Just before this, Mr. Milne rejoiced his heart and strengthened his hands by coming out from England and joining the mission; and having commenced under _very_ different circumstances, he soon acquired the language, and greatly assisted Dr. M. in his subsequent translations and labours. But the jealousy of the Portuguese very soon drove Mr. Milne from his embrace, and obliged him to retire, first to Canton, and then to Malacca. This, however, eventually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, by the establishment of the Malayan mission, and thus preparing the way for the establishment of the Anglo-Chinese College there, for the instruction of Chinese youths in the principles of Christianity and the cultivation of Chinese literature in general, which, by the numerous publications that have issued from its press, has proved of incalculable value to the populous nations around. From Canton, December 19, 1812, he thus writes:-- "The Chinese receive with much readiness the books which I distribute among them. I can give but few with my own hands, as I am not admitted to the interior; nor could I give them openly in the streets. The method which I take is, to give them to the booksellers, who will not destroy them, but be induced to put them into the hands of persons, for the sake of what they can make by them." In 1814, he happily completed the first part of his Chinese dictionary; and the whole work was generously published at the expense of the East India Company, in three thick quarto volumes. It was the first ever published in the English language; and it must remain a lasting memorial of his astonishing diligence. In 1816, he went as interpreter with our ambassador, Lord Amherst, to the imperial court of Pekin; and subsequently published an account of that unsuccessful embassy. He founded the Anglo-Chinese College, already mentioned, in 1818, and liberally presented £1000 for its establishment, and £100 per annum, for five years from its actual commencement. In 1819, he completed the translation of the whole Bible, having been assisted in several parts of the Old Testament by his late excellent colleague, Dr. Milne. With great propriety he once observed in conversation, "_I could have died_, when I had finished the Bible."--On that memorable day he wrote a long memoir, in which he described the principles which he had adopted, and the plan which he had pursued, in its execution; and concluded thus: