the life of william carey-第40节

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　difficulties　would　remove。　　It　is　also　very　desirable　that　the　Burman　mission　should　be　strengthened。　　There　is　no　full　liberty　of　conscience；　and　several　stations　might　be　occupied；　even　the　borders　of　China　might　be　visited　from　that　country　if　an　easier　entrance　into　the　heart　of　the　country　could　not　be　found。　　I　have　not　mentioned　Sumatra；　Java；　the　Moluccas；　the　Philippines；　or　Japan；　but　all　these　countries　must　be　supplied　with　missionaries。　This　is　a　very　imperfect　sketch　of　the　wants　of　Asia　only；　without　including　the　Mahometan　countries；　but　Africa　and　South　America　call　as　loudly　for　help；　and　the　greatest　part　of　Europe　must　also　be　holpen　by　the　Protestant　churches；　being　nearly　as　destitute　of　real　godliness　as　any　heathen　country　on　the　earth。　　What　a　pressing　call；　then；　is　here　for　labourers　in　the　spiritual　harvest；　and　what　need　that　the　attention　of　all　the　churches　in　England　and　America　should　be　drawn　to　this　very　object！〃

Two　years　after　the　establishment　of　the　mission　at　Serampore；　David　Brown；　the　senior　chaplain　and　provost　of　Fort　William　College；　took　possession　of　Aldeen　House；　which　he　occupied　till　the　year　of　his　death　in　1812。　　The　house　is　the　first　in　the　settlement　reached　by　boat　from　Calcutta。　　Aldeen　is　five　minutes'　walk　south　of　the　Serampore　Mission　House；　and　a　century　ago　there　was　only　a　park　between　them。　　The　garden　slopes　down　to　the　noble　river；　and　commands　the　beautiful　country　seat　of　Barrackpore；　which　Lord　Wellesley　had　just　built。　　The　house　itself　is　embosomed　in　trees；　the　mango；　the　teak；　and　the　graceful　bamboo。　　Just　below　it；　but　outside　of　Serampore；　are　the　deserted　temple　of　Bullubpoor　and　the　Ghat　of　the　same　name；　a　fine　flight　of　steps　up　which　thousands　of　pilgrims　flock　every　June　to　the　adjoining　shrine　and　monstrous　car　of　Jagganath。　　David　Brown　had　not　been　long　in　Aldeen　when　he　secured　the　deserted　temple　and　converted　it　into　a　Christian　oratory；　ever　since　known　as　Henry　Martyn's　Pagoda。　　For　ten　years　Aldeen　and　the　pagoda　became　the　meeting…place　of　Carey　and　his　Nonconformist　friends；　with　Claudius　Buchanan；　Martyn；　Bishop　Corrie；　Thomason；　and　the　little　band　of　evangelical　Anglicans　who；　under　the　protection　of　Lords　Wellesley　and　Hastings；　sweetened　Anglo…Indian　society；　and　made　the　names　of　〃missionary〃　and　of　〃chaplain〃　synonymous。　　Here　too　there　gathered；　as　also　to　the　Mission　House　higher　up；　many　a　civilian　and　officer　who　sought　the　charms　of　that　Christian　family　life　which　they　had　left　behind。　　A　young　lieutenant　commemorated　these　years　when　Brown　was　removed；　in　a　pleasing　elegy；　which　Charles　Simeon　published　in　the　Memorials　of　his　friend。　　Many　a　traveller　from　the　far　West　still　visits　the　spot；　and　recalls　the　memories　of　William　Carey　and　Henry　Martyn；　of　Marshman　and　Buchanan；　of　Ward　and　Corrie；　which　linger　around　the　fair　scene。　　When　first　we　saw　it　the　now　mutilated　ruin　was　perfect；　and　under　the　wide…spreading　banian　tree　behind　a　Brahman　was　reciting；　for　a　day　and　a　night；　the　verses　of　the　Mahabharata　epic　to　thousands　of　listening　Hindoos。

〃Long；　Hoogli；　has　thy　sullen　stream　　　　Been　doomed　the　cheerless　shores　to　lave；　　Long　has　the　Suttee's　baneful　gleam　　　　Pale　glimmered　o'er　thy　midnight　wave。

〃Yet　gladdened　seemed　to　flow　thy　tide　　　　Where　opens　on　the　viewAldeen；　　For　there　to　grace　thy　palmy　side　　　　Loved　England's　purest　joys　were　seen。

〃Yon　dome；　'neath　which　in　former　days　　　　Grim　idols　marked　the　pagan　shrine；　　Has　swelled　the　notes　of　pious　praise；　　　　Attuned　to　themes　of　love　divine。〃

We　find　this　allusion　to　the　place　in　Carey's　correspondence　with　Dr。　Ryland：〃20th　January　1807。It　would　have　done　your　heart　good　to　have　joined　us　at　our　meetings　at　the　pagoda。　　From　that　place　we　have　successively　recommended　Dr。　Taylor　to　the　work　of　the　Lord　at　Bombay；　Mr。　Martyn　to　his　at　Dinapoor；　Mr。　Corrie　to　his　at　Chunar；　Mr。　Parsons　to　his　at　Burhampore；　Mr。　Des　Granges　to　his　at　Vizagapatam；　and　our　two　brethren　to　theirs　at　Rangoon；　and　from　thence　we　soon　expect　to　commend　Mr。　Thomason　to　his　at　Madras。　　In　these　meetings　the　utmost　harmony　prevails　and　a　union　of　hearts　unknown　between　persons　of　different　denominations　in　England。〃　　Dr。　Taylor　and　Mr。　Des　Granges　were　early　missionaries　of　the　London　Society；　the　Rangoon　brethren　were　Baptists；　the　others　were　Church　of　England　chaplains。　　Sacramentarianism　and　sacerdotalism　had　not　then　begun　to　afflict　the　Church　of　India。　　There　were　giants　in　those　days；　in　Bengal；　worthy　of　Carey　and　of　the　one　work　in　which　all　were　the　servants　of　one　Master。

Let　us　look　a　little　more　closely　at　Henry　Martyn's　Pagoda。　　It　is　now　a　picturesque　ruin；　which　the　peepul　tree　that　is　entwined　among　its　fine　brick　masonry；　and　the　crumbling　river…bank；　may　soon　cause　to　disappear　for　ever。　　The　exquisite　tracery　of　the　moulded　bricks　may　be　seen；　but　not　the　few　figures　that　are　left　of　the　popular　Hindoo　idols　just　where　the　two　still　perfect　arches　begin　to　spring。　　The　side　to　the　river　has　already　fallen　down；　and　with　it　the　open　platform　overhanging　the　bank　on　which　the　missionary　sat　in　the　cool　of　the　morning　and　evening；　and　where　he　knelt　to　pray　for　the　people。　　We　have　accompanied　many　a　visitor　there；　from　Dr。　Duff　to　Bishop　Cotton；　and　John　Lawrence；　and　have　rarely　seen　one　unmoved。　　This　pagoda　had　been　abandoned　long　before　by　the　priests　of　Radhabullub；　because　the　river　had　encroached　to　a　point　within　300　feet　of　it；　the　limit　within　which　no　Brahman　is　allowed　to　receive　a　gift　or　take　his　food。　　The　little　black　doll　of　an　idol；　which　is　famous　among　Hindoos　alike　for　its　sanctity　and　as　a　work　of　artfor　had　it　not　been　miraculously　wafted　to　this　spot　like　the　Santa　Casa　to　Loretto？was　removed　with　great　pomp　to　a　new　temple　after　it　had　paid　a　visit　to　Clive's　moonshi；　the　wealthy　Raja　Nobokissen　in　Calcutta；　who　sought　to　purchase　it　outright。

In　this　cool　old　pagoda　Henry　Martyn；　on　one　of　his　earliest　visits　to　Aldeen　after　his　arrival　as　a　chaplain　in　1806；　found　an　appropriate　residence。　　Under　the　vaulted　roof　of　the　shrine　a　place　of　prayer　and　praise　was　fitted　up　with　an　organ；　so　that；　as　he　wrote；　〃the　place　where　once　devils　were　worshipped　has　now　become　a　Christian　oratory。〃　　Here；　too；　he　laid　his　plans　for　the　evangelisation　of　the　people。　　When　suffering　from　one　of　his　moods　of　depression　as　to　his　own　state；　he　thus　writes　of　this　place：〃I　began　to　pray　as　on　the　verge　of　eternity；　and　the　Lord　was　pleased　to　break　my　hard　heart。　　I　lay　in　tears；　interceding　for　the　unfortunate　natives　of　this　country；　thinking　within　myself　that　the　most　despicable　soodra　of　India　was　of　as　much　value　in　the　sight　of　God　as　the　King　of　Great　Britain。〃　　It　was　from　such　supplication　that　he　was　once　roused　by　the　blaze　of　a　Suttee's　funeral　pyre；　on　which　he　found　that　the　living　widow　had　been　consumed　with　the　dead　before　he　could　interfere。　　He　could　hear　the　hideous　drums　and　gongs　and　conch…shells　of　the　temple　to　which　Radhabullub　had　been　removed。　　There　he　often　tried　to　turn　his　fellow…creatures　to　the　worship　of　the　one　God；　from　their　prostrations　〃before　a　black　image　placed　in　a　pagoda；　with　lights　burning　around　it；〃　whilst；　he　says；　he　〃shivered　as　if　standing；　as　it　were；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　hell。〃　　It　was　in　the　deserted　pagoda　that　Brown；　Corrie；　and　Parsons　met　with　him　to　commend　him　to　God　before　he　set　out　for　his　new　duties　at　Dinapoor。　〃My　soul；〃　he　writes　of　this　occasion；　〃never　yet　had　such　divine　enjoyment。　　I　felt　a　desire　to　break　from　the　body；　and　join　the　high　praises　of　the　saints　above。　　May　I　go　'in　the　strength　of　this　many　days。'　　Amen。〃　〃I　found　my　heaven　begun　on　earth。　　No　work　so　sweet　as　that　of　praying　and　living　wholly　to　the　service　of　God。〃　And　as　he　passed　by　the　Mission　House　on　his　upward　voyage；　with　true　catholicity　〃Dr。　Marshman　could　not　resist　joining　the　party：　and　after　going　a　little　way；　left　them　with　prayer。〃　　Do　we　wonder　that　these　men　have　left　their　mark　on　India？

As　years　went　by；　the　temple；　thus　consecrated　as　a　Christian　oratory；　became　degraded　in　other　hands。　　The　brand　〃pagoda　distillery〃　for　a　time　came　to　be　known　as　marking　the　rum　manufactured　there。　　The　visits　of　so　many　Christian　pilgrims　to　the　spot；　and　above　all；　the　desire　expressed　by　Lord　Lawrence　when　Governor…General　to　see　it；　led　the　Hindoo　family　who　own　the　pagoda　to　leave　it　at　least　as　a　simple　ruin。

Corrie；　afterwards　the　first　bishop　of　Madras；　describes　the　marriage　of　Des　Granges　in　the　oratory；　and　gives　us　a　glimpse　of　life　in　the　Serampore　Mission　House：

〃1806。Calcutta　strikes　me　as　the　most　magnificent　city　in　the　world；　and　I　am　made　most　happy　by　the　hope　of　being　instrumental　to　the　eternal　good　of　many。　　A　great　opposition；　I　find；　is　raised　against　Martyn　and　the　principles　he　preaches。。。Went　up　to　Serampore　yesterday；　and　in　the　evening　was　present　at　the　marriage　of　Mr。　Des　Granges。　　Mr。　Brown　entered　into　the　concern　with　much　interest。　The　pagoda　was　fixed　on；　and　lighted　up　for　the　celebration　of　the　wedding；　at　eight　o'clock　the　parties　came　from　the　Mission　House　＇at　Serampore＇；　attended　by　most　of　the　family。　　Mr。　Brown　commenced　with　the　hymn；　'Come；　gra