E-text prepared by Lee Dawei, Michelle Shephard, David Moynihan, Charles
Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
With Illustrations,
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS PRESENTED TO THE AUTHOR BY
THE KING OF SIAM.
[Illustration: Gateway Of the Old Palace.]
I have not asked your leave, dear friend, to dedicate to you these pagesof my experience in the heart of an Asiatic court; but I know you willindulge me when I tell you that my single object in inscribing your namehere is to evince my grateful appreciation of the kindness that led youto urge me to try the resources of your country instead of returning toSiam, and to plead so tenderly in behalf of my children.
I wish the offering were more worthy of your acceptance. But toassociate your name with the work your cordial sympathy has fostered,and thus pleasantly to retrace even the saddest of my recollections,amid the happiness that now surrounds me,—a happiness I owe to thegenerous friendship of noble-hearted American women,—is indeed aprivilege and a compensation.
I remain, with true affection, gratitude, and admiration,
Your friend, A. H. L.
26th July, 1870.
His Majesty, Somdetch P'hra Paramendr Maha Mongkut, the Supreme King ofSiam, having sent to Singapore for an English lady to undertake theeducation of his children, my friends pointed to me. At first it waswith much reluctance that I consented to entertain the project; but,strange as it may seem, the more I reflected upon it the more feasibleit appeared, until at length I began to look forward, even with a glowof enthusiasm, toward the new and untried field I was about to enter.
The Siamese Consul at Singapore, Hon. W. Tan Kim-Ching, had writtenstrongly in my favor to the Court of Siam, and in response I receivedthe following letter from the King himself:—
"ENGLISH ERA, 1862, 26th February.
GRAND ROYAL PALACE, BANGKOK.
"To MRS. A. H. LEONOWENS:—
"MADAM: We are in good pleasure, and satisfaction in heart, that you arein willingness to undertake the education of our beloved royal children.And we hope that in doing your education on us and on our children (whomEnglish, call inhabitants of benighted land) you will do your bestendeavor for knowledge of English language, science, and literature, andnot for conversion to Christianity; as the followers of Buddha aremostly aware of the powerfulness of truth and virtue, as well as thefollowers of Christ, and are desirous to have facility of Englishlanguage and literature, more than new religions.
"We beg to invite you to our royal palace to do your best endeavormentupon us and our children. We shall expect to see you here on return ofSiamese steamer Chow Phya.
"We have written to Mr. William Adamson, and to our consul at Singapore,to authorize to do best arrangement for you and ourselves.
"Believe me
"Your faithfully, (Signed)
About a week before our departure for Bangkok, the captai