has written a certain Ethiopic Martyrologie who asserts That Frumentius otherwise Abba-Salama was the Author of the first Translation but before I see it I will not undertake to affirm it converted or a very short time after and not in the time of the Apostles as some have reported and brought to perfection by several because the more rare and difficult words such as are the names of Gemms are not all alike in all the Books For example the Topaz in the 118 Psalm 127 Verse is call'd Pazjon in Job 28.19 Tankar in Revelations the 21.20 Warauri and so in many other words the same difference is observ'd But for the New Testament they have it Translated from the Authentic Greek Text tho as yet it has not bin brought into Europe pure and intire For the Roman Edition is printed from a lame imperfect Copy so that I was forc'd to fill up the Gapps which Tesfa-Tzejon had left from the Greek and Latin Exemplars This was observ'd by some Learned Men but not understanding the Cause it made them think that the Ethiopic Version had bin drawn from the Vulgar Latin Perhaps they did not understand these following Ethiopic Lines These Acts of the Apostles for the most part were translated at Rome out of the Latin and Greek for want of the Ethiopic Origiginal For what we have added or omitted we begg your pardon and request of You to mend what is amiss More then this the Publisher of the Book beggs pardon and excuses the defect of the Edition in regard of the ignorant Assistants which he had to help him Fathers and Brethren be pleas'd not to interpret amiss the faults of this Edition for they who Compos'd it could not read and for our selves we know not how to compose So then we help'd them and they assisted us as the blind leads the blind and therefore we desire you to pardon us and them This Excuse he also repeats in other places as being conscious of its being defective in several other places Nevertheless the same Edition was afterwards printed in England as an addition to that famous Poly Glotton of which there is no other reason to be given but that there was no other to be procur'd However they enjoy the holy Scripture entire and reck'n as many Books as we do tho they divide them after another manner For they distinguish the Old Testament which contains 46 Books into four Principal parts to which they joyn certain other Books of a different Argument consulting more perhaps the Convenience of the Volumes then the Dignity of the Matter They also mix the Apocryphal with the Canonical whether out of Carelesness or Ignorance is uncertain And as for Gregory he plainly confess'd he had never heard of any such word as Apocrypha The first Tome is call'd Oreth or the Law and the Octateuch for it contains Eight Books which are call'd 1. Zasteret or the Creation call'd also by another name Kadami Aret or the First Book of the Law or Zaledate or the Generation or Genesis 2. Zatzat Exodus 3 Zalewawejan of the Levites 4. Zahuelekue or Numbers 5. Zadabetra of the Tabernacle 6. Ejashu Joshua 7. Masafenet of the Dukes 8. Rute Ruth The Other Tome is call'd Nagaste or Kings and is divided into Thirteen Books 9 10. 1 Samuel or Samuel 2. Which nevertheless they call after the manner of the Greeks the 1.2.3.4 of Kings 11 12. Ebrewejen of the Hebrews II. Which nevertheless they call after the manner of the Greeks the 1.2.3.4 of Kings 13 14. Hatzutzan Of the Lesser or Inferior II. Thus they seem to understand the Greek word Paralipopomena 15 16. Ezra or Ezra II. 17. Tobed Tobia 18. Judic Judith 19. Ester Ester 20. Jjob Job 21. Masmare Of the Psalmes The Third Tome is call'd Salomon and contains Five Books 22. Maste the Proverbs 23. Maqebeb The Sermon Properly a Circle or an Assembly of Men Assembled together in a Ring 24. Mahaleja Mahuleje the Song of Songs 25. Tobeb the Book of Wisdom 26. Sirach Sirach The Fourth Tome is call'd Nabijat or the Prophets and contains Eighteen Books 27. Esjajas Isaiah 28 29. Eremjas Tanbitu Wakkakibu The Prophesie of Jeremie and his Lamentations 30. Baruch 31. Ezechiel 32. Daniel The next that follow as among us are Nesan Nabjat or the Minor Prophets 33. Hoseas 34. Joel 35. Amos. 36. Obadijah 37. Jonas 38. Michejas or Micah 39. Nahum 40. Habacuc 41. Sophonijas 42. Hag. or Hagjah 43. Zacharias 44. Malaqijas To these they add 45. Maqabejan the two Books of Maccabees Of all which there are at Rome in Manuscript the 1. Pentateuch 2. Joshuah 3. Judges 4. Ruth 5. Four Books of Kings 6. Isaiah In Print are Extant 1. The four first Chapters of Genesis 2. The Book of Ruth 3. The Psalter 4. The Song of Songs 5. Joel 6. Jonas 7. Sophoniah 8. Malachi With the Hymns of the Old Testament The New Testament contains Four and twenty Books and is also divided into Four parts of which the first is call'd Wenghel or the Evangel comprehending the Four Evangelists 1. Matthew 2. Mark 3. Luke and 4. John The second the Gober or the Acts viz. of the Apostles The third call'd Paulus comprehends the 14 Epistles of St. Paul 6. To the Romans 7. To the Corinthians II. 8. To the Galathians 10. To the Ephesians 11. To the Philippians 12. To the Colossians 13 14. To the Thessalonians 15 16. To Timothy II. 17. To Titus 18. To Philemon 19. To the Hebrews The fourth Hakreja or the Apostle containing the Seven Books of 20. St. James 21 22. St. Peter II. 23 24 25. St. John III. 26. St. Jude To which they add as a Supplement the Vision of John sirnam'd Abukalamsis A word corrupted out of the Greek Apocalypsis which they ignorantly took for the Sirname of St. John as compounded of the Arabic word Abu Kalamsis Here we are to observe that in the written Eastern Copies the Epistles of St. Paul are found single by themselves and this is the reason that in the Roman Copy of the Ethiopic New Testament they were Printed apart and not in the Order by us observ'd To the New Testament they generally annex a Volume which they call according to the Greek word Synodum or the Book of Synods It contains those most ancient Constitutions which are call'd the Constitutions of the Apostles in their Language Tazazate Precepts or Canons being an Explanation of the Primitive Rites and Ceremonies written by the Industry of St. Clement but they are very much different from those that are dispers'd among Us under the name of the Apostles These the Habessines divide into eight parts adding withall to the Canonical Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as it were certain Novels as if they were of the same Authority and the most absolute Pandects of Christianity Hence it was that King David said to Alvaresius That he had Fourscore and one Books of Sacred Scripture that is to say Six and forty of
the Tegran or the Language of Tigra is to be understood of our Ethiopic Though it be true that since their Kings left Axuma the Dialect of this Country is very much alter'd yet still it approaches nearest to the Ancient Language which is as we but lately said now call'd the Ethiopic so that the Abissines themselves if they meet any doubtful word in this Language presently consult those of Tygra concerning the signification John Potken a German of Cologne now Ancient and Gray was the first that divulg'd this Language in Europe and then setting up a neat Ethiopic Printing-House in Rome there Imprinted the first Ethiopic Books that is to say the Psalter with the Hymns of the Old Testament and the Canticles In this deceiv'd that he gave too much Credit to certain Idle Habessines who Affirm'd That as well their Language as their Ethiopic Characters were (o) Ambrose Theseus his Contemporary mildly reproves him for it in his Introduction to the Oriental Languages for saith he with tenderness to his age and friendship Thy Learning very much fails thee in this matter Now Theseus stifly affirms The Habessines to be Indians and their Language Indian perhaps the more tolerable Errour of the two Chaldaic I could not find out the Cause of so Gross an Errour neither had Gregory ever heard it in his own Country perhaps it fell out by reason of the likeness of the Language though indeed it agree with the Chaldaic no more than with the Hebrew or Syriac for it approaches nearest to the Arabic of which it seems to be a kind of Production as being comprehended almost within the same Grammatical Rules the same forms of Conjugations the same forms of Plurals both entire and anomalous so that whoever understands either that or the rest of the Oriental Languages may with little labour understand this our Ethiopic Neither is it useful alone for the understanding of the Habessine Books and Affairs but for Illustrating and Expounding the rest of the Eastern Languages and first the Hebrew of which there is yet a small remainder in the Bible insomuch that the genuine significations of many words are to be fetched from the neighbouring Dialects and many texts of Sacred Writ borrow that Light from hence as shall be more amply demonstrated by Examples in our Commentary One more then ordinarily remarkable we shall here produce The Latines called the most Elegant and Delightful piece of Workmanship of the Most Omnipotent God Mundum or the World in imitation of the Greeks who nam'd the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ornament (p) For the Greeks borrowed their Letters and many other things from the Phoenicians as Bochart and many others declare at large assuming the same Word not from Native Invention but from the Phoenicians by whom the World but more especially the Earth is called Adamah or Beautiful I know it is vulgarly deriv'd from the signification of (q) So most Lexicon-Writers Buxtorf tells us that Adamah Earth is so call'd as being of a Red or Clay Colour Schindler affirms The true Earth before it is dig'd is Red and that Adam was Form'd out of Red Earth Which are said vainly and gratis neither does Kimchi in his Book of Roots mention any such Derivation Redness because the Hebrew Root Adam signifies to be Red. But how much of the Earth can we aver to be Red certainly a very small quantity so that it is most insipid to derive the Etymologie of so vast a Mass from Redness Therefore first Created Human Being himself the common Parent of us all deriv'd his Name Adam not from the redness of the Earth but from the Absolute Perfection of his Frame and Shape as being the Master-piece to speak more Humano of his (r) But after his Fall having lost his Primitive Beauty he was admonish'd of his Mortality by an Allusion to the Word Earth out of which he was Created Creator For this signification which has hitherto been unknown to the Lexicon-writers of most of the Oriental Languages is most apparent from the Ethiopic in which Language Adamah signifies Beautiful Elegant and Pleasant Nor do the Ethiopians understand the Word Adam otherwise than of a thing that is Beautiful And there is no doubt but that the City Adamah before it was destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah seated upon the Banks of Jordan which are often compar'd to the (s) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaz-Jehovah the Paradise of God according to the Vulgar Latine Version Garden of the Lord was so call'd from the Pleasantness of its Situation But Axuma being relinquish'd and the Empire being translated into the Heart of the Kingdom the Vulgar use of this our Language ceas'd For the Zagean Line failing when they set up a Sewan Prince where the Amharic Dialect is vulgarly spoken and that some others who were Exiles in the Rock of Amhara were call'd to the Government the Amharic Dialect came into request For the new King not well understanding the Language of Tygra and having advanc'd about his Person his own Friends that spake the same Language with him brought his own Dialect into the Court and Camp which being long fix'd there and in the Parts adjoyning was seldom remov'd into Tygra In imitation of whom the rest of the Nobility and great Personages used the same Speech Thus the Amharic Dialect otherwise call'd the King's Language being carry'd along with the Camp and Court over all the Kingdom t got the upper hand of all the other Dialects and the Ancient and more Noble Ethiopic Language it self and at length became so Familiar to all the Chief of the Abissines that you may easily by the use of that one Dialect Travel the whole Empire though in several Parts so extreamly differing in Dialect from one another It differs from the Ethiopic both in Construction and Grammer so that he who understands the one cannot comprehend the other yet he who understands the one may easily learn the other because that for above half the Language as far as I can judge the words are common to both Gregory could hardly be perswaded to Translate me the Lords Prayer and some few Texts of Scripture into the Amharic Dialect by reason of the difficulty to write it For it has seven peculiar Characters not usual in the Ethiopic however the Ethiopic retains its pristine Dignity not only in their Books but in their Divine Worship as also in the Kings Letters Patents and Commissions which are dispatch'd in his Council Therefore they are accounted Learned in Ethiopia that can but Read and Write it for it is to be learnt out of Books and by long use as also by the Assistance of School-masters too though they are very rare there for they have neither Grammer nor Dictionary which Gregory beheld here not without Admiration At first he extreamly wondred what I meant when I requested of him the Root of any Ethiopic Word at what time I was compiling my Lexicon and
less esteem'd in their Sacred Registers while they cry Remember Lord our Father Eustathius with all his Children Of him the Ethiopic Poet thus sings Hail to thy pretious Mantle once the Boate Which with thy Burden on the Sea did floate Thy Pilgrimage a mighty Wonder shew'd Th'Obedient Ocean smooth and smiling slow'd And Rocks remov'd abandon'd ancient Rest To give free Passage where thy footsteps prest He also prescrib'd Laws to his followers but impos'd no Governour upon them neither are they very solicitous about that neglect pretending That Eustathius went into Armenia having nam'd no Successor and that therefore it is not lawful for them to appoint any one Every Abbot therefore is Supreme in his own Monastery and if any one dye another is chosen by the Suffrages of the rest of the Monks Habessinia is full of these sort of people to the great burthen of the Common-wealth to which they are no way profitable as being useless in the Field and free from Tribute However their Rules and Orders are very much different both from the Greeks and Latins For excepting their Sheemas and Crosses which they carry you can hardly distinguish them from the Laitie in regard they neither wear any Coat or Monastical Habit. Nor do they live in Monasteries but in some Village in scatter'd Cottages near to some Church or Temple They have certain Prayers of which they say such a number believing their Piety fully satisfy'd if they finish their Task which that they may make the more hast to accomplish they huddle over the Psalms of David with such a dextrous celerity that I who have heard 'em at Rome holding the same Copy in my hand could never follow them with my voice and hardly with my eyes Every one manures his own Ground and lives upon the product of his Labours of which they are also very liberal Otherwise they go and come every one without controul as they please themselves So that by no means their Farms can be call'd Cloysters nor they be said to be really Monks but onely unmarried Husbandmen and that onely while they preserve their Continency intire However they are branded with infamy if they forsake their Monastical way of living to marry Wives Nor are their Children capable of being admitted into the Clergy and it is taken for an affront to call any man the Son of a Monk Nevertheless they bear Civil Offices and are sometimes made Governors of Provinces as is apparent by the Example of Tzagazaabus who was a Monk as appears from Alvarez's Itinerary Of such as these the Question may be ask'd with St. Jerome If thou desirest to be accompted a Monk what doest thou do in the Cities what in the Camp or why dost thou undertake Civil Employments They could not choose but highly displease the Fathers of the Society which is the reason that they have always spoken of them with contempt on the other side the Monks have bin the main Obstacles of the Fathers Successes for which Reason Tellezius calls them Persecutors of the Catholic Faith Their Monasteries if we may so call their Villages are very numerous and dispierc'd over all Parts of the Kingdom and commonly go by the name of Daber a Mountain in the plural number Adebaruti Mountains as Dabra Bizen Dabra Hallelujah Dabra Damo Albamata and the like as being formerly built upon steep Hills Beside which they possess all the Ilands in the Tzanic Lake except Deka An Addition to the Third Chapter concerning their Nuns THat there are also Nuns in Ethiopia I gather from Tellezius But they are very ignorant and therefore the more obstinate in their devotion For proof of which the same Tellezius produces a very remarkable Story of one who by chance becoming blind was admonish'd by one of the Fathers to make Confession and embrace the Latin Religion unless she intended to go headlong to Hell To which the Nun made answer That she was willing to go thither of her own accord for that she found there was no Room for her in Heaven as being a person with whom God was displeas'd and had therefore depriv'd her of her sight without any cause of offence by her committed Upon which the Father press'd her the more urgently in hopes to deliver her from that more dangerous blindness of her Mind But finding her to continue obstinate after all his pains Since then said he thou refusest Heav'n get thee to Hell with all the Devils with Dathan and Abiram But I would not have thee take thy Religious Habit along with thee which is onely proper for those that desire the Joyes of Heaven And so saying he presently order'd her to put off her Nuns Vestments and to put on a sordid Vulgar Habit which wrought in her such a sadness and contrition that she soon after made her confession and reconcil'd her self to the Church of Rome CHAP. IV. Of the Sacred Books of the Habessines The Ethiopians together with the Christian Religion receiv'd the Holy Scripture according to the Version of the 70 Interpreters the New Testament from an Imperfect Copy and ill Printed The Old Testament divided into four parts The New Testament into as many The Revelation added as an Appendix To the New Testament are added the Constitutions and Canons of the Apostles as they call them divided into Eight parts Therefore they reckon several Sacred Books Three Oecumenical Councils A fair Manuscript of the Councils at Rome Books therein contain'd A Counterfeit Book of Enoch Magical Prayers Wherein Monstrous words seeming to be taken from the Jews The Form of the Jewish Anathematizing DIvine Worship is seldom found among any sort of Nations in the World to be without Books by which we apprehend from whence every particular kind of worship derives it self and by what means it got footing among the People for the words and the worship generally go together Which is the reason there are so many Hebrew and Greek words in all the Versions of the Bible and that we have so many Latin words in our Theologie The Habessines together with the Christian Religion receiv'd the holy Scripture And this Scripture was translated into that Idiom of the Ethiopic Language which was at that time more peculiar to the Inhabitants of Tigra from the Greek Version of the Seventy Interpreters according to a certain Copy us'd in the Church of Alexandria which the innumerable various Readings that are inserted into the English Polyglòtton Bibles from one of the same Copies plainly demonstrate with which the Ethiopic Translation perfectly agrees Especially in the 35 39 Chapter of Exodus which in other Copies are wonderfully mutilated Nor is it without reason that a Colonie as it were of the Alexandrian Church should follow the Sacred Copies of their Metropolis As for the Author and Time of the Translation I find nothing certainly deliver'd concerning either however it is most probable that it was begun at the time when the Habessines were (f) There is one who
Old Testament reck'ning the Lamentations by themselves and Thirty five of the New Testament adding to the Twenty seven those Eight Books of Constitutions and Canons which the Ethiopians call Manda Abtelis the Signification of which were unknown to Gregory as being words altogether Exotic This was also the reason why Tefa-Tzejon has this Expression in the Title of the New Testament I have caus'd a New Copy to be Printed but without a Synod because he did not Print together with the said Copy those Canons and Institutions before specify'd Next to this Book which is also call'd Hadas or absolutely New the chiefest Reverence is given to the three Oecumenic Councils the Nicene Constantinopolitan and Ephesine with some other Provincial Councils which were receiv'd in the Church till the Schism of Chalcedon But we are to understand that beside the Twenty Nicene Canons always receiv'd by the Greek and Latin Church they also admit of Eighty four other Canons which are extant among the Copies in the Arabic Language And these in the foregoing Century Baptista the Jesuit Transcrib'd and brought to Rome where they were Translated into Latin They were all formerly fairly written in Parchment and by Zer-a-Jacob or Constantine Emperor of the Habassines in the year 440. sent to Jerusalem and thence brought to Rome in the year 1646. where I saw it in the Habessine House in the year 1649. It contains the following Books The Synod of the Holy Apostles for the Ordering of the Church of Christ together with all the Precepts Decrees and Canons which Clement the Disciple of Peter wrote The First Synod is that of the Council of Ancyra The Second Synod is that of the Council of Caesarea The Third the Council of Nice The Fourth of Gangra The Fifth of Antiochia The Sixth of Laodicea The Seventh of Sardis Afterwards follow the Acts of 318 Orthodox Holy Fathers Then a Treatise of the Sabboth Compos'd by Retud-Halmanor Next a Declaration of the Doctrine of the Law by Constitutions and Exhortations Lastly a Decree and Canon of Penitence The Book was written at Axuma with a Preface of the Kings written dated from Shewa Adjoyning to this Book are the Liturgy or the Publick Prayers for the Use of the whole Ethiopic Church They call it Kanono Kedasi the Canon of the Eucharist as being the Rule of Administration and of all the other Liturgies They are Printed in the Roman Copy of the New Testament before the Epistles of St. Paul but intermixed with Foreign Insertions For there we find it written concerning the Holy Ghost who proceeds from the Father and the Son which latter proceeding neither the Greeks nor Ethiopians admit Besides this General Liturgy they have several other Liturgies which are appropriated for several Holydaies Kedasi Za-gezen the Liturgy of our Lord. Kedasi Za-Ghezeten the Liturgy of our Lady Kedasi Za-Warjat the Liturgy of the Apostles Kedasi Zawedus Martium the Liturgy of St. Mark Which Inscriptions have deceiv'd some Learned Men who have branded them with the Characters either of Apocryphal or false Titl'd for that they were not call'd so by the Composers of them both the Text it self and the Name of the Author sometimes added to the Title demonstratively evince as for Example The Liturgy of our Lady Mary which Abba Cyriacus Metropolitan of the Province of Behens compos'd Of this Nature they have also sundry other Manuscript Liturgies which the Ethiopians call Equtet Korban or the Thanksgiving of Oblation It being their Custom to use Eucharistical Prayers and Homilies in the Administration of the Sacrament But their Symbolic Book or Compendium of the whole Habessine Religion is call'd Hajma Monoto-Abaw The Faith or Religion of the Fathers of which Tellez writes That it is a Book among them almost of great Authority and Credit as being as it were a Library of the Fathers it being Collected out of the Homilies of St. Athanasius St. Basil St. Cyril St. John Chrysostom and St. Cyril as also Ephrem the Syrian and the St. Gregories of which there are Four whom they acknowledge and highly esteem Gregory of Neo-Cesarea the Wonder-worker Gregory Nazianzene Gregory Nyssene and Gregory the Armenian Tellez adds St. Austin but of that I very much doubt the Truth the Writings and Names of the Latin Fathers being utterly unknown to the Abessines And indeed had that Book been Compos'd out of the Writings of the Fathers above-mention'd it might have been easily admitted by the Jesuits as an equal Judge between both Parties in their Disputes concerning the two Natures in Christ They have besides these several other Books that treat upon Sacred Subjects as Books of Martyrs and Lives of Saints which are call'd Synaksar in the Ethiopic Idiom Among the rest The History of the Fathers The Combats or Wrestlings of Martyrs The History of the Jews The Constitutions of the Christian Church A Book of Mysteries which Treats of Heresies written by St. George A Book of Epiphanius upon the same Argument The Spiritual Old Man The Harp of Praise in honour of the Trinity and the Virgin Mary Padab Tzahje The Splendor of the Sun which Treats of the Law of God Wedasi Ambatzi The Praise of God Matzehfe felsit bagzeten Marjam The Book of the Death of our Lady Mary In whose Praise and Honours there are several Hymns and Verses among which the most extoll'd is that which is call'd Organon Denghel The Virgins Musical Instrument Composed by Abba George an Abassine Doctor a Book not very ancient but in high esteem by reason of the great number of Similitudes and Allegories as also for the Elegancy of the stile and words But as to what Egidius the Capuchin writes to the famous Petreskius concerning the Prophesie of Enoch as if such a thing were extant in the Ethiopic Language in a Book call'd Matzhe Henoch the Book of Enoch the Story is altogether fabulous So soon as that noble Gentleman heard of this Book he spar'd for no Cost to get it into his hands till at length the Knavery of those he employ'd impos'd upon him another Book with a false Title The Book was afterwards lodg'd in Cardinal Mazarine's Library and the Preface Middle and End being Transcrib'd by a Friend of mine was presented to me but there was nothing in it either of Enoch or his Predictions only some few Notions there were and some very clear discourses of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth and the Holy Trinity under the Name of one Abba-Bahaila-Michael There is another little idle and impertinent Pamphlet hardly worth taking notice of were it not so frequently currant in Europe Gregory call'd it Tzalot Betzet or a Magical Prayer and averr'd That it was not only not esteem'd but rejected in Ethiopia tho by us charily hoarded up in several Libraries It is writ with so much stupidity that you shall find therein many Prayers of the Virgin Mary to her Son stufft with monstrous words to which are attributed Vertues and Efficacies more than Divine
was any such thing either written or said by any Person of Credit CHAP. II. Of the Books and Learning of the Ethiopians Books not holy reckon'd Ethiopic Their Studies what No written Laws Lamentable Physicians Nor better Philosophers Of the mixture of the Elements in Humane Bodies They hold two Souls In Mathematicks not absurd They love Poetry but only Divine all in Rhime various sorts Riddles and Proverbs Desirous of the Latine The Fathers would not teach them Arabic frequent Their Epistolary Style BEsides Sacred Books the Habessines have but very few others For the Story of (f) Vrreta did not think worth while to tell so modest an untruth The most celebrated Libraries saith he that ever had Renown were nothing in respect of Presbyter John's the Books are without Number richly and artificially bound Many to which Solomon's and the Patriarchs Names are Affixt Godignus explodes him l. 1. c. 17. Yet Gallesius in his late Discourse concerning Libraries averrs the same and adds That Chancellor Seguiers Library contains more Books than any Ethiopic Library Barratti who chatters of a Library containing Ten Thousand Volumes 't is altogether vain and frivolous Some few we had an Account of One call'd the Glory of Kings already mention'd I know not whether it be that of which Tellez Writes because it is of high Authority among the Habessines and as it were a Second Gospel and preserv'd in the Pallace of Axuma In that is Recorded the History of the Queen of Sheba and others to which the Habessines give great Credit A Chronicle cited by King Claudius in his Confession of Faith The Book of Philosophy much esteem'd in Ethiopia The Ladder a Vocabulary in that the most difficult words are Expounded in Amharic and Arabic but very unfortunately and perversly As the following Example about Gemms will Testifie It was sent me by Gregory The Jasper in the Pentateuch and Apocalyps in the Arabic the Colour of it is White and Red. The Saphyr in the Pentateuch and Apocalyps in Arabic The Colour of it is like a burning Cole he meant the Carbuncle now call'd the Ruby They meddle with no Studies but those of their own Learned Language and Sacred Matters Most believe they have enough if they can but Read and Write and that either the Parents teach their Children to do or else certain of their Monks for a small stipend They have no written Laws Justice and Right is determined by Custom and the Examples of their Ancestors and most differences are ended by the Will of the Judge Their manner of Administring Physick is most Deplorable They Cure Men by cutting and burning as they do Horses They cure the Yellow Jaundies by applying a hot burning Iron in manner of a Semicircle toward the upper end of the Arm laying a little Cotton upon the Wound that the Humour may issue forth so long as the Disease remains In most Distempers every Person is his own Physitian and uses such Herbs as he learnt were useful from his Parents Some are of Opinion that it is not a Pin matter whether they make use of Physitians or Apothecaries or no not believing it worth their while to be recover'd at so great Expences If the King be sick they come to him ask him as if it were out of pity What he ayles and what is his Distemper And if any one have been ill of the same Distemper he tells what did him good deeming the same Remedies applicable to all Constitutions If a Pestilence chance to break out they leave their Houses and Villages and retire with their Heards into the Mountains putting all their Security in flying from the Contagion Tertian Agues they Cure by applying the Cramp-fish to the Patient which is an unspeakable Torture Wounds they Cure by the help of Myrrhe which is very plentiful among them I have not as yet ever seen the Treatise of Philosophy which I mention'd at the beginning of the Chapter but it appears by the Theological Disputations of their Divines that they are none of the Acutest Logicians nor have they any knowledge of Natural Philosophy as is apparent to any one that reads their Books concerning the mixture of the Four Elements in the Creation of Man as also concerning the Soul the Author of the Organum gives this accompt God made a Miracle when he Created our Father Adam and Formed him of the Four Elements he mixed the Elements yet so that they should not disagree among themselves the First with the Second and the Third with the Fourth he mix'd the dry with the Moist and the Hot with the Cold the Visible with the Invisible the Palpable with the Impalpable He made Two out of the Palpable and Two out of the Impalpable He made Three of the Dry and One of the Moist He made Three out of the Visible and One out of the Invisible The great Architect knew where the Inner Chamber was to be Seated and plac'd the Corners of the House in the Four Elements and understanding that a vessel of Clay could not move nor speak without the mixture of a Spirit that must come from Himself therefore he Breath'd upon his Face and made him Rational and Self-moving as saith the most Holy Law He Breath'd into the Face of Adam the breathing place of Life and he became Man by the Breath of Life Therefore the Soul dies not with the Body for that proceeding out of the Mouth of the Lord it was mixt with the Body as saith our Lord in the Gospel Fear not those who kill the Body but cannot kill the Soul Now as to what he said Thou shalt not kill the Soul be spoke concerning the sensitive Soul because there are two Souls in Man one the Spirit of Life which proceeded out of the Mouth of God not reckon'd among the Elements and which never dyes The other is the Blood of the Body that is to say the Sensitive Soul which has its Original from the Elements and that is Morral Wherefore God said Thou shalt not eat the Flesh with the Blood because the Blood is the Sensitive Soul But the Pillar of the House of God is the Spirit of Life Now after the Spirit of Life is departed the Body becomes a Carcass therefore the Law pronounc'd the Carcass Unclean because the Spirit of Life is departed from it But among us we reckon the Dead Body of a Christian to be clean because the Human Body was mix'd with the Blood of Divinity besides that the Grace of Baptism departs not from it and concerning the Carcass of the Son of the Virgin David said They cast away their Brother as an unclean Carcass That is they did not understand it to be holy because the Jews were his Brethren in respect of his Mother and by their Law the Carcass was reputed unclean It is to be wondred that the Habessines who cannot understand two Natures in Christ united in one Existence should find out two Souls in the body of Man And yet