any one take the money that is left on a grave, he would become childless, and his family extinct, which is a sufficient terror to a Karen to keep him honest. After burying the bone, the spirit is addressed, as follows: "Now thou mayest go to thy land, thy country, thy kingdom. When thou arrivest, do not forget us. We shall come to thee. Go not to hell, go to the abodes of bliss. As to this silver, if thou art taken by force, buy thyself with it. Go. Here is thy small house; thy great house is on the river Naudokwa.+ Go." [Footnote: * An ornament worn in India, upon the arms and ankles.--E.] [Footnote: + This is a river either in Hades or on its borders.] The Karens suppose that these ceremonies are of a comparatively recent origin, and say that they formerly buried their dead. Burning the body and singing around the bone were first introduced, as some of their traditions say, by an individual of the name of Mautau, to whom many of the songs are attributed. Others charge the whole on Satan himself; to which I see no special objection, for their funerals are complete scenes of bacchanalian revelry, in which the spirit of Satan most certainly presides. The most detailed account of the origin of these rites, is in a tradition that Mr. Wade obtained from a Maulmain Karen, and is as follows: Origin of the funeral rites. "Afterwards the man and his wife died. Of the children that they left behind them, some became sick and died, others became sick and recovered, and others died of age. When a thousand years were completed, God looked down and had mercy on them again, and came to them. He said, 'Your parents at the beginning I commanded, but they did not listen to my words; they listened to Satan, and ate the fruit of the tree of temptation. They became sick, and old, and died; as in like manner have their descendants unto you. Now I have looked down and I pity you. I will save you, will you obey my words? If you will listen to me, I will save you.' God having spoken thus, men consented, and said, 'O Father God; our parents anciently did not listen to thy words: we observe them. They listened to the words of Satan, and ate the fruit of the tree of temptation. Death and old age came upon them, and these things have descended to their children, even unto us. Have mercy upon us, and save us. We are exceedingly glad.' God replied, 'If you will obey my words I will help you; but if you do not obey, you will suffer and die.' Having said thus, God proceeded to direct them as follows: 'When any one dies, bind him up in seven thickness of wild plantain leaves, and go place him in the road. As soon as seven days are fulfilled, he will come to life again.' Having said thus, God departed. Two or three days afterwards, a man died. As God had directed, they bound him up and placed him in the road; and, as God said, when seven days were completed he came to life again. For a hundred years they observed the word of God, and were happy. "After a hundred years had passed away, Satan was born, and at fifteen years of age he began to ruin man again. He said, 'Children and grandchildren, doing this way is not the way to be happy: I will show you how to obtain pleasure.' Having said thus, he rose up and killed his father. Having killed his father, he took the body, placed it in the hall, and called his uncles and aunts, his brothers and sisters, and all his other relatives. His relatives having assembled together, he adorned the young men and maidens with new garments, and caused them to walk around the corpse of his father and sing. Addressing his relatives, he said, 'Let some weep, let some laugh, and let some sing. In this way we shall have real pleasure. No body listened to him, except his relations; they did as he told them, but the worshipers of God would not obey him.' Satan after devising within himself the course to be pursued, directed his relatives to make handsome clothes, showing them how to dye various colors, and how to ornament their garments. His relations having adorned themselves with new clothes, in striped and variegated garments, he caused them to go out and sing. "The children of those that worshiped God came to see. Satan at the funeral feast saw them, and induced them to dress themselves in new garments and sing. They went away and called their relations to come and do likewise, saying, 'Brethren! as to what Satan is doing, we went to see, and found it very pleasant.' 'What does he do?' was the inquiry. They replied, 'What he does we cannot tell you; you must go and see with your own eyes.' 'If we go,' was asked again, 'shall we like it?' 'Like it!' they replied, 'you will like it exceedingly; and more than like it, for if you go to him, he will give you new garments, and cause you to walk and sing.' After conversing in this manner they all went to Satan, who as soon as he saw them, laughed and said, 'There was no pleasure in doing as your parents taught you. I will teach you how to obtain pleasure. Go, sing.' 'Why, Satan,' they replied, 'we do not know how.' 'I will show you,' he continued; and he dressed them in handsome clothes, and taught them how to sing funeral songs. They then said to others, 'Brethren, what Satan has taught us is very pleasant;' and in this way, whenever any of Satan's relatives died, they assembled at the funeral. "After a long time, their parents all died off, and they had not learned the customs connected with praying to and worshiping God; they had learned only the customs that Satan had taught them, so that when any one died they knew not what to do, but went to Satan and asked him. He came and taught them as above, and charged them, saying, 'Teach your children and grandchildren to do them; when I have gone and taught all nations, I shall be hidden. All I have taught you, my children, observe and do.' Satan, having charged them thus, died, and the Karen nation have observed his commands from generation to generation unto the present time." DEMONOLOGY. We live in two worlds; the visible world which we apprehend by means of our senses, and the invisible world, of which we have no faculties to take cognizance, and of which we know nothing more than revelation teachers. From that it appears, "the angel of the Lord," unseen,﹃encampeth round about those that fear him;﹄and that ministering spirits, unrecognized, are ministering to the heirs of salvation. Now a Karen has so far a knowledge of truth, that he has a distinct belief in the existence of these two worlds. The first, or visible one he calls the outer; and the second, or invisible one, the inner. This spiritual world, however, brings no consolation to his heart, for his imagination peoples it, not with angels watching over him for good, but with demons that are ever devising evil, and seeking his destruction. Besides beings that he regards as of the nature of Satan, he believes that every country and sea, every mountain and stream, every large tree and great rock, has its guardian spirit; and to propitiate these beings, he makes sacrifices and presents offerings. A full account of these superstitions would fill a small volume. One specimen must serve in this place. When about to sacrifice to the Earth, a small house, two or three feet high, is built, and a fowl or two sacrificed by cutting off their heads, the blood and feathers of which are daubed on the posts of the house. The fowls are next cooked, and then presented with the following prayer: "Lord of the Earth, Lord of the mud, Lord of the water, Lord of the mountains, Lord of the hills, Lord of the sun, Lord of the moon, Lord of the trees, Lord of the bamboos, Lord of the great mountain, Lord of the middle mountain, Come, come. I will sacrifice for you to eat, Birds that are savory, Fowls that are fat: Fowls, both cock and hen. We that dwell By one stream of water, On one district of land, With our people, our dependants, Both great and small; May our skin be cool, May our flesh be comfortable. Lord, put forth your hands, Put forth your feet; I will wash your hands, I will wash your feet: Eat rice, Drink water, O Lord." When a Karen sets fire to the fallen trees and dry brushwood that cover the field which he has cleared, he addresses it as follows: "Arise, field of fagots! Arise, arise! Arise, comb thy head! Arise, wash thy face! Arise, devour the cleaver clearing! Arise, devour the axe clearing! Arise, devour the massy rocks! Arise, devour the abrupt precipices! Arise, devour the mountains! Arise, devour the hills! Arise, devour the central mountain! Arise, devour the central hill! Arise, field of fagots! Arise, arise!"* [Footnote: * The two extracts given above, though not poetry, that is, the lines having neither rhyme nor measure, are yet, like many other Karen compositions, a poetical prose, which can be best represented by being written in parallel couplets.] PROPHETS. Power to see into the world of spirits is occasionally imparted. When Elisha's servant was filled with fear for the safety of himself and his master, Elisha prayed,﹃Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw, and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.﹄So Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, saw the heavens opened, and﹃the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.﹄The Karens also believe, that this power of seeing into the invisible world is possessed by prophets, a degenerate race of whom are still supposed to exist among them.﹃There are two classes of prophets,﹄say the Elders;﹃the one holds communication with demons; the other, with God.﹄And after adding that the good prophets are not now sent unto them, on account of their disobedience, they say,﹃God would have given us one for each generation, but because we did not obey, prophets abound, and they are unrighteous.﹄These existing prophets confines themselves to directing what offerings shall be made to appease the demons, that are supposed to produce sickness; and they are constantly consulted for this purpose. They pretend to hold a conversation with unseen spirits, when applications are made to them for information and according to the response of the "familiar spirit," they decide. There is another class of persons, called Bukhos, who are more directly connected with the worship of God, and who often unite the character of extraordinary religious teacher with that of prophet. These Bukhos usually, if not uniformly, condemn the practice of making offerings to demons; and represent to the people, that God is, in some way or other, about to appear for their salvation. A distinguished one, who lives about ten days' journey up the Yun-za-len, a tributary of the Salwen, that rises near Toung-u, is mentioned by Mr. Judson, in his journal of May, 1832, as "an extraordinary young man of twenty, who, while he pretends to hold communication with the invisible world, professes also to be desirous of finding the true God, and becoming acquainted with the true religion. Our people remained with him three days; during which time, they were surrounded with a crowd of his followers, and were obliged to preach day and night." I visited this prophet in the year 1837, and found him, like many others, with whom I have met in my travels, without any settled principles, unless a heterogeneous mixture of old Karen traditions and Boodhism can be called such. His leading object, as with most of his class, seemed to be, to give himself importance, and acquire an influence over the people. In this, he appears to have succeeded tolerably well, for at the last dates he had successfully headed a revolt of the Karens against the Burmans, and compelled a detachment of their soldiers, that was sent against him, to retire. One of the most extraordinary of these men, is the one that brought the Book of Common Prayer to Mr. Boardman. The following notices of him were furnished by Sau Qua-la. "He commanded the people of Mergui and Tavoy, saying, 'Come and worship with me. Happiness will return, but those who neglect worship, when happiness arrives, will not be allowed to participate in it.' Great numbers, old and young, male and female, came from every direction, and worshiped with drums, and gongs, and singing of every description. He made himself a great man, and compelled others to prostrate themselves before him. He had men go before and behind him with swords and spears: while others beat drums and struck the cymbals. In the zayats where the people worshiped, he had two divisions made, one for the women and another for the men; and there he taught them to sing and pray to God. The people made him offerings of white cloth, and silver in considerable quantities; and he would take the latter and throw it into the streams, saying, 'The flowered silver, the ingots of silver will flee, The white silver, the round silver I see.' "This he called making an end of Burman silver. The people, however, continued to bring him money, notwithstanding he threw it away in the manner he did. In later years he came and worshiped at Shenmouktee,* near Tavoy. There, the Karens of Mergui and Tavoy assembled with him in great numbers. They walked around the image night and day, and worshiped standing, and worshiped sitting, and worshiped lying down. This was the way, he said, to bring the worship of the image to an end. The Burman officers, intending to massacre the Karens, went to the governor of Tavoy and said, 'In the day there is not a single Karen to be seen; but when night comes, they cover the whole plain. Give us permission, and we will go and kill them, lest they rebel. The governor replied, 'Fear not, the Karens can never succeed in rebellion; let them alone.' Not long afterwards, however, one of the Karens themselves went and informed against him to the governor, saying, 'He is endeavoring to bring thee, and the king at Ava, into contempt; and he prays, that the white foreigners may come and take the city.' Then the governor called him and, taking away his sword and spear, threw him into prison. Here he obtained two books. Sometimes he said, that a white foreigner gave them to him; and sometimes, that a foreign priest gave them to him; and sometimes, that God gave them to him; and sometimes, that he received them from an inhabitant of heaven.** They were written in Karen, he said, and he prostrated himself before the books morning and evening; and made the Karens do so likewise, telling them, that, when the time arrived, they would be able to read them, but that the time was not yet come. The governor took away one of his books, and the other was the book of Common Prayer, which he subsequently brought to Mr. Boardman. He was set at liberty through the intercession of a Karen chief; and he afterwards went down to Palaw, where we heard he was flogged, and one of his disciples fined a hundred rupees, and narrowly escaped with his life. The following couplets are specimens of the compositions, that he taught the people to sing at worship: "This worship is excellent worship, The worship that the great God appointed; This worship is pure worship, The worship that the great God gave us. Ascend and worship on the mountain vale of Maurai,+ The mountain vale of Maurai is the place where God reclines. Ascend and worship on Maurai, The mountain vale of Maurai is the seat of God. The wicked, those that are wicked, Shall fall among the Fetid Cassia;*** The good, those that are good, Shall ascend the smooth bamboo. Clear away the wild Egg-plant,++ Build our city of peace. Root up the wild Egg-plant, Rebuild our old city. He has come, he has come, God has come; Bring offerings, bring offerings of early rice. He comes, he comes, God comes; Bring offerings, bring offerings of white boiled rice. The golden ship has arrived, has arrived, It has arrived with our younger brother. The worship that God appointed, The great worship, has reached the Karens. O the thinking of the great worship! Lo! it expels sleep. O the thinking of the origin of the worship! Lo! no more sleep can be obtained." [Footnote: * A village six or eight miles south of Tavoy, where there is a famous image of Gaudama.] [Footnote: ** I have heard two or three diametrically opposite statements from his own lips.] [Footnote: + This is the name he gave to the zayat where he worshiped, but why, no one can tell.] [Footnote: *** The Cassia tora of Linnaeus, a common weed in Tavoy.] [Footnote: ++ A species of Solanum that grows wild in great abundance, but more especially on ruins and old walls.] ROMANCE OF MISSIONS. In Christian lands, there is a halo of romance sometimes thrown around the mission enterprise, which the realities of life often dissipate; but still oftener, scenes of surpassing interest are witnessed on missionary ground, whose bright colors are never seen at home. The history of the introduction of Christianity among the Karens is, perhaps, too full of "truth stranger than fiction," to be believed by those who have not been actors in the scenes, themselves. Take Mergui for a single instance. Mr. and Mrs. Wade were the first to visit the Karen villages of Mergui with the gospel, and a more interesting reception than was given them, it were difficult to find on record. They were led by an intelligent chief, now a pillar in the church, and were met on their arrival by﹃several young women whom he had invited, among others, to meet them,﹄singing a hymn of which the first verse and chorus was, "The Lord his messengers doth send, And he himself will quickly come; The priests of Boodh, whose reign is short, Must leave the place to make them room." Three or four years afterwards, the writer of these pages entered the province at its other extremity; and writing on the spot, he says, "My entrance into this village reminded me of Paul's into Lystra. The people almost quarrelled for the honor of receiving me, each protesting, 'my house is the best.' They had never heard of the gospel before, and were more attentive, and quite as orderly at worship, as any Christian congregation I ever saw." These people now form a part of the settlement at Te-wa, where there is a flourishing little church. On descending the river two days' journey further south, "We met," says the journal, "with a religious teacher and his wife, who live in the neighborhood. They begged us to stop; but after a little conversation, they concluded to return, and started on before us. On reaching his house, where I now am, we found every thing prepared for us, in the very first of Karen style, with their garments spread on the floor, for me to walk upon from one room to another. While listening to the reading of the View* in Karen, he occasionally exclaimed, 'The Lord,' 'The Lord,' 'The Lord.' He has built an addition to his house as a place of worship; and himself and such of his neighbors as are disposed, assemble every night to worship, where they pray and sing hymns. In his place of worship, I found a shrine surrounded with something resembling a Chinese pagoda, and many ridiculous ornaments. I told him, these things were not proper. 'Well, then,' said he, 'I will destroy them, if you say they are wrong. I made them through ignorance, not knowing what was proper. I have been long living in hopes, that I should see a teacher among us, and now you have come, I am determined to do as you say.'" [Footnote: * The title of a tract.--E.] "I was awaked in the middle of the night, by the singing of some women in the next room, who composed as they sung. I caught a few verses."-- "If we know the Lord Jesus Christ, We are delivered from our sins; Whoever knows the Lord Jesus Christ, Is delivered from his sins. Upon the whole earth, No other God should be worshiped; Throughout the whole earth, No other God should be worshiped. Praise the law of God, It is pure as water, even as sand; Praise the truth of God, It is pleasant as water, smooth as iron." This man and his wife, with many of their neighbors, were subsequently baptized and formed the little church at Tamla, most of whose members have since moved up the river to Mata. Ten days later, on returning to Tavoy from Mergui by the seaboard through the Burman villages, we lost our way, the day after leaving Mergui, as detailed in the following communication written a few years after. "My cogitations were interrupted by a man behind calling out in his idiom, 'the road is lost.' Sure enough, the road was gone, and we soon found ourselves on the edge of a dismal swamp, covered by a species of ficus with its thousand arms, the sure index of inextricable mazes and inundating tide waters. "Having been walking from the first blush of morn, with a view to reaching a small Burman village by the middle of the afternoon, we were sufficiently fatigued to lie down and wait for the fresh impetus of the morrow; but unfortunately our scrip was out, and every voice counselled to move on, but in what direction, was not so clear. After a short pause, the Karens instinctively turned to the mountains, and we plunged through a thick undergrowth of briars and creepers.
"--'The tropic sun had laid his burning head On twilight's lap,""when we suddenly found ourselves on the banks of a mountain stream, and entered a path that appeared to lead to a Karen house. The energy of hope carried us up the hills till the last gleam of day died away, and the stars of night hung trembling in the heavens. We reached a field that had been cultivated, but alas! it had also been abandoned. Nature was exhausted, and after making a fire to keep away the tigers heard around, we spent a few minutes in considering the passage, 'Thy will be done,' and closed with prayer and praise to Him that doeth all things well. Not having either dinner or supper to prepare, our arrangements for the night were soon made. I moved away the large stones in a small ravine, and, under a few wild plantain leaves to defend me from the dew, lay down to sleep to the music of a sleepless brook that rolled at my feet. We awoke with the wailing cry of the long-armed apes,* bounding from tree to tree in the forests beyond us. 'The morning has whitened,' said a Karen at my side, pointing to the first glow of dawn on the mountain summit; and while the morning fog swept in gigantic fleeces over the plain below, except an occasional knoll peering above its waves, like an island in the ocean, we commenced retracing our steps down the hill to a path at the foot, that had been observed leading to the north. Endeavoring to conjecture in what way our losing the road would be overruled to our profit and usefulness, we moved on till nine or ten o'clock, when our eyes were gladdened by the sight of a Karen house. An old man on the verandah gazed at us a few moments in immovable silence, like the deer of his native hills, and then turning to his family in the house, he called out, 'The teacher has arrived; the teacher has arrived.' The next moment he was before me, saying, 'I will show you to the zayat. It is close by; only a call distant.' This was passing strange to me, but as it appeared all a thing of course to the old man, I followed on to a more than ordinarily comfortable zayat in the neighborhood of some Karen houses, whose inmates were soon around me, like Cornelius and his friends, looking, though not saying, 'We are all here present before God to hear the things commanded thee of God!' It appeared on explanation, that it had been told them, 'The teacher is in the jungle, and will call on you. You must build a zayat for his reception, and listen to his precepts.' The zayat was just completed, and they were looking for my arrival daily, when I lost my way; and instead of leaving their settlement many miles to the eastward, as I intended, I was most unintentionally led among them. I had fallen on an oasis in the desert, and here a few days were spent which afford pleasure in the retrospect, and will afford pleasure, it is believed, in eternity. We parted with mutual regret, the people loading us with substantial proofs of their attachment in the shape of rice, fowls, eggs, yams, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane, while their last words were, 'You must come again next year and baptize us.' Another year came, and another, and another; each year bringing with it that share of culture to this little spot, which the missionary and his native assistants could spare from a large field with numerous and urgent demands. The result was, a Christian population of about fifty, nearly twenty of whom have learned to read, and more than twenty of whom have united with a Christian church on a profession of faith." They now form a part of the flourishing village of Ka-bin. [Footnote: * The animal referred to by Dr. Helfer, who says, "A Hylobates, though the most common species in the interior, howling most pitiably in the solitary forests, seems to have hitherto escaped the observation of naturalists."] "From the uttermost part of the earth we hear songs; 'Glory to the righteous.' For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, And as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise To spring forth before all the nations."* [Footnote: * Isaiah 24:11.61:11.]
TO THE FRIENDS OF MISSIONS. ---------------------------------------------- VALUABLE MISSIONARY WORKS PUBLISHED BY GOULD, KENDALL AND LINCOLN, BOSTON. ---------------------------------------------- THE GREAT COMMISSION, Or the Christian Church constituted and charged to convey the gospel to the world. By the Rev. John Harris, D. D., author of "Mammon," "Great Teacher," &c., with an Introductory Essay by William R. Williams, D.D., of New York. SECOND EDITION. 12mo. cloth. This word was written in consequence of the offer of a prize of two hundred guineas by several prominent individuals in Scotland for the best essay on "the duty, privilege and encouragement of Christians to send the gospel of salvation to the unenlightened nations of the earth." The adjudicators (David Welsh, Ralph Wardlaw, Henry Melville, Jabez Bunting, Thos. S. Crisp) state "that forty-two essays were received, and after much deliberation, the essay of Dr. Harris was placed first. They were influenced in their decision by the sentiment, style, and comprehensiveness of the essay, and by the general adaptation to the avowed object of the prize. From the numerous and extended notices and reviews of the work, the following extracts are given to show the "OPINION OF THE PRESS." "This work comes forth in circumstances which give and promise extraordinary interest and value. Its general circulation will do much good." N. Y. Evangelist. "A work of great excellence, rich in thought and illustration of a subject to which the attention of thousands has been called by the word and providence of God." Philadelphia Observer. "The merits of the book entitle it to more than a prize of money. It constitutes a most powerful appeal on the subject of Missions." N. Y. Bap. Advocate. "Its style is remarkably chaste and elegant. Its sentiments richly and fervently evangelized, its argumentation conclusive." Zion's Herald. "This is not the first prize essay by the same author. Those who have read the Great Teacher and Mammon, need no other recommendation to this." N. Y. Observer. "It depicts in a forcible manner, the blessings which attend missionary efforts, and examines at length the objections which have been urged against the establishment of missions." Mercantile Journal. "We hope, that the volume will be attentively and prayerfully read by the whole Church, which are clothed with the "Great Commission" to evangelize the world, and that they will be moved to an immediate discharge of its high and momentous obligations." N. E. Puritan. "Of the several productions of Dr. Harris--all of them of great value--that now before us is destined probably to exert the most powerful influence in forming the religious and missionary character of coming generations. The vast fund?? of argument comprised in these pages will excite the admiration of thousands in our own land as well as in Europe." Boston Recorder. --------------------------------------------------- THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF MISSIONS; A RECORD OF THE VOYAGE, TRAVELS, LABORS, AND SUCCESSES OF THE VARIOUS MISSIONARIES WHO HAVE BEEN SENT FORTH BY PROTESTANT SOCIETIES TO EVANGELIZE THE HEATHEN, COMPILED FROM AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS, FORMING A COMPLETE MISSIONARY REPOSITORY. ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS MADE EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK. BY REV. JOHN O. CHOULES, N. Y., AND REV. THOMAS SMITH, LONDON. SIXTH EDITION, ENLARGED AND IMPROVED, IN TWO VOLUMES, QUARTO. THE Publishers would invite the attention of all interested in the prosperity and success of Missions, to this valuable work. The present edition has been improved and enlarged by a continuation of the work down to the present time. It will be seen, by reference to the recommendatory notices annexed, from prominent men of the various denominations, that it is free from all sectarian bias, and as such is entitled to the confidence of the Christian community. The work is printed on flue paper, from handsome stereotype plates,--contains 1228 pages of printed matter, and thirty-six splendid steel engravings. In order to place it within the reach of every one wishing to possess this valuable repository of missionary intelligence, the present proprietors have determined to put it at the very low price of seven dollars per copy,--one half the cost of former editions;--making it one of the cheapest works published. RECOMMENDATIONS. The plan and object of "THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF MISSIONS" having been submitted to us, we beg leave most cordially to recommend it to the attention of the religious public, considering it highly calculated to extend the interest which is already felt on behalf of the great missionary enterprise. RUFUS ANDERSON, D. D., DAVID GREENE, LUCIUS BOLLES, D. D., R. E. PATTISON, D. D., P. VAN PELT, WILBUR FISKE, D. D., F. WAYLAND, D. D., DANIEL SHARP, D. D., B. B. WISNER, D. D., J. CODMAN, D. D., HOWARD MALCOM, WILLIAM JENKS, D. D., J. D. KNOWLES, IRAH CHASE, H. J. RIPLEY, BARON STOW, WILLIAM HAGUE, SAMUEL COX, D. D., GARDINER SPRING, D. D., SPENCER H. CONE, CHARLES G. SOMERS, ROBERT M'CARTEE, D. D., G. M. MATHEWS, D. D., ARCHIBALD MACLAY, C. C. CUYLER, EZRA FISK, D. D., B. T. WELCH, D. D., A. KENDRICK, D. D., A. ALEXANDER, D. D., G. LIVINGSTONE, D. D., G. T. BEDELL, D. D., W. T. BRANTLEY, EZRA STILES ELY, D. D., J. BRECKENRIDGE, D. D., LUTHER HALSEY, WILLIAM NEVINS, R. BABCOCK, D. D., JOHN PRATT, J. C. YOUNG, A. W. LELAND, D. D. HISTORY OF MISSIONS. From Rev. R. ANDERSON, D. D., Sec. Am. B. C. F. Missions. The History of Missions, in two vols. quarto, by the Rev. Messrs. Smith and Choules, is the most comprehensive and the best extant. It contains a rich store of authentic facts, highly important both to the minister and the private Christian. To the former it will be an invaluable assistant in his preparations for the monthly concert and other missionary meetings; and in the family, it will furnish instructive and useful employment to the members of different ages, in many an hour that otherwise might not be so profitably occupied. R. ANDERSON. From the Secretaries Am. Bap. Board of For. Missions. The History of Missions, as its name denotes, is a narrative of the means and methods by which the gospel has been propagated in pagan lands, beginning with the earliest efforts of the church, but presenting more at large the origin and progress of the principal missionary institutions of the last and present centuries. Being derived from authentic sources, and fitted, by its happy selection of incidents, to cherish an intelligent interest in the subjects of which it treats, we hope it will secure an extensive circulation. It is worthy of a place in every Christian library. LUCIUS BOLLES, SOLOMON PECK. "It is to the notice of all the community that we introduce, with unfeigned pleasure, this work. If all our brethren would obtain and read it, we doubt not our missionary concerts would become scenes of more lively interest. We beg our friends not to deprive themselves of the pleasure of owning the History." Baptist Magazine. "It is the first work, within our knowledge, that comes up, in the extent of its information, to the claims of the great subject of missions. After a close examination, we consider the work to have been faithfully and accurately done. We cannot but hope that the publishers will be amply remunerated. The importance of the work can hardly be magnified. To all, we earnestly and confidently recommend 'The Origin and History of Missions.'" Quarterly Observer. "We can only repeat the recommendation which we have more than once bestowed on this important work." Biblical Repository. "We welcome with deep and unaffected joy the appearance of Mr. Choules's 'Origin and history of Missions.' We devoutly thank God for a work which so fully and happily supplies that very information which is needed by all who would intelligently love and wisely promote the great and arduous enterprise of the world's conversion,--who would know what has been done, and what remains to be done, and what light the wide and diversified experience of the past throws upon the means to be employed for the future." Christian Review. "The work is just what every friend of Missions has long desired; and perhaps more than one may exclaim, with the lamented Dr. Bedell, 'I had intended, if God should spare my life, to prepare a history of missions; but (alluding to this work) how good is God! it is already done.'" Christian Witness. "When we have taken up the volumes, we have laid them down again with reluctance, and only as constrained by necessity. They are rich; replete with instructive facts and striking incidents, that will not fail to leave those impressions on the reader's mind, which a good man loves to cherish, and with which it must be the joy of his heart to live, and the delight of his soul to die." Boston Recorder. --------------------------------------------------- MEMOIR OF GEORGE DANA BOARDMAN, Late Missionary to Burmah, containing much intelligence relative to the Burman Mission. By Rev. Alonzo King. New edition. With an Introductory Essay, by a distinguished Clergyman. Embellished with a likeness. A beautiful Vignette on Steel, representing the baptismal scene just before his death; and a drawing of his Tomb, taken by Rev. HOWARD MALCOM. In noticing the lamented death of Mr. Boardman, Mr. Judson, in one of his letters, thus speaks of his late worthy co-worker on the fields of Burmah: "One of the brightest luminaries of Burmah is extinguished,--dear brother Boardman is gone to his eternal rest. He fell gloriously at the head of his troops, in the arms of victory,--thirty-eight wild Karens having been brought into the camp of king Jesus since the beginning of the year, besides the thirty-two that were brought in during the two preceding years. Disabled by wounds, he was obliged, through the whole last expedition, to be carried on a litter; but his presence was a host, and the Holy Spirit, accompanied his dying whispers with almighty influence. Such a death, next to that of martyrdom, must be glorious in the eyes of heaven. Well may he rest assured, that a triumphal crown awaits him on the great day, and 'Well done, good and faithful Boardman, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.'" Mr. Mason, his worthy fellow-laborer among the Karens, says:--"I have been busily occupied all day and evening with the examination of candidates for baptism, and have received thirteen. Thus the work of conversion seems to have been produced, by the blessing of God, by means precisely similar to those which are blessed by revivals at home. The whole however, is to be traced to Mr. Boardman's first visit to the jungle, in 1829. An impulse was then given to Karen minds, which, I confidently anticipate, will never stop until the whole nation is converted." From Rev. J. O. Choules, author of History of Missions. I have read the Memoir of Boardman with great satisfaction. It is a volume of no ordinary merit, and will compare advantageously with any similar production. The great charm in the character of Mr. Boardman was his fervent piety; and his biographer has succeeded admirably in holding him up to the Christian world as the pious student, the faithful minister, and the self-denying, laborious missionary. To the student, to the Christian minister, it will be a valuable book, and no Christian can peruse it without advantage. I hope our ministering brethren will aid in the circulation of the Memoir. Every church will be benefited by its diffusion among its members. I am much mistaken, if the perusal of this volume does not lead some youthful members of our churches to look with an eye of pity on the wastes of Paganism, and cry, "Here am I, send me." Yours, &c., JOHN O. CHOULES. From Rev. Baron Stow. No one can read the Memoir of Boardman, without feeling that the religion of Christ is suited to purify the affections, exalt the purposes, and give energy to the character. Mr. Boardman was a man of rare excellence, and his biographer, by a just exhibition of that excellence, has rendered an important service, not only to the cause of Christian missions, but to the interest of personal godliness. Yours, with esteem, BARON STOW. ------------------------------------------------- MEMOIR OF WILLIAM CAREY, D.D., FORTY YEARS MISSIONARY IN INDIA. By Eustace Carey. With an Introductory Essay, by F. Wayland, D.D. WITH A LIKENESS. During the forty years which Dr. Carey labored in the missionary cause, he was instrumental in the publication of 212,000 volumes of the Scriptures, in forty different languages, embracing the vernacular tongues of at least 27,000,000, of the human race, besides performing other labors, the enumeration of which would seem almost incredible. The work is done with modesty and good sense, and is written with piety, candor and simplicity. The author rarely indulges his imagination, and seldom diverges from the plain path of beaten narrative. Whatever he says may be relied on with confidence, and will be perused with interest. We would gladly have had more, but we are thankful that we have so much.--Introductory Essay. --------------------------------------------- MEMOIR OF ANN H. JUDSON, Late Missionary to Burmah, including a history of the American Baptist Mission in the Burman Empire. By James D. Knowles. A new edition. With a continuation of the History of the mission down to the present year. The unexampled sale of this book in the United States, besides several editions in England, is a gratifying evidence of the public approbation. It is now printed in improved style, and makes a GIFT much superior to any annual; the embellishments being elegant and appropriate, and the reading matter, which is of the most interesting and improving character, makes it one of the most desirable presents to a『Young Christian』that can be found. From the American Traveller. "We are particularly gratified to perceive a new edition of the Memoirs of Mrs. Judson. She was an honor to our country--one of the most noble spirited of her sex. It cannot therefore be surprising that so many editions and so many thousand copies of her life and adventures have been sold. The name--the long career of suffering--the self-sacrificing spirit of the retired country girl, have spread over the whole world; and the heroism of her apostleship and almost martyrdom, stands out a living and heavenly beacon fire amid the dark midnight of ages, and human history and exploits. She was the first woman who resolved to become a missionary to heathen countries."-- --------------------------------------------- The Christian Miniature Library. Elegantly Bound in Cloth, Gilt Edges. THE BIBLE AND THE CLOSET; Or how we may read the Scriptures with the most spiritual profit, by Thomas Watson; and Secret Prayer successfully managed, by Rev. Saml. Lee; Ministers ejected in 1662. edited by J. O. CHOULES, with a recommendatory Letter, by E. N. KIRK. "This class of publications supply the most striking deficiency in the practical religious literature of our day. Here are rich views of scriptural illustration and of religious sentiment, buried in the tomes of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and it is a good service to the church of the nineteenth, to re-open those mines. Our neophytes need it, and our ministerial corps may find models which can be most profitably imitated."--Mr. Kirk's Letter. THE FAMILY ALTAR; Or how may the duty of daily family Prayer be best managed for the spiritual benefit of every one in the family. By Thomas Doolittle, 1674. Edited by J. O. CHOULES. THE CASKET OF FOUR JEWELS, For Young Christians. Containing Apollos--Growth in Grace--The Golden Censer--and The Christian Citizen. THE MARRIAGE RING; Or how to make Home Happy. By the Rev. John Angel James. Other volumes of the above beautiful series are in preparation, and will be speedily issued. The following are done up in paper, gilt edges. APOLLOS: Or directions to persons just commencing a Religious Life. GROWTH IN GRACE: Or the young Professor directed how to attain to Eminent Piety. From the writings of J. EDWARDS and J. A. JAMES. THE CHRISTIAN CITIZEN: By JOHN HARRIS, D. D. THE GOLDEN CENSER: Or a visit to the House of Prayer, from the writings of JOHN HARRIS, D. D. ----------------------------------------------