My teacher, Sheik Asaad, was a Maronite, and formerly a student in Ain Waraka. He has been much with the Patriarch, at Canobin, and is one of the most intelligent men I have met with on Mount Lebanon. He was with me from morning til night, and hours were spent by us every day in discussing religious subjects.

One day, after a long discussion with him about the Roman Catholic and the Protestant churches, he took up a New Testament, written in Carshun and Syriac, and opening it said, ‘The first passage I cast my eye upon shall be for the English.’ The chapter to which he happened to open, was Luke 1 and he read, beginning at the top of the page, as follows; ‘the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee, most excellent Theophilus; that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.’

He seemed to be struck with the passage, as the first word was ‘the word,’ and remarked, that it was very appropriate, as we distributed the word.

Then closing the book, he said, ‘Now I will open it, and the first passage shall be for the Pope.’

On opening, the first word that met his eye was ‘Unclean,’ and he read as follows; ‘the unclean is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house, whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter in, and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first.’ (Luke 6. 24–6).