Necessity he permits the cluster it self to be squeez'd into the Cup and the Liquor to be mix'd with water The time of receiving the Sacrament is left to every man's liberty some receive every Week some every Month but always within the Church For they hold it a great Sin to carry the Holy Mysteries out of the Church into private Houses Neither does the King nor the Metropolitan assume to themselves that Priviledge They never spit that day they have receiv'd They also receive Fasting and toward the Evening too if it be a fasting day But now to Administer the Sacrament in large and crowded Churches and upon Solemn days it requires four or five Men at least Bahen the Priest or Kasis the Presbyter Nefek Kasis the Sub-Presbyter Daj-kan the Deacon and Nefeh Dajkan the Sub-Deacon There are also present other Assistants to hold the Candles and to attend upon the Priests These every one taking his particular part perform the whole Duty reading of several Prayers as the variety of Action and the use of distinct Vessels require Lastly they recommend both the Living and the Dead to God which they call receiving the Dapdukon the Diptych or Church Register which among the Ancient Greeks consisted of two Tables wherein the Name of those were written who were to be Pray'd for in the Register There are some that bring their Offerings to the Holy Table as Bread Oyl Tithes first Fruits and the like which at the Conclusion of the Sacrament are distributed to the Poor Which I take to be understood of that ancient Custom mention'd by Claudius in his Confession of Faith Vangaber Bat Mesah that day meaning the Sabbath we make a Charitable Feast These Holydaies they keep two days every Week that is to say upon the Sabaoth and the Lord's-Day That they call Sanbat Ejehude which they say they celebrate in commemoration of the professed Creation and therefore they do not keep it so solemnly as the lord's-Lord's-Day But upon the lord's-Lord's-Day which they call Sanbat Ehad or the Sabbath of the first Holyday or Ehude the first Holyday singly or Sanbat Christejan the Christians Sabbath they keep after the custom of the Catholic Church and read over all the Offices and Services requir'd They have no Bells of Brass or mix'd Metal like ours instead of which they only use a kind of hollow Vessels resembling Bells made of Iron Stone or Wood more for Noise than delightful to the Ear. Neither is their Church Music any thing more pleasing For besides that the Voices of their Singing Priests whom they call Dabetra are very harsh and ungrateful the Instruments they make use of after the Egyptian manner such as Cimbals Morrice Bells and Kettle Drums which the Grandees themselves think no dishonour to rattle upon those Solemnities are no way agreeable to the Harmony of Europe With their Music they use Skipping and Dancing in imitation of David Dancing before the Ark of the Covenant At what time they make the Floor ring again after such a rude manner that you would believe them rather at a Wedding than at a Christian Solemnity This they call exulting rejoycing and clapping hands to the God of Jacob as they are commanded in the Psalms and this they call Praising God upon the Harp and Organ and with Cymbals tho it cannot be said they are so sweet sounding as those in David's Time may be imagin'd to be Which things tho they seem to us not to correspond with the gravity of Christian Worship yet will not they much admire who well know that in some places among the Latins the Feast of the Body of God was solemniz'd with Dancing which as it could not be done without Music there were others that play'd in disguise before the Dancers upon Harps Fasting days are no where more exactly observ'd Not that they abstain from some Meats and gluttonize upon others For that they look upon as a mockery of Fasting For they keep themselves whole dayes without either Food or Drink even till Sunset of the third Evening Others there are that abstain the two Holydaies of the Passion Week The Monks put themselves upon greater Extremities than all this by which means they not only mortifie but destroy Besides all which they fast twice in seven days upon the Fourth and Sixth Holyday like the rest of the Eastern Churches The reason of which was by Tzagazaab said to be for that the Fourth day the Murther of Christ was concluded upon and the Sixth it was executed according to what many of the Ancients taught But we believe that these two fasting-Fasting-days as many other things were admitted and observ'd in imitation of the Jews by the Primitive Christians who were either Jews or else had learn't from the Jews that this Custom was introduc'd and us'd as a Duty both Pious and Necessary for these times For the Jews fasted twice in a Week which is that which the Pharisee boasted I fast twice upon the Sabbath that is within the two days in seven viz. upon the Second and Fifth Holyday which the Christians because they would not fast upon the same day with the Jews alter'd for the Fourth and Sixth Afterwards Innocent and Gregory the Seventh abrogating the Fast of the Fourth Holyday impos'd Abstinence from Flesh upon Sunday not minding the ancient Canon If any Clergy-man shall be known to Fast upon any Sabbath or lord's-Lord's-Day one excepted let him be suspended from his Office That one Sabbath is Easter Eve Otherwise to fast upon the lord's-Lord's-Day the Ethiopians account it Criminal like the ancient Christians as Tertullian witnesses Besides these and other Fasts of the Eastern Church they observe in the first place the Forty days Lent which they make up Fifty For it begins Ten days before the Roman Lent That is upon the second Holyday after Sexagesima Sunday And this as a Command of God they observe both healthy and sick People most exactly and religiously only as we said before upon Sundays they eat Flesh After Easter they supply the pinching hardship and sobriety of the past Weeks with the Jollity and Mirth of those that succeed For during all the time of Pentecost so formerly was the interval of the Fifty days call'd from the Feast of the Resurrection till the Feast of tending the Holy Gost they spend their time in all manner of Feasting and Jocundry suitable to the Country All that time as of old with the Latins so among the Ethiopians being still observ'd as one continu'd Festival Gregory considering these things and admiring that the Protestants in Germany observ'd no other Fasts but what were commanded by their Princes in case of Public Calamity was answer'd out of St. Ambrose we do not Fast because the Lord abideth with us not only those Fifty days but all the year long nay as long as we live Thus Christ answer'd them who objected to his Disciples Can the Sons of the Bridegroom mourn while the Bridegroom is among them But the time shall come
the King himself Tellez reports That it was stufft with places of Scripture but nothing to the purpose The King more incens'd by this Writing renew'd the Edict about the Sabbath and commanded the Husbandmen to Plough and Sow upon that Day adding as a Penalty upon the Offenders for the first Fault the Forfeiture of a weav'd Vestment to the value of a Portugal Patack for the second Confiscation of Goods and that the said Offence should not be prescribed to Seven years a certain form usually inserted in their more severe Decrees Certainly it must of necessity be true what Tellez reports of the Natural Piety of the Habessines since they were thus to be compell'd to the Neglect of the Sabbath by such Severe Laws when we can hardly be induc'd by stricter Penalties to observe the Lord's-Day Among the rest one Bucus a stout and famous Soldier felt the utmost rigour of this Decree for being accus'd to have observ'd the Sabbath he was made a most severe Example that others of less consequence might not think to expect any Mercy From thence Jonael Viceroy of Bagemdra took an occasion to Revolt alluring all to his Party who were displeased with the Edicts Upon which News many of the chiefest of the Court both Men and Women of which several were near allyed to the King with Tears in their Eyes besought him once more not to expose himself and the Kingdom to Calamity but to take Pity upon so many poor afflicted People offending out of meer Simplicity and Ignorance and not to disturb the Minds of his People with such unseasonable Changes The King far from being mov'd with their Tears but rather the more displeas'd to see so many all of one Mind that at once he might answer all confirm the wavering and terrifie the Headstrong having summon'd together the Chief Nobles and Commanders of his Army that attended the Court in a short but grave Oration put them in mind of past Transactions upbraiding them among the rest For that they had depriv'd Zadenghel both of his Life and Kingdom because he had forsaken the Alexandrian Religion to embrace the Roman Faith That for his part after his Victory obtain'd against Jacob he had bin severe to none but rather had pardon'd all nevertheless he was disturb'd with daily Seditions and Rebellions under pretence of changing his Religion when he only reform'd it For that he acknowledg'd as much and the same that others did That Christ was true God and true Man but because he could not be Perfect God unless he had the Perfect Divine Nature nor perfect Man without perfect Humane Nature it follow'd that there were two Natures in Christ united in one Substance of the Eternal Word Which was not to abandon but explain his Religion In the next place he had abrogated the Observation of the Sabbath Day because it became not Christians to observe the Jews Sabboth These things he did not believe in favour of the Portugueses but because it was the Truth it self determin'd in the Council of Chalcedon founded upon Scripture and ever since the time of the Apostles deliver'd as it were from hand to hand and if there were occasion he would lay down his life in defence of this Doctrine but they who deny'd it should first examine the Truth of it Having finished his Oration a Letter was brought him from Jonael containing many haughty Demands and among the rest the Expulsion of the Jesuits The King believing there would be no better way than to answer him in the Field Commanded the nimblest of his Armed Bands to March of which the Rebel having Intelligence and not willing to abide his Fury fled for shelter among those inaccessible Rocks whither it was in vain to pursue him Thereupon Susneus well-knowing that the Revolters would not be able long to endure the Inconveniencies and Famine that lodg'd among those inaccessible places blockt him up at a Distance So that Jonael at length weaken'd by daily desertions fled to the Gallans who being at variance among themselves kept their promis'd Faith but a short time for being underhand tempted with Rewards by the King they at length turn'd their Protection into Treachery and slew the Unfortunate Implorer of their Security This Bad Success however did not terrifie the Inhabitants of Damota inhabiting the Southern parts of Gojam who upon the News of the Prophanation of the Sabbath as they called it with their Hermites that sculk'd in the Deserts of that Province ran to their Arms. Ras-Seelax otherwise their Lord and Patron in vain Exhorting them to continue their Obedience whose kind Messages of Peace and Pardon they refus'd unless he would burn the Books Translated out of Latin into the Habessine Language by the Fathers and deliver up the Fathers themselves to be Hang'd upon the highest Trees they could find Thus despairing of Peace Ras-Seelax set forward tho deserted by the greatest part of his Forces who favoured the Cause of their Countrymen so that he had hardly Seven Thousand Men that stook close to him while the Enemies Body daily encreas'd However he resolv'd to Fight them knowing his Soldiers to be more Experienc'd and better Arm'd besides that he had about Forty Portuguese Musquetiers in his Camp When they came to blows the Victory fell to the King's Party tho it cost dear in regard that about Four hundred Monks that had as it were devoted themselves to die for their Religion fought most desperately of which a Hundred and fourscore were Slain Hitherto the King had not made Publick Profession of the Roman Religion partly out of fear of stirring up Popular Tumults against him partly being loath to dismiss his Supernumerary Wives and Concubines but at length encourag'd by so many Victories he lay'd all fear aside and publickly renounc'd the Alexandrian Worship and confessing his Sins after the Roman manner to Peter Pays dismiss'd all his Wives and Concubines only the first of those to which he had bin lawfully Marry'd His Example convinc'd many others who were not asham'd to keep many Mistresses but Adultresses also Not long after the King signify'd his Conversion to the Roman Religion to his whole Empire by a Publick Instrument not without the Severe reproof of the Alexandrian Patriarch The sum of his Manifesto was That having deserted the Alexandrinian he now reverenced only the Roman See and had yielded his Obedience to the Roman Pope as the Successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles for that that See could never err either in Faith or good Manners and then he exhorted his Subjects to do as he had done He also discoursed at large concerning the two Natures in Christ and tax'd the Ethiopian Primates as guilty of many Errors But neither the King's Example nor his Exhortation wrought upon many For at the same time his Son Gabriel began to study new Contrivances tho with no better Success than they who had taught him the way For when he had intelligence that Ras-Seelax was marching
Damota Dewaro Dombeja and its Provinces Enaria Fatagara Gafata Gajghe Ganna Ganz Gidm Gojam Gombo Gongha Guraghe Ifat Samen Se◠Sowa Shat. Tigra and its Prefectures Those which are under Bahrnagassus Walaka Wed. Tellez reckons more Others he omits More remarkable Provinces What the King of Habessinia possesss at this day THE Regions of which Ethiopia consists are neither equally nor with the same observance of number but variously set down Most of them enjoy the Name of the Kingdom Menghest or Ethiopia in General perhaps because in ancient times they had their proper Princes and peculiar Laws as we know that formerly Spain was divided into several Kingdoms of the same nature The rest in the Amharic Dialect are called Shumet Prefectures which are not however Governed by Vice-Roys but are under peculiar Governours of their own which being confounded with the Kingdoms so call'd Hist l. 18. must needs render the number of the Kingdoms uncertain Paulus Jovius distinguishes the Empire of the Habessines into more than forty Kingdoms others add yet more which are more easily set down in writing than demonstrated In Epist Ev. Johan Matthew the Armenian first Ambassador to the Portugals from the Abessines will needs have (a) Dam. à Goez de legat Indorum ad Emanuel 3. Lus. Reg. sixty Tesfa Sionus who set forth the New-Testament in Ethiopic affirms sixty two Kingdoms in Subjection to his Emperor Unless perhaps the Numerical Character for sixty be mistaken for that denoting only twenty of which sort there are most frequent faults both in Prophane and (b) Ludovic Capell in Critic Sacr. Lib. 1. Cap. 10. brings an Example of Sam. Bochart in Hieroz suo lib. 2. cap. 27. ad Maccab. 1.6.36 concerning thirty two Soldiers upon one Elephant Sacred Writers P. Nicolaus Godignus from the Relation of John Gabriel a Portugueze Collonel a Person of great Fame and one that had long resided in Ethiopia asserts That the Abessine Empire according to its ancient Right comprehends no less than twenty six Kingdoms and fourteen Provinces But he mixes some Neighbouring Kingdoms which are no way Subject to the King of the Abessines and some he also omits (c) Certainly Godignus's enumeration is most confused for the most part ill pronounced as Leca for Waleka And why does he reckon Adela and Aucagurecè among the number of the Kingdoms when the latter is onely the Metropolis and no Kingdom watered by the River Hawashi for so it ought to be written and yet confesses that the Inhabitants are no way Subject to the Abessine Emperor However most certain it is that we may safely reckon twenty computing those which the Gallans have subdued Gregory named thirty to me adding perhaps some small ones which others allow to be no more than Prefectures These I shall reckon up from his own mouth and as he wrote them down himself that the (d) This was very necessary by reason of the great variation and corruption of Names so frequent in all Authors Reader may be assured of their true and genuine Pronunciation The first and that the best and most fertile is the Kingdom of Tigra but for Nobleness Amhara exceeds it which we shall put in the first place the rest following according to the Order of the Latin Alphabet Amhara is now the most noble Kingdom of all Ethiopia by reason of those inaccessible Fortified Rocks Ghesen and Amhacel where formerly the Kings Sons excluded from the Kingdom were secured and is therefore accounted the Native Country of the late and present Kings and of all the Nobility It lies almost in the Center of Habessinia having on the North the Kingdom of Bagemder upon the West Nile and beyond that the Kingdom of Gojam Upon the South it views Walake and Eastward beholds Angota The Provinces that belong to it are these that follow 1 Akamba 2 Amhacel 3 Anbacit 4 Armon-em 5 Atronca Marjam 6 Bada-Bad 7 Barara 8 Batata 9 Beda-gadal 10 Dada 11 Dad 12 Demah 13 Ephrata 14 Ewarza 15 Feres-Bahr 16 Ganata-Ghiorghis 17 Gesha-bar 18 Grumghe 19 Ghel 29 Gheshe 21 Gheshen 22 Hagara Christos 20 Karna-Marjam 24 Kicarja 25 Lai-Kueita 26 Macana-Celece where Gregory was Born 27 Malza 28 Shegla 29 Tabor 39 Tadbaba-Marjam 31 Tat-Kueja 02 Walsa 33 Waro 34 Wagda 35 Wanz-egr 36 Zar-amba The Second Kingdom is Angot which is also called Hangot The Third Kingdom is Bagembder in the vulgar Mapps Bagamidri a large and fertile Kingdom watered with many Rivers Gregory compared it with our Germany saying Here is much water as in Bagemhder The River Bashlo divides it from Amhara It is distinguished into several Territories 1 Andabet the Trumpeters Countrey 2 Atcana 3 Dahr more particularly like Germany as Gregory said 5 Este 3 Guna 6 Koma 7 Maket bordering upon Angota 8 Mashalamja 9 Nafasmauca 10 Smada 11 Tzama 12 Wainalga famous for the slaughter of Grainus in the former Century 13 Wudo The fourth Kingdom is Bali most Easterlie which the Gallans first subdued and thence afflicted the Abessines with so many Calamities The fifth Kingdom is Bizamo divided from Gojam by the River Nile The sixth Kingdom is Bugna in some Mapps called Abugana a mountanous and small Kingdom The seventh Kingdom is Cambata the Inhabitants whereof are called Hadja or Hadiens From whence it comes to pass that Adea or Hadea is in the Mapps erroneously called a Kingdom It is the last Kingdom toward the South lying not far from Enarrea for the most part Christians but mixed with Pagans and Mahumetans The eighth Kingdom is Cont by the Portugals called Conch The ninth Kingdom is Damot a Southerly Kindom seated beyond Nile and the Gafats The tenth Kingdom is Dawaro the Eastern limits of the Empire adjoyning to the Southern part of Bali The eleventh Kingdom is Dembeja or Dembea a Kingdom now famous for the Royal Camp continually pitched there The Prefectures belonging to it are 1 Arebja 2 Decal-ariva 3 Dehhana 4 Edn 7 Gaba 6 Guender 7 Kuara 8 Nara 9 Sarako 10 Sera-karn 11 Takuesa 12 Tenqel 13 Tshelga as it were the Gates of Abuassia toward Sennar 14 Walwad The twelfth Kingdom is Enarea inhabited both by (d) By the Portugals called Narea by Godignus Nerea lib. 1. cap. 4. Christians and Gentiles This Kingdom was subdued by Melech-Saghed who converted the Governour thereof to the Christian Faith Gregory very much applauded the Inhabitants for their Probity and Integrity he said it was a fertile Soile and abounding in Gold adding That he had heard from the Portuguezes that this Kingdom was five and thirty days journey distant from the Indian Ocean but would not assert it for Truth The thirteenth Kingdom is Tatagar formerly inhabited by Christians Eastward adjoyning to Bali The fourteenth Kingdom is Gafat bordering upon Damota The fifteenth Kingdom is Gajghe pronounce it as the French do Gajegue The sixteenth Gan by the Portuguezes called Ganhe The seventeenth Ganz Erroneously joyned with Bali and in the feigned Title of
but only by a Tacit Connivance and that in the mean time there should be a Cessation of all Penalties and Mulcts Upon this the King intending a Third Expedition against the Lasteneers to make his Soldiers the more stedfast and obedient he put forth an Edict by which in general words an Indulgence was granted for the Exercise of all ancient Ceremonies not repugnant to Faith Thus every Person being left to his particular Liberty the Alexandrian Worship was again to the great Satisfaction of the People freely exercis'd but to the great grief of the Portugueses especially the Patriarch who presently wrote to the King complaining That contrary to his advice a Lay Prince should publish an Edict of that Nature in reference to spiritual Affairs for that it belong'd to him to set forth such Decrees putting him in mind of the words of Azariah the High-Priest to King Uzziah and of the Punishment that follow'd and admonishing him to amend that Fault by publishing some other Edict which should be propos'd by the assistance of some one of the Fathers of the Society The King obey'd and propounded an Edict which contain'd Three Articles 1. That the Ancient Liturgy but Corrected should be read in the Mass 2. That the Festivals should be observ'd according to the ancient Computation of Time except Easter and those other Festivals that depended upon it 3. That whosoever pleas'd instead of the Sabbath might fast upon the fourth Holyday And then as for answer to the Patriarchs Complaints he made this reply That the Roman Religion was not introduc'd into his Dominions by the Preaching or Miracles of the Fathers but meerly by his Edicts and Commands not by the assent of his People but of his own free will because he thought it better then the Alexandrian Therefore the Patriarch had no reason to Complain But these Concessions not being sufficient and coming too late prov'd altogether ineffectual not serving in the least to pacifie the Lasteneers or any other of the Discontented Parties CHAP. XII Of the Decrease of the Roman Religion and the Restoration of the Alexandrinian The Fathers ill Success The King prepares to restore the Alexandrian Religion Over-perswaded by the Queen and his Son The Decrees resolv'd on in Council The Patriarch makes a grave Speech to the contrary Vpbraids him with his Victories and threatens him At length he Supplicates but in vain The Edict passes Signify'd to the Patriarch who proposes a Medium The Edict publish'd to the great Satisfaction of the People The Ancient Ceremonies us'd An Invective Satyr against the Fathers The sudden Change censur'd WEE have hitherto seen the great Progress of the Roman Religion in Ethiopia the Authority of the Patriarch advanc'd to the utmost extent the King and his Brothers together with a great many of the Nobility some sincerely some feignedly favouring the Jesuits For the Latin Worship was with great diligence impos'd and exercis'd all over several Provinces of the Kingdom Many of the Habessine Priests were Ordain'd by the Patriarch and great diligence was us'd for the building of Churches and Colleges Already besides the Patriarch they had increas'd their Number to One and twenty Companions that is to say Nineteen Fathers and Two Brothers of the Society distributed into Thirteen Residencies Nor could the Fathers but be well pleas'd with so many Thousands of Baptized and Converted People for certainly the gaining of so many lost Souls by Baptism was not to be despised When on a suddain behold a suddain Change upon which the Banishment of the Fathers and the Subversion of the Roman Religion ensu'd For the Fathers believing that the opportunity of the time was not to be neglected made it their Business to abrogate all the Alexandrian Rites even those which were formerly tolerated under the Roman Bishops on the other side the Common People Wedded to their Old Customs but more especially the Monks and Clergy the chief Supporters of the old Religion most stoutly oppos'd their Proceedings Besides them several of the Nobility either out of Hatred of the Romans or out of Ambition frequently revolted and through the strength of their unaccessible Rocks easily eluded the King 's more mighty Power A most remarkable Lesson to teach us That that sort of Worship to which the People are averse is not easily to be introduc'd by the Prince and that it is no piece of Prudence or Policy to attempt the Liberty of those who are well defended by the Situation of their Country Therefore the King tho otherwise most addicted to the Fathers wearied with so many Exclamations of his own People growing in years utterly disliking the present posture of Affairs and fearful of what might ensue tormented with the continual Importunities of his Friends his Jealousie of his Brother the Contumacy of the Lasteneers the Diminution of his Prerogative and the dread of losing his Kingdom at length began to think of abrogating the Roman and restoring the ancient Alexandrian Worship And which was more to be admir'd a prosperous Fight with the Lasteneers was that which settled his wavering Thoughts For making a fourth Expedition against them he came upon them so unlook'd for that he gave them a Total tout Killing eight Thousand upon the place with several of the Leaders of the Faction and chief Deserters of their King and Country The Portugueses rejoyc'd at the News believing the Rebellion quietted by this Victory and that for the future nothing would presume so much as to hiss against the Roman Religion But it fell out quite otherwise For they who favour'd the the Alexandrian Religion the next day carry'd the King to view the Field of the Battel and shewing him the multitude of the Slain thus bespake him Neither Ethnics nor Mahumetans were these in whose Slaughter we might have some reason to rejoyce No Sir they were Christians once your Subjects and our dear Countrymen and partly to your self partly to us related in Blood How much more laudable would it have bin for these couragious Breasts to have bin oppos'd against the most deadly of your Enemies This is no Victory because obtain'd against your own Subjects With the same Sword wherewith you Slaughter them you Stab your own Bowels Certainly they bare no hatred to us whom we make War upon so cruelly Only they are a verse to that Worship to which you would compel them How many have we already kill'd upon this Change of Ceremonies How many remain behind reserv'd for the same Slaughter When will these Bloody Conflicts end Forbear we beseech your Majesty to constrain them to Novelties and Innovations lest they renounce their Allegiance otherwise we shall never behold the Face of Peace again We are hated even by the Gallans and Ethnicks for abandoning our ancient Ceremonies and are therefore by them call'd Apostates For it seems that the King of Adel having apprehended and put to Death two of the Fathers travelling into Habessinia thorow his Country in the accompt which he