the life of william carey-第94章

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tion。　　He　first　applied　to　the　coroner；　but　was　directed　by　him　to　the　sheriff。　　To　that　functionary　he　proceeded；　but　was　informed　by　him　that　he　could　make　no　order　on　the　subject。　He　then　had　an　interview　with　the　then　chief　judge；　by　whose　interference　the　man　was　set　at　liberty。

〃Another　instance　relates　to　him　personally。　　On　the　occasion　of　his　last　marriage；　the　day　was　fixed　on　which　the　ceremony　was　to　take　placefriends　were　invitedand　all　necessary　arrangements　made；　but；　three　or　four　days　prior　to　the　day　fixed；　he　was　informed　that　it　would　be　necessary　for　him　to　obtain　a　licence；　in　doing　which；　he　must　either　take　an　oath　or　have　banns　published。　　To　taking　an　oath　he　at　once　objected；　and　applied　to　the　then　senior　judge；　who　informed　him　that；　as　he　was　not　a　quaker；　his　oath　was　indispensable；　but；　rather　than　take　an　oath；　he　applied　to　have　the　banns　published；　and　postponed　the　arrangements　for　his　marriage　for　another　three　weeks。

〃The　third　instance　was　as　follows：It　was　necessary；　in　a　certain　case；　to　prove　a　will　in　court；　in　which　the　name　of　Dr。　Carey　was　mentioned；　in　connection　with　the　Serampore　missionaries　as　executors。　　An　application　was　made　by　one　of　his　colleagues；　which　was　refused　by　the　court；　on　account　of　the　vagueness　of　the　terms；　'Serampore　missionaries；'　but　as　Dr。　Carey's　name　was　specifically　mentioned；　the　court　intimated　that　they　would　grant　the　application　if　made　by　him。　　The　communication　was　made：　but　when　he　was　informed　that　an　oath　was　necessary；　he　shrunk　with　abhorrence　from　the　idea；　but　after　much　persuasion；　he　consented　to　make　the　application；　if　taking　an　oath　would　be　dispensed　with。　　He　did　attend；　and　stated　his　objections　to　the　then　chief　judge；　which　being　allowed；　his　affirmation　was　received　and　recorded　by　the　court。

〃The　duties　connected　with　the　College　of　Fort　William　afforded　him　a　change　of　scene；　which　relieved　his　mind；　and　gave　him　opportunities　of　taking　exercise；　and　conduced　much　to　his　health。　During　the　several　years　he　held　the　situation　of　professor　to　the　college；　no　consideration　would　allow　him　to　neglect　his　attendance；　and　though　he　had　to　encounter　boisterous　weather　in　crossing　the　river　at　unseasonable　hours；　he　was　punctual　in　his　attendance；　and　never　applied　for　leave　of　absence。　　And　when　he　was　qualified　by　the　rules　of　the　service　to　retire　on　a　handsome　pension；　he　preferred　being　actively　employed　in　promoting　the　interests　of　the　college；　and　remained；　assiduously　discharging　his　duties；　till　his　department　was　abolished　by　Government。　　The　business　of　the　college　requiring　his　attendance　in　Calcutta；　he　became　so　habituated　to　his　journeys　to　and　fro；　that　at　his　age　he　painfully　felt　the　retirement　he　was　subjected　to　when　his　office　ceased。　　After　this　circumstance　his　health　rapidly　declined；　and　though　he　occasionally　visited　Calcutta；　he　complained　of　extreme　debility。　　This　increased　daily；　and　made　him　a　constant　sufferer；　until　at　length　he　was　not　able　to　leave　his　house。〃

Nor　was　it　in　India　alone　that　the　venerable　saint　found　such　causes　of　satisfaction。　　He　lived　long　enough　to　thank　God　for　the　emancipation　of　the　slaves　by　the　English　people；　for　which　he　had　prayed　daily　for　fifty　years。

We　have　many　sketches　of　the　Father　of　English　Missions　in　his　later　years　by　young　contemporaries　who；　on　their　first　arrival　in　Bengal；　sought　him　out。　　In　1824　Mr。　Leslie；　an　Edinburgh　student；　who　became　in　India　the　first　of　Baptist　preachers；　and　was　the　means　of　the　conversion　of　Henry　Havelock　who　married　Dr。　Marshman's　youngest　daughter；　wrote　thus　of　Carey　after　the　third　great　illness　of　his　Indian　life：

〃Dr。　Carey；　who　has　been　very　ill；　is　quite　recovered；　and　bids　fair　to　live　many　years；　and　as　for　Dr。　Marshman；　he　has　never　known　ill…health　is；　during　the　whole　period　of　his　residence　in　India。　They　are　both　active　to　a　degree　which　you　would　think　impossible　in　such　a　country。　　Dr。　Carey　is　a　very　equable　and　cheerful　old　man；　in　countenance　very　like　the　engraving　of　him　with　his　pundit；　though　not　so　robust　as　he　appears　to　be　there。　　Next　to　his　translations　Botany　is　his　grand　study。　　He　has　collected　every　plant　and　tree　in　his　garden　that　will　possibly　grow　in　India；　and　is　so　scientific　withal　that　he　calls　everything　by　its　classical　name。　　If；　therefore；　I　should　at　any　time　blunder　out　the　word　Geranium；　he　would　say　Pelargonium；　and　perhaps　accuse　me　of　ignorance；　or　blame　me　for　vulgarity。　　We　had　the　pleasure　of　hearing　him　preach　from　Rom。　vii。　13；　when　he　gave　us　an　excellent　sermon。　　In　manner　he　is　very　animated；　and　in　style　very　methodical。　　Indeed　he　carries　method　into　everything　he　does；　classification　is　his　grand　hobby；　and　wherever　anything　can　be　classified；　there　you　find　Dr。　Carey；　not　only　does　he　classify　and　arrange　the　roots　of　plants　and　words；　but　visit　his　dwelling　and　you　find　he　has　fitted　up　and　classified　shelves　full　of　minerals；　stones；　shells；　etc。；　and　cages　full　of　birds。　　He　is　of　very　easy　access；　and　great　familiarity。　　His　attachments　are　strong；　and　extend　not　merely　to　persons　but　places。　　About　a　year　ago；　so　much　of　the　house　in　which　he　had　lived　ever　since　he　had　been　at　Serampore；　fell　down　so　that　he　had　to　leave　it；　at　which　he　wept　bitterly。　　One　morning　at　breakfast；　he　was　relating　to　us　an　anecdote　of　the　generosity　of　the　late　excellent　John　Thornton；　at　the　remembrance　of　whom　the　big　tear　filled　his　eye。　　Though　it　is　an　affecting　sight　to　see　the　venerable　man　weep；　yet　it　is　a　sight　which　greatly　interests　you；　as　there　is　a　manliness　in　his　tearssomething　far　removed　from　the　crying　of　a　child。〃

The　house　in　which　for　the　last　ten　years　he　lived；　and　where　he　died；　was　the　only　one　of　two　or　three；　planned　for　the　new　professors　of　the　college；　that　was　completed。　　Compared　with　the　adjoining　college　it　was　erected　with　such　severe　simplicity　that　it　was　said　to　have　been　designed　for　angels　rather　than　for　men。　Carey's　room　and　library　looked　towards　the　river　with　the　breadth　of　the　college　garden　between。　　On　the　other　side；　in　the　upper　verandah；　in　the　morning　he　worked　at　his　desk　almost　to　the　last；　and　in　the　evening　towards　sunset　he　talked　with　his　visitors。　　In　1826　the　London　Missionary　Society　sent　out　to　Calcutta　the　first　of　its　deputations。　　Dr。　Carey　sent　his　boat　for　them；　and　in　the　absence　of　her　husband　in　England；　Mrs。　Marshman　entertained　the　guests。　　They　wrote：

〃We　found　Dr。　Carey　in　his　study；　and　we　were　both　pleased　and　struck　with　his　primitive；　and　we　may　say；　apostolical　appearance。　He　is　short　of　stature；　his　hair　white；　his　countenance　equally　bland　and　benevolent　in　feature　and　expression。　　Two　Hindoo　men　were　sitting　by；　engaged　in　painting　some　small　subjects　in　natural　history；　of　which　the　doctor；　a　man　of　pure　taste　and　highly　intellectual　cast　of　feeling；　irrespective　of　his　more　learned　pursuits；　has　a　choice　collection；　both　in　specimens　and　pictorial　representations。　　Botany　is　a　favourite　study　with　him；　and　his　garden　is　curiously　enriched　with　rarities。〃

Of　all　the　visits　paid　to　Carey　none　are　now　so　interesting　to　the　historian　of　the　Church　of　India；　as　those　of　the　youth　who　succeeded　him　as　he　had　succeeded　Schwartz。　　Alexander　Duff　was　twenty…four　years　of　age　when；　in　1830；　full　of　hesitation　as　to　carrying　out　his　own　plans　in　opposition　to　the　experience　of　all　the　missionaries　he　had　consulted；　he　received　from　Carey　alone　the　most　earnest　encouragement　to　pursue　in　Calcutta　the　Christian　college　policy　so　well　begun　in　the　less　central　settlement　of　Serampore。　　We　have　elsewhere32　told　the　story：

〃Landing　at　the　college　ghaut　one　sweltering　July　day；　the　still　ruddy　highlander　strode　up　to　the　flight　of　steps　that　leads　to　the　finest　modern　building　in　Asia。　Turning　to　the　left；　he　sought　the　study　of　Carey　in　the　house'built　for　angels；'　said　one；　so　simple　is　itwhere　the　greatest　of　missionary　scholars　was　still　working　for　India。　　There　he　beheld　what　seemed　to　be　a　little　yellow　old　man　in　a　white　jacket；　who　tottered　up　to　the　visitor　of　whom　he　had　already　often　heard；　and　with　outstretched　hands　solemnly　blessed　him。　　A　contemporary　soon　after　wrote　th