This
imprisonment lasted for eleven months in the "death-prison" at Ava, and
afterwards for six months in the country prison of Oung-peu-la. Mrs. Judson was
not arrested, though her house was
searched and all valuable property confiscated. She made
almost daily visits to the prison, though often refused admittance, and also to
the palace, maintaining the respect and friendship of some of the court, and
was able to carry her husband food and clothing, and after some months to build
him a little bamboo shed in the prison yard, where he could sometimes be by
himself, and where at times she was allowed to be with him. In January, 1825, a little
daughter was born to her; and a few months later she went through an epidemic
of small-pox.
The horrors of
Judson's imprisonment can only be imagined ; crowded into narrow quarters with
over a hundred common criminals, loaded with fetters, at first three pairs of
fetters, afterwards five pairs, with no conveniences for cleanliness or even decency.
After eleven months the captives were suddenly removed from the city prison,
and with agonizingly painful marching taken to the country prison of Oungpeula.
There, after days of weariness and pain, at night, for security, a bamboo pole was
passed between the fettered ankles of a string of prisoners, and then hoisted
by ropes till their shoulders only rested on the floor. Daily and nightly
torture, racking fever, half starvation, and daily anticipation of death,
marked these terrible months.
But the success
of the British arms at length compelled the king to send Judson and Dr. Price
as interpreting envoys to negotiate peace ; and the British commander made his
first absolute demand the release of the missionaries, and the Judsons returned to
Rangoon. During his imprisonment his unfinished manuscript translation of the
Bible was hid by his wife in a cotton pillow on which he slept. This was thrown
aside as worthless when his prison was changed, but was found and saved by a
native convert.
The Rangoon
church being scattered, a new mission was begun at Amherst on British
territory, but later removed to Maulmain, a more important centre. This greatly
prospered, though they had no more their youthful strength ; and during
Judson's absence at Ava, attempting to secure religious toleration, his wife
died of a fever, and he returned soon to lay their little child by her side.
With broken
heart and health he became almost wildly ascetic ; living much alone, fasting
and praying whole days in the woods. He relinquished part of his slender missionary
pay, and made over to the Board about six thousand dollars, including presents and
fees from the British government for treaty- negotiation service, and some
private means brought origi nally from home. In 1830 he again attempted to penetrate Burmah, living six months at Prome, half-way
between Rangoon and Ava, but was driven back by Burman intrigues. He then began
a work among the wild Karens of the jungle, and with great success.
In 1834 he married
Mrs. Sarah Boardman, widow of a fellow missionary. Hecompleted his Bible,
pronounced by Dr.Wayland the best translation in India, and by Orientalists
" a perfect literary work."
In 1845 his health and his wife's was so broken that they
sailed for Mauritius, and from there for America ; but she died Sept. i, while
in port at St. Helena. Judson, with three children, reached Boston on Oct. 15.
He was in
America till July, 1846, and, before re-embarking for India, was married to
Miss Emily Chubbuck, who was known as a writer under the name of Fanny Forester.
His last
years, 1846-1850, were spent in another earnest but unsuccessful attempt to
break through Burman bigotry, in the continuation of his Burman dictionary and
other literary work, and in the forwarding of the general missionary enterprise.
Towards the
end of 1849 his health declined alarmingly. His sixty years had contained more
wear and strain than come to many a long life. The " keen sword had worn
out the scabbard." In the spring of 1850 it was hoped that a sea voyage might
help him ; and he was carried on shipboard April 8, but died April 12, and was
buried at sea.
The late Rev.
A. J. Gordon, D.D., in writing of the illustrious missionary whose name he
bears, says : "Park Street Church in Boston, whose call the Spirit
constrained Judson to decline seventy-five years ago, is still a large body,
numbering perhaps a thousand members ; but the church in Burmah, which that
same Spirit led Judson to found, numbers to-day thirty thousand communicants,
with a great company beside who have fallen asleep."
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