Their Violence And The Consequent Proceedings Of Phares Shidiak
24. Phares Shidiak came to my house to day, and wished to speak with me
in private.
"Yesterday morning," said he, "as I was in my room reading the New
Testament, my brother Mansoor entered, drew a sword he had, and gave me
a blow upon the neck. I continued with the book in my hand, until one
snatched it from me. Mansoor afterwards drew up his musket, threatening
to shoot me; but my mother interfered to pr
vent him. My brother Tannoos
hearing a bustle, came in with a cane, and began cudgelling me, without
stopping to inquire at all into the merits of the case, calling out,
'Will you leave off your heresy, and go to church like other people, or
not?' Mansoor not finding Asaad present, as he seemed to have expected,
went to Asaad's chest which stood near me, seized all the books he had
received of you, Hebrew, Syriac, Italian, and Arabic, tore them, one by
one, in pieces, and strewed them on the floor.
"In the course of the day, I came down near where the soldiers of the
emir are encamped, and passed the night in company with my brother
Galeb. This morning he returned, with a line from me to Asaad, and I
came off to Beyroot, with the full determination never to go home
again. And now I will either go to some place in this country where I
can enjoy my liberty or I will take ship, and leave the country
altogether."
As he wished my advice, I counselled him neither to go from the country,
nor from his home, but to return, and at least make a further trial of
doing good to his relatives, and bearing their persecutions. He,
however, continued inflexible.
In the space of a few hours, Galeb came in search of Phares, with a
letter from Asaad, of which the following is a copy.