Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/723

 JUDSON 703 for counsel and encouragement, addressed by Adoniram Judson, jr., Samuel Nott, jr., Sam- uel J. Mills, and Samuel Newell, to the general Congregational association of Massachusetts, became the incipient step toward the forma- tion of the American board of commissioners for foreign missions. Impatient at the slow progress of the American movement, he em- barked for England, under invitation, to con- sult with the directors of the London mis- sionary society in regard to the practicability of cooperation with that society by the newly formed American board. The vessel in which he embarked was captured by a French priva- teer, and the young missionary soon found himself in a prison in Bayonne. Released on parole, he reembarked for England, where he arrived in May, 1811, and was offered for him- self and his associates appointments and sup- port from the London society, but the plan of cooperation was declined as unadvisable. He returned to New York in August, and in Sep- tember was present at the meeting of the American board at Worcester. Here his elo- quent importunity, united with that of one of his colleagues, triumphed over the continued tendency to delay, and Judson, Newell, and Nott, with Gordon Hall, were appointed by the board its missionaries to the Burman em- pire. Luther Rice was subsequently added to their number, and the five young men were ordained at Salem, Feb. 6, 1812. Mr. Judson's marriage with Miss Ann Hasseltine had oc- curred the day previous to his ordination, and on the 19th of the same month they, with Samuel and Harriet Newell, embarked from Salem for Calcutta. At this place, and at Madras, they were subjected for a full year to much annoyance by the East India company's regulations. Finally they found refuge in flight to Rangoon, in the Burman empire, the place of their original destination, where they arrived in July, 1813. Meanwhile Mr. and Mrs. Judson had adopted the views of the Bap- tist denomination, and having been baptized by Dr. Carey, English Baptist missionary at Serampore, had surrendered their connection with the American board. Mr. Rice, arriving at Calcutta by another vessel, had on his voyage pursued similar studies with similar results, and had returned to America to enlist the Bap- tists of the United States in the support of foreign missions. In April, 1814, the Baptist general convention, called since 1845 the Ame- rican Baptist missionary union, was formed at Philadelphia, and immediately appointed Mr. and Mrs. Judson its missionaries. Established in Rangoon, the field left to them by the clo- sing of the English Baptist mission, they ap- plied themselves with great zeal to the acquisi- tion of the language, without grammar or dic- tionary, or teachers who could speak English. Mrs. Judson first attained the power to con- verse ; Mr. Judson's habits of thorough philo- logical inquiry rendered his progress less rapid, > his mastery of the language equal to but made 458 VOL. ix. 45 that of native scholars. In three or four years he published a "Summary of the Christian Religion," a catechism, and a translation of the Gospel of Matthew. In March, 1817, an in- telligent Burman, accompanied by his servant, presented himself to Mr. Judson as an inquirer; in April, 1819, the first zayat (an edifice which is both a caravansary and a place for public meetings) was opened for Christian worship ; and on June 27 in the same year the first na- tive convert was baptized. At the close of the year 1820 the number of baptized converts was 10. Meanwhile the mission had been re- enforced by the arrival of additional mission- aries, and the impression which it was making had in 1819 excited the displeasure of the new viceroy. Mr. Judson determined to appeal to the king for toleration, and, with his colleague Mr. Colman, ascended the Irrawaddy to Ava for that purpose. He was admitted to an au- dience, but the plea was unavailing. Believing that they had made a mistake in appealing to the king, and fearing that this measure would bring upon the converts the vengeance of the government, they had well nigh formed the purpose of removing to a safer place in Ara- can, but were deterred by the steadfast cour- age of the native Christians. In 1821 the con- tinued ill health of Mrs. Judson compelled her to return for a tune to the United States, where, after a short stay in England, she arrived in September, 1822. While in this country she published her "History of the Burman Mission," and by her presence and her personal appeals contributed largely to increase the missionary zeal of the American churches. In the spring of 1823, with her health but par- tially restored, she reembarked for Calcutta, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Wade as recruits to the mission, and rejoined her husband at Rangoon in the autumn of the same year. During her absence the number of converts had been nearly doubled, and Mr. (now Dr.) Judson had completed a translation of the New Testament, as well as an epitome of the Old. Their residence had been transferred to Ava by request of the king, who was anxious to command the medical services of Dr. Price, a missionary physician who was colleague with Dr. Judson. The sudden breaking out of war however between the East India company and the Burman government brought upon the missionaries, and other foreign residents at Ava, the severest privations, perils, and suffer- ings. For nearly two years no tidings came of the fate of the missionaries. Three Englishmen residing at Ava having been arrested by the na- tive authorities and examined, it was found that the accounts of one of them showed considera- blesums of money paid to Drs. Judson and Price, and, ignorant of the methods of transmitting funds by bills of exchange, the government saw in this fact proof of their complicity with the English in the war. On June 8 Dr. Jud- son was arrested at his dwelling by a posse of officers, thrown into the " death prison " with