Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	john_n	sir_n	walter_n	18,914	5	11.6868	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16282	The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611	Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777	343,933	572

be inferior houses to the Innes of Court furnished with Atturneys Solicitors and young Gentlemen and Clerkes that are to liue and study there for a space as probationers before they be thought fit to be admitted to the Innes of Court which eight houses be called the Innes of Chancery This citty and suburbes is diuided into sixe and twenty wards and about an hundred and twenty Parishes The chiefest Magistrate there vnder the King is the Lord Maior vnder whome are diuers inferior Officers ouer euery seuerall company and ward who do all of them attend the Maior when he takes his oath in such seemely maner as he that beholds their stately Pageants and deuises their passage by water to Westminster and backe againe their going to Paules the infinit number of attendants of Aldermen and all sorts of people their rare and costly banquets and all their forme of gouernement surely I suppose he will hold opinion that no citty of the world hath the like This superficiall commendation of this renowned citty of London shall suffice for all and therefore I will passe ouer the rest in silence for that there is no one thing worthy memorie in any cittie or towne of the whole Realme that the like or better is not to bee found in the citty of London the Vniuersities onely excepted which are the nurse-gardens and Seminaries of all good arts and sciences And of these there be two Oxford and Cambridge which consisting of sundry Colledges and Hals erected and founded by godly and deuout founders and benefactors and endowed with large rents and reuenewes for the maintenance of poore schollers who are there maintained and instructed in learning of all sorts and beeing next vnto London the two VVorthies of our kingdome and in truth the most famous Vniuersities in Christendome I thinke it not amisse omitting to speake any thing of the cittizens and towns-men or the diuided gouernement betwixt them the Vniuersities to recite in particular the names of the Colledges and Hals in both Vniuersities their founders benefactors and the times of their seuerall foundations First therfore of Oxford without addition of superiority for that as the Prouerbe is As proud goes behind as before there be contained in that Vniuersitie besides nine hals viz. Glocester hall Broad-gate S. Mary hall Albaine hall VVhite hall New Inne Edmund hall Hart hall and Magdalin hall which differ from the Colledges for that the Colledges haue lands to maintaine their Societies which the hals in Oxford do want and therefore though al scholer-like exercises bee there practised as well as in the Colledges yet in respect of the want of maintainance they do in part resemble the Ins in court sixteene Colledges that is to say 1 Vniuersitie Colledge founded by Alured king of the Saxons in the yeare of our Lord 872. 2 Baylyoll Colledge founded by Iohn Baylyoll king of the Scots in the yeare of our Lord 1263. 3 Martin Colledge founded by Walter Martin bish of Rochester in the yeare of our Lord 1273. 4 Excester Colledge and Hart hall founded by Staphel●n bishop of Excester in the yeare of our Lord 1316. which said Colledge was much augmented by Sir VVilliā Peeter Secretary to king Henry the eight in the yeare of our Lord 1566. 5 Oriall Colledge founded by Adam Browne brought vp in the Vniuersity of Oxford by king Edward the second in the yeare of our Lord 1323. 6 Queenes Colledge founded by Robert Eglesfield Chaplin to Philippe king Edward the thirds wife in the yeare of our Lord 1349. 7 New Colledge founded by Willyam VVicham bishop of VVinchester in the yeare of our Lord 1375. 8 Lincolne Colledge founded by Richard Flemming Bishop of Lincolne and increased by Thomas Rotheram Bishop of the same Diocesse in the yeare of our Lord 1420. 9 All Soules Colledge founded by Henry Chechelsey Archbishop of Canterbury in the yere of our Lord 1437. 10 Magdalin Colledge and Magdalin Hall founded by VVillyam VVainflet Bishop of Winchester and Chancelor of England in the yeare of our Lord 1456. 11 Brazen-nose Colledge founded by VVillyam Smith Bishop of Lincolne in the yeare of our Lord 1513 and lately increased by Doctor Nowell Deane of Paules 12 Corpus Christi Colledge founded by Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester in the yeare of our Lord 1516. 13 Christs Church founded by Cardinall Wolsey in the yeare of our Lord 1526. and indowed with lands by king Henry the eight 14 S. Iohns Colledge founded by Sir Thomas White Maior of London in the yeare of our Lord 1557. 15 Trinity Colledge founded by Sir Thomas Pope Knight in the yeare of our Lord 1566. 16 Iesus Colledge founded by Hugh Price Doctor of the ciuill Law There is another Colledge now in building the foundation wherof is alreadie laid by M. Waddam of Merryfield in Somersetshire CAmbridge was first a common schoole founded by Sigebert king of the East English in the yeare of our Lord God 637. since which time it hath beene so increased and augmented that at this day it is equall to Oxford it consisteth reckoning Michaell house and Kings hall for two which haue beene since added to Trinity Colledge of eighteene Halles Colledges the Halls hauing lands belonging to them as well as the Colledges for there is no difference there betwixt Halles and Colledges but in name onely sauing that the Colledges haue more lands then the Hals and therefore maintaine more Schollers then the hals do the names of the houses and by whome and when they were founded and augmented is as followeth 1 Peter-house founded by Hugh Bishop of Ely in the yeare of our Lord 1280. 2 Michaell house founded by Sir Henry Stanton Knight one of the Iudges of the common Bench in the yeare of our Lord 1324. 3 Trinity hall founded by William Bateman in the yeare of our Lord 1354. 4 Corpus Christi Colledge founded by Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster in the yeare of our Lord God 1344. 5 Clare hall was first called Scholer hall and afterwards the Vniuersitie hall and being burnt with fire was afterwards re-edified by Elizabeth daughter of Gilbert Clare Earle of Leicester in the yeare of our Lord God 1326. and by her called Clare hall 6 Pembroke hal founded by Mary Countesse of Pembroke in the yeare of our Lord 1343. 7 Kings hall repaired by king Edward the third in the yeare of our Lord 1376. 8 Kings Colledge founded by king Henry the sixt in the yeare of our Lord 1441. 9 Queenes Colledge founded by Margaret wife to king Henry the sixt and finished by Elizabeth wife to K. Edward the fourth in the yeare of our Lord God 1448. 10 Katherine hall founded by Doctor Woodlabe Prouost of Kings Colledge in Cambridge in the yeare of our Lord 1459. 11 Iesus Colledge founded by Iohn Alcocke Bishop of Ely in the yeare of our Lord 1504. 12 Christs Colledge founded by Queene Margaret Grandmother to King Henry the eight 13 Saint Iohns Colledge founded by the sayd

Queene Margaret in the yeare of our Lord God 1506. 14 Magdalin Colledge founded by the Lord Audley in the yeare of our Lord 1509. and enlarged by Sir Christopher Wrey Lord chiefe Iustice of England 15 Trinity Colledge founded by k. Henry the 8. for the inlarging whereof he added thereunto Michael house and Kings hall and made therof one Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1546. so as now the names of Michaell house and kings hall is almost worne out of memorie 16 Gonvel and Caius Colledge first founded by one Gonvell about the yeare of our Lord 1348. and perfected by Iohn Caius Doctor of Phisicke and by him called Gonuell and Caius Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1557. 17 Emanuell Colledge founded by Sir Walter Mildmay in the yeare of our Lord 1588. 18 Sidney-Sussex Colledge founded by Francis Sidney Countesse of Sussex for the erecting whereof she bequeathed at her death fiue thousand pounds it was begun in the yeare of our Lord 1597. Now hauing thus farre spoken of the Country in particular it resteth to say something with like breuity of the seuerall sorts of people that inhabite the same their proceedings in courses of law as well spirituall as temporall and their seuerall Courts The whole number of English men may therefore be diuided into these foure ranckes or degrees of people that is to say Gentlemen or Noblemen Cittizens Yeomen and artificers or labourers Of Gentlemen or Nobility there be two sorts to wit the king himselfe the Prince Dukes Marquesses Earles Vicounts and Barons And this sort of Gentlemen are called Nobilitas maior and the second sort of Gentlemen or Nobility which are also called nobilitas minor consisteth of Knights Esquires and priuat Gentlemen into which ranke of gentry are added Students of the lawes and schollers in the Vniuersities next vnto the Gentry are cittizens whose fame and authority for the most part extendeth no further than their owne citties and boroughes wherin they liue and beare rule sauing that some few of them haue voices in our high Senate of Parlament The third order or degree are the Yeomanrie which are men that liue in the country vppon competent liuings of their owne haue seruants to do their businesse for them serue vpon Iuries and Inquests and haue generally more employment in the gouernement of the common-wealth then citizens haue And the last and lowest sort of our people are artificers or labourers which though they be rude and base in respect of our gentry yet are they much improoued and bettered by conuersing with Gentlemen cittizens and yeomen so as if those authors were now liuing that haue written so contemptuously of all estates of our people vnder the degree of gentry and saw the ciuilitie now generally practised amongst most of vs they would not for some few of the rascalitie censure and condemne all as base and ignoble All these seuerall sorts and degrees of people in our kingdome may more briefly bee deuided into two Orders or ranckes that is to say the Nobilitie and the Commons vnder the title of Nobilitie are comprehended all the Nobilitas maior together with the Bishops that haue place in the vpper house of Parlament and by the commons are meant the nobilitas minor cittizens yeomen and labourers who by common consent elect from amongst them Knights and Burgesses to possesse the lower house of Parlament who haue their voices there in the name of the whole multitude of commons for the making and establishing of lawes ordonances and statutes The Parlament therfore is the highest most absolute Sessions or iudiciall Senate in the whole kingdome consisting of the King himselfe and the Lords spirituall and temporall in their own persons which is the higher house and the whole body of the commons represented by the Knights and Burgesses lawfully elected and those are called the lower house In this high Court of Parlament are such new lawes made and ordained and such old statutes abrogated and annihilated in part or in all as are agre●● vppon by consent of both houses and confirmed by the King so as whatsoeuer is there decreed and constituted is inuiolably to be obserued as established by the generall assembly of the whole kingdome There be three manner of wayes by one custome of England whereby definitiue iudgements are giuen by act of Parlament by battell and by great assise The manner of giuing Iudgement in the Parlament in matters depending betwixt Prince and subiect or partie and party concerning lands and inheritances is by preferring of billes into the houses of Parlament and by the allowance or disallowance thereof but such billes are seldome receiued for that the Parlament is chiefly summoned and assembled for the setling and establishing of matters for the good of the King and common-wealth not to busie themselues in priuate quarrels The triall by battell likewise though it bee not vtterly abrogated and altogether annihilated yet is it quite growne out of vse at this day So as the most vsuall manner of Iudgement is by the verdict of twelue men lawfully impaneled and sworne to giue a true verdict concerning the matter in question be it for life or land or any thing tending to the hurt or good of any subiect whatsoeuer These twelue men ought to be Legales homines as wee terme them that is men of good quality fame and abilitie and they are to giue their verdict according to their euidence before a lawfull Iudge in their Sessions at termes and times vsually appointed for those purposes And for that there be many suites of diuers natures therefore bee the trials therof in diuers courts and before diuers Iudges whereof the chiefest bench or tribunall seate of Iudgement is the Kings bench so called for that the Kings of England haue sat there thēselues in person and this Court is chiefly for pleas of the Crowne the Iudges whereof bee called Iustices of the Kings bench and they be commonly foure or fiue in number whereof one is head and therfore called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings bench and by that place he is also Lord Chiefe Iustice of England Next vnto the Kings bench is the Court of Common pleas which is for all matters touching lands and contracts betwixt partie and partie and of this Court be likewise foure or fiue Iudges the chiefest whereof is called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Common-pleas and this court may well be called the Common-pleas as being the chiefest place for the exercise of the Common law And there may none plead at the Common pleas barre but Sergegeants at the law onely wheras in all other Courts councellors that be called to the barre may plead their Clyents causes as well as Sergeants The third Court for practise of the common law is the Exchequer where all causes are heard that belong to the Kings Treasury The Iudges of this Court are the Lord high Treasurer of England the Chancelor of the Exchequer the Lord chiefe Baron and

entred into great part of the Atlantick shore wherein many townes citties and Islands were discouered and found forth in all which places by his meanes the faith of Christ was made knowne and Churches there erected especially in those Islands which before lay desart the principall whereof was the Iland of Wood commonly called Medeyra now a most famous and fruitfull Iland But in the end as there is no certaintie in mortal matters in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred and three score this Henry was surprised by death and for that he was neuer married he had lest al which he had got by his voiages traueling by sea vnto the crown of Portugal as his proper inheritance which being giuen by his own hands continued vnto the time of Iohn the second of that name without enuy or emulation of other forraine kings or Princes In which Kings daies Columbus a Genoan borne a very skilfull Sayler being repulsed vnregarded and dismissed by the same King Iohn to whome he promised to discouer the West Indies by the ayde and furtherance of Ferdinand and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile he most fortunately attempted the voyage and found out those large and ample prouinces to their great and vnspeakeable profit shewing also how they might come to them by shippes This Iohn oftentimes reuoluing in his minde the affaires of the East Indies of whose fruitfulnesse many and sundry things were deliuered by auncient writers Amongst his other great labours and costes whereof hee was no niggard hee determined to send certaine men skillfull in the Arabian tongue vnto those prouinces and especially vnto Prestor Iohn whereof two of them which hee sent were Alfonsus of Payua borne at the white Castell and another Iohn Peter of Couilham both Portingales These luckely began their iourney from Schalabiton the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred foure-score and six and fayning them selues to be Marchants for their more quietter passage they iournyed first to Barchiona from thence to Naples and so to Rhodes then taking their iourney from Alexandria they arriued lastly at Cayre and their getting the company of some Marchants they tooke their iourny towards Thor where taking shipping they arriued neere a certayne citty called Cuaquen sytuated on the Aethiopian shore from thence they sayled towards Adenes where they agreed betwixt themselues that Alphonsus should returne againe into Aethiopia vnto Prestor Iohn and that Peter should go forward into India but Iohn hauing found out Calecut Goa and the whole shore of the Malabars sayled to Zofala and from thence againe to Adenes so went straight to Caire expecting to finde his companion there and that they might returne together into Portingale to their king for they appointed when they went from Adene to meete againe at a time limited at the same Cayre whither when he was returned he receyued letters from King Iohn out of Portugale by the hands of two Iewes whereof one was called Rabbi Abraham a Biensian and the other Ioseph a Lamacensian by which letters he was certified that his fellow Alfonsus was there dead and whereby hee was also commanded not to returne into his country before hee had vewed Ormuzia and saluted Prestor Iohn of whose state the king did greatly desire to be certified Wherefore Iohn Peter not knowing what his companion Alphonsus had done in his life time went backe againe to Adenes accompanied with the same Rabbi Abraham and sent Ioseph backe againe to the King with letters signifiing his trauels and what he had done so taking water sayled from Adenes to Oromuzia where leauing Abraham the Iew and dispatching him with more letters to the King he determined to saile towards Mecha which when hee had deseryed he ernestly desired to see mount Synai from thence hee departed to Thor and againe taking shipping and passing ouer the straights of the Erythrean sea hee came to Zeila and from thence went all the rest of the way on foote vnto the court of Prestor Iohn who was then called Alexander of whome beeing very curteously receiued hee deliuered vnto him the letters which hee had from King Iohn offerring into his hands also the Topography or Mappe wherein he might see all our voyage This Alexander determining to send him backe to his King was preuented by death that hee could not doe it who being dead his brother surnamed Nau succeeded him in his place of whome this Iohn Peter could neuer obtaine licence to depart into his country and Nau dying likewise his liberty to depart was in like manner denied him by Dauid the Sonne of Nau and next heire to his Kingdome but seeing hee could by no meaues haue leaue to depart from that prouince and to mitigate and asswage the exceeding desire he had to returne home the King bestowed vpon him most ample and large gifts and then he tooke to his wife a noble woman of whome hee begot many children This man our Embassadors found out in the court of Prestor Iohn and had conferrence with him from whence when they departed in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred twenty and sixe they were very desirous to take him with them into their country and he himselfe was as willing to depart but they could neuer get leaue of king Dauid for hee euer answered to their desires that hee receiued that man of his father Nau when he receiued his Kingdomes and that hee would regard him with the like care and loue as he did his Kingdomes And that there was noe cause why it should bee irckesome to him to liue amongst the Aethiopians where both from his fathers liberality and his owne he had receiued great welth and riches This Iohn Peter as our Embassadors reported was skilfull almost in all languages for which cause and more especially for his wisdome which was very great was he so earnestly retayned of the Aethiopian Emperors from whome they exactly understood the estate of Portugall and their nauigations by the often recytall whereof as he was very learned and eloquent he purchased the loue and affections of the people of Aethiopia both to him-selfe and to vs all After Iohn the second King of Portugall was dead and Emanuell most happily succeeded him in his Kingdome he sent a nauy whereof Vascus a Gama was gouenor in the yeare of our redemtion one thousand foure hundred ninty and seauen for Aethiopia who disankerring at Vlysbone and recouering and escaping that dangerous poynt called caput bonaespei at last arriued in East India where by armes they reduced many prouinces and citties vnder our subiection and gouernment which newes being made knowne in Aethiopia by the borderers as also by some Portugalls which at that time came out of India to Prester Iohns Court Helena the grand-mother of David who by reason of Dauids non age had the administration and gouernment of his Kingdomes sent one Mathew Armenius a skilfull man and learned in

many languages into Portugale to King Emanuell and that his Embassage might carry more credit and authority she sent with him a noble yong man called Abesynus which two I haue often met in our Court and haue had familiar conference with them This Mathew came by diuers iournies to Goa vnto Alphonsus Albuquercus viceroy there of whome hee being receiued very curteously and dispached thence liberally rewarded he arriued in our nauy at Vlispone in the yeare of Christ 1513. who shewing to the King the cause of his Ambassage presented him with a crosse finely wrought made of that tree whereof our Sauiour Christ was Crucified which crosse I haue oftentimes seene and worshipped while my brother Fructus a Goes was the Kings chamberlaine and had it in his custody the Queenes letters which hee brought vnto King Emanuell purported thus much A letter of Helena the grand-mother of Dauid Precious Iohn Emperor of Aethiopia written vnto Emanuell King of Portugall in the yeare of our Lord. 1509. IN the name of God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost one God in three presons the health grace and benediction of our Lord and Redeemer Iesus Christ Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary borne in Bethlem bee vpon our deere brother the most Christian King Emanuell gouernor of the sea and conqueror of the Barbarous and incredulous Moores Our Lord God prosper thee and giue thee victory ouer all thine enimies and that your Kingdomes and dominions by the deuout prayers of the Messengers of our Sauiour Christ to witte the foure Euangelists S. Iohn Luke Marke and Mathew whose sanctity and prayers be euer thy defence may extend and stretch them-selues wide and broad These are to certyfie you most deere brother that there came vnto vs from your great and famous Court two Messengers whereof one was called Iohn who affirmed him-selfe to be a Preest and the other Iohn Gomez and desired of vs souldiors and prouision for the warres wherefore wee haue sent vnto you our Embassador Mathew the Brother of our seruice with the lycence of Marke the Patriarch who giueth vs his benediction sending vs Preests from Ierusalem hee is our father and father of all our dominions the piller of the faith of Christ and of the Holy Trynitie hee at our request sent vnto your great Captaine and leader of those Souldiers which make warres in India for the faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ to signifie vnto him that wee were ready and willing to send vnto him Souldiers and prouision for the warres if neede required and because wee haue heard it reported that the Prince of Caire hath sent forth a great Nauy against your Forces to be reuenged as we be well assured of the losses and dammages which hee hath often receiued of the Captaines of your Armie which you haue in India whom God of his great goodnesse vouchsafe to assist and so to prosper their proceedings euery day more and more that all those vnbeleeuers may once become subiect to your gouernment We therefore to withstand their assaults will forthwith send an Armie which shall stay at the sea of Mecha that is to say at Babel mendell or if you thinke it more fitting at the hauen of Inda or Thor that so you may destroy and roote out all those Moores and miscreant vnbeleeuers from the face of the earth so as the gifts and obiations which be brought and offered at the holy Sepulcher be no more deuoured of dogges for now is come that time promised which as is said Christ and his mother Mary foretold to wit that in the latter daies a King should arise from out some Christian Region that should abolish and bring to nought the vniuersall stocke of the Barbarians and Moores And now certainely is that time come which Christ promised to his blessed Mother Moreouer what euer our Embassador Mathew shall say vnto you accept it and giue credit vnto it as that which proceedeth from our owne person for he is one of the chiefest of our Court and therefore haue wee sent him vnto you Wee would haue committed these things vnto your Messengers which you sent hither but that wee were afraide lest our businesses might bee taken otherwise then wee intended We haue sent vnto you by this Mathew our Embassador a Crosse made vndoubtedly of a peece of that Tree whereupon our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Ierusalem Which peece of sacred wood was brought to vs from Ierusalem and thereof wee made two Crosses whereof one remaineth with vs the other we haue deliuered to our Embassador to be presenred to you the wood is of a blacke colour and hangeth at a little siluer ring Furthermore if it shall seeme good vnto you either to giue your daughters in marriage to our sonnes or that we shall giue oue our sonnes to your daughters it shall be very acceptable vnto me and profitable to vs both and the beginning of a brotherly league betwixt vs which coniunction of matrimony we shall euer desire to enter into with you as well hereafter as for the present time And thus wee end with our praier vnto God that the saluation and grace of our redeemer Iesus Christ and of our blessed Lady the Virgin Mary may extend and remaine both vpon you your sonnes and your daughters and all your family Amen Moreouer these are to certifie you that if wee would make warres and ioyne our Armies together wee should by Gods helpe be strong inough vtterly to destroy and root out all the enemies of the faith of Christ But our kingdomes and dominions are so scituated in the middle of the land as by no meanes wee can haue passage into the sea In the sea therefore wee haue no power wherein praise be giuen to God you bee the strongest of all Princes Iesus Christ bee your guide for your affaires which you haue done and atchieued heere in India seeme rather to bee done by miracle then by man but if you would furnish a Nauy of a thousand shippes we will giue you prouision and aboundantly minister vnto you all things necessary for such a Nauy This letter with some other Articles of the Faith religion manners and state of the Ethiopians which Mathew expressed before King Emanuell and his Councell I haue by the intreaty of Iohn Magnus Gothus Archbishop of Vpsalia in the kingdome of Suetia with whom I had extraordinary familiarity and frindship in Prussia translated out of the Portingall language wherein I found it written into Lattine which letter together with the said articles were afterwards imprinted at Antwerp without my priuity These things vnderstood from the Aethiopian Embassadors King Emanuell as he was exceeding wise and most desirous to encrease the Christian religion instituted an Embassage sufficiently furnished with very graue and reuerend men the chiefest whereof were Edward Galuanus a man well stricken in yeares and of great wisedome and experience And Francis Aluarez a Priest and of very renowned authority with the King who was also old

man of that embassage and with him was Francis Aluarez whom for his honesty of life singular religion and iustice I haue held most deere and especially for that being demanded of his faith he answered thereunto very fitly and truely And therefore you ought to exalt him and to call him maister and to imploy him in conuerting the people of Macua and of Dalaca of Zeila and of all the Islands of the red sea because they bee in the bounds of my kingdomes And I haue granted vnto him a Crosse and a staffe in token of his authority and doe you commaunde that these things may be giuen vnto him and that hee may bee made Bishiop of those Countries and Islands because hee well deserueth it and is very fitting to administer that office and God shall doe good unto thee that thou maiest bee alwaies strong against thy enemies and constraine them to prostrate themselues at thy feet I pray God prolong thy life and make thee partake of the kingdome of heauen in the best place euen as I wish for my selfe for with my eares haue I heard much good of you and I see with mine eies that which I thought I should neuer haue seene and God will make all things to goe well with you and your seate shall bee vpon the tree of life which is the seate of the Saints Amen As a young child I haue done what euer you commanded mee and will doe if your Embassadors come hither that we may aid one another by our mutuall forces I shall giue and cause to bee giuen vnto all your Embassadors which shal come hither what euer you will signifie to be done and as you did at Macna at Dalaca and at the ports in the streights of the redde sea that wee may bee prosperously ioyned together both in Councell and action as I doe chiefly desire for when your Forces shall come to those Coastes I will speedily bee with them with my Armie also and because there bee no Christians in the Marches of my Countrie nor any Churches for Christians I will giue vnto your people those lands to dwell in which be neerest vnto the dominion of the Moores for it behoueth that you bring your beginnings to a good end In the meane space send to me learned men and caruers of Images of gold and siluer workers of copper likewise and of Iron of tinne and of lead and Artificers to imprint bookes for the Church in our language and some that can make gold foyle or thin plates or raies of gold and with the same can guild other mettals these shall bee courteously entertained in my house and if they shall desire to depart I will giue vnto them large ample rewards for their labours And I sweare by God Iesus Christ the sonne of God that I will freely suffer them to depart when they please This I most boldly and confidently desire because your vertue is apparant vnto me and your goodnesse well knowne And for that I know you loue me well whereof I am most assured because for my sake you receiued Mathew very honourably and liberally and so sent him backe againe and therfore I couet to desire those things neither be thou ashamed of it for I will truly accomplish and performe all things That which the Father desireth of the Sonne cannot bee denyed and you are my Father and I your Sonne and wee bee coupled and ioyned together and as one bricke is ioyned to another in a wall so we being so to agree together in one heart and in the loue of Iesus Christ who is the head of the world and those which be with him be likened to brickes ioyned together in a wall Letters from the said DAVID Emperour of Aethiopia vnto Iohn the third of that name King of Portugall written in the yeare of our redemption 1524. and interpreted by Paulus Iouius IN the name of God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth and of all things that be made either visible or inuisible in the name of God the sonne Christ who is the sonne and Councell and prophet of the Father in the name of God the holy Ghost the Aduocate of the liuing God equall to the Father and the Sonne who spake by the mouth of the Prophets breathing vpon the Apostles that they might giue thanks and praise vnto the holy Trinity which is euer perfect in heauen and in earth in the sea and in the deepe Amen I surnamed Virgins Frankincense which name was giuen me at my baptisme and now taking vpon me the gouernment of my kingdome I haue also assumed the name of Dauid the deerely beloued of God the pillar of the faith the issue or stocke of Iuda the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Salomon Kings of Israell the sonne of the columne or piller of Sion the sonne of the seed of Iacob the sonne of the hand of Mary and the son of Nav by the flesh send these letters and message vnto Iohn the most high mighty and potent King of Portugall and of the Algarbians the sonne of King Emanuell Peace bee vnto you and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ remaine alwaies with you Amen At that time that the power of the King your father was reported vnto me who made war against the Moores the sons of the abhominable accursed Mahomet I gaue great thankes vnto God for your increase greatnes and for the crown of your conuersation in the house of Christianitie In like manner I tooke pleasure by the comming of your Embassadors which reported vnto me that kings speeches whereby a singular loue knowledge friendship was established betwixt vs vtterly to extirpe driue away those wicked accursed Moores and vnbeleeuing Gentiles which dwell betweene your kingdomes mine But while I was thus ioyfull I heard that your father and mine was departed out of this life before I could dispatch my Embassadors from hence vnto him and therefore my ioy was suddenly turned into sadnes so that in the great sorrow of my heart all the States and Noble men of my Court and Ecclesiasticall Prelates and all which liue in Monasteries and all our subiects wholly made great lamentaion with me so as the pleasure we conceiued of the first message was equalled and extinguished with the sorrow of the last Sir from my first entrance into my kingdomes vnto this present time no message nor messenger hath come vnto me either from the King or kingdome of Portugall but in the life time of the King your Father who sent his Captaines and Gouernours vnto mee with Clearkes and Deacons which brought with them all solemne prouision and apparell for the Masse for which I reioyced greatly and receiued them honourably and shortly after dismissed them that they might returne with honour and peace And after they came to a Hauen of the sea which is within my limits in the redde sea they found not the great Gouernour of the Nauie there whom your father had sent

chiefly to be feared c. And in the conclusion of the same letters is mentioned that his sonne Iohn Paleologus which dyed about two yeares before the King of the Romaean Kings was called to the celebration of the sacred Synode And that Ioseph the Patriarch of Constantinople came with him with a great number of Archbishops and Bishops and Prelates of all sorts among whom were the Proctors or Factors of the Patriarckes of Antioch Alexandria and Ierusalem who when they had ioyned themselues together in loue of holy faith and religion the vnity of the Church being ordained and established all the difficulties and troubles of ancient time which seemed erronious contrary to religion were by Gods diuine assistance vtterly taken away abolished which things being rightly established and set in order the Pope himselfe brought great ioy vnto them all This booke of Pope Eugenius wee haue sent vnto you which wee haue kept vncorrupted and wee would haue sent vnto you the whole order and power of the Popes blessing but that the volume of these things would seeme too great for it would exceed in bignes the whole booke of Paul to all the nations he writ vnto The Legates which brought these things vnto vs from the Pope were Theodorus Peter Didymus and George the seruants of Iesus Christ and you shall do well most holy Father to command your bookes to be looked ouer where I suppose some memory of these things which we write of may be found out Wherefore holy father if you will write any thing vnto vs beleeue it confidently that we will most diligently commit it to our bookes that the eternall memory of those things may remaine to our posterity and surely I account him blessed whose memory is preserued in writing in the sacred citty of Rome and in the seate of the Saints S. Peter and S. Paul for these bee Lords of the kingdome of heauen iudges of the whole world And because that this is my beliefe I therfore send these letters that I may obtaine grace of your holines and your most sacred Senate that from thence may come vnto me a holy benediction increase of all good things And I most earnestly beseech your holines to send vnto me some images pictures of the Saints especially of the virgin Mary that your name may be often in my memory that I may take continuall pleasure in your gifts Furthermore I heartily intreate you to send vnto me men learned in the Scriptures workmen likewise that can make images swords and all maner of weapons for the warre grauers also of gold and siluer and Carpenters Masons especially which can build houses of stone and make couering for them of lead and copper wherby the roofes of the houses may be defended And besides these such as can make glasse instruments of musicke and such as be skilfull in musicke those also that can play vpon Flutes Trumpets and pshalmes shall be most welcome deere vnto vs and these workmen I much desire should bee sent me from your Court but if there be not sufficicient store in your court your holines may command them of other Kings who will obey your command most readily When these shal come to me they shall bee honorably esteemed of according to their deserts from my liberality shall be amply rewarded and if any shall desire to returne home he shall depart with liberall gifts whither hee please for I will not detaine any one against his will though I should haue great fruit and benefite by his industry But I must now speake of other matters demand of you most holy father why you exhort not the Christian kings your children to lay aside thir armes and as becommeth brethren to accord and agree amongst themselues seeing they be thy sheepe and thou their sheepheard for your holines knoweth right well what the Gospell commandeth where it is said That euery kingdome diuided in it selfe shall be desolated and brought to ruine And if the Kings would agree in their hearts conclude an assured league and peace together they might easily vanquish all the Mahometans and by their fortunate entrance and sudden irruption vtterly burst and throw downe the sepulcher of that false Prophet Mahomet For this cause holy father indeuour your selfe that a firme peace and assured league of friendship may bee concluded and established amongst them admonish them to be assistant aiding vnto me seeing in the confines of my kingdomes I am on all sides inclosed and incompassed about with those most wicked men the Mahometane Moores for those Mahometane Moores yeeld mutual aid one to another the kings with kings petty kings with petty kings do sincerely and constantly assemble themselues against vs. There is a Moore very neere neighbour vnto me to whom the other bordering Moores minister weapons horses and munition for the warres These be the kings of India Persis Arabia and Egypt which things grieue and molest mee exceedingly euery day when I behold the enemies of the Christian religion ioyned together in brotherly loue and to enioy peace to see the Christian kings my brothers to be nothing at all moued by these iniuries nor to yeeld mee any helpe as assuredly behoueth Christians to doe seeing the impious brood of Mahomet do aid and assist one another neither am I he that for that purpose should require Souldiers prouision for warres of you seeing I haue Souldiers left of mine owne but onely I desire your praiers and orisons wishing also fauour grace with your holines with all Christian Kings my brethren for I must seeke to obtaine friendship of you that I may bee fully instructed and furnished of those things which I formerly desired to the terror of the Moores that my neigbours the enemies of the Christian faith may vnderstand that the kings do fauor aid me with a singular care affection which surely will redound to the praise of vs in common seeing we agree together in one verity of religion and faith and in this councell wee will conforme which shall be firme and absolute with that which shal fall out to be more profitable God therfore fulfill all your desires about the praises of Iesus Christ and of God our Father to whom all men giue praises for euer and euer And you most holy Lord and father imbrace me I beseech you with all the Saints of Iesus Christ which be at Rome into which embracings let all the boderers of my kingdomes and those which dwell in Ethiopia be receiued giue thanks to our Lord Iesus Christ with your spirit These letters your holinesse shall receiue at the hands of my brother Iohn King of Portugall the sonne of the most mighty King Emanuell by our Embassador Francis Aluarez Other letters from the same Dauid Emperour of Ethiopia written to the Pope of Rome in the yeare of our Lord God 1524. and interpreted by Paulus Iouius HAppy and

redeeming thence Adam his sons Al these things Christ did wherfore he was replenished with diuinity and that diuinity was with his soule also with his most holy body which diuinity gaue vertue to the crosse which diuinity he euer had yet hath commune with the Father in Trinity Vnity nor did that Christ while he walked vpō the earth euer want his diuinity for the least twinckling of an eye After this he was buried and the third day the same Iesus Christ the Prince of resurrection Iesus Christ the chiefe of the Priests Iesus Christ the King of Israel arose againe with great power and fortitude and after all things were fulfilled which the holy Prophets fore-shewed hee ascended with great glorie triumph into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and he shall come againe in glorie carrying his crosse before his face and the sword of Iustice in his hand to iudge both the quicke and the dead of whose kingdome shall be no end I beleeue one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church I beleeue one Baptisme which is the remission of sinnes I hope for and beleeue the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come Amen I beleeue in our Ladie the blessed Virgin Mary a Virgin I say both in spirit and flesh who as the mother of Christ is the charity of all people the Saint of Saints and Virgin of Virgins whome I do worshippe all manner of wayes I beleeue the sacred wood of the crosse to bee the bed of the sorow of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God which Christ is our saluation by whome wee be saued a scandall to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentils But we preach and beleeue the strength of the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ euen as S. Paul our Doctor hath taught vs. I beleeue S. Peter to be the rocke of the lawe which law is founded vpon the holy Prophets the foundation and head of the Catholike and Apostolike Church both east and west where euer is the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the power of which Church Peter the Apostle hath and the keyes of the kingdome of heauen with which he can shut and open loose and bind and hee shall sit with the other Apostles his fellowes vpon twelue seats with honor and praise with our Lord Iesus Christ who in the day of Iudgement shall pronounce the sentence vpon vs which day to the Saints shall be cause of ioy but to the wicked griefe and gnashing of teeth when they shall bee cast out into the burning flames of hell fire with their father the Diuell I beleeue that the holy Prophets and Apostles Martyrs and Confessors were the right imitators of Christ whom with the most blessed Angels of God I worship honor in like maner also do I imbrace affect as their followers Also I beleeue that vocall and auricular confession of all my sinnes is to bee made to the priest by whose prayers through Christ our Lord I hope to obtain saluation Moreouer I acknowledge the B. of Rome to bee the chiefPastor of the sheep of Christ yeelding obedience vnto all Patriarks Cardinals Archb. Bishops of whom he is head as vnto the Ministers of Christ himselfe This is my faith and law and of al the people of Aethiopia that be vnder the power of Precious Iohn which faith the loue of Christ be so confirmed amongst vs as with the help of our Sauiour I shall neuer deny it neither by death fire nor sword which faith all we shall carry with vs in the day of iudgment before the face of the same Lord Iesus Christ Now hauing gone thus farre I will expresse the discipline doctrine and law which the Apostles in their holy books of Councels and Canons which we call Manda Abethylis haue taught vs and of those bookes of the ordonances of the Church there be 8. all which were compiled by the Apostles when they were assembled together at Ierusalem wherof making great inquiry of many Doctours after I came into Portugall I found none that did remember them The obseruatiōs which the Apostles prescribed vnto vs in these bookes be these following First that we ought to fast euery wednesday in remembrance of the Iewes Councell for vpon that day they consulted and decreed amongst themselues that Christ shold be killed and that we shold fast euery Friday vpon which day Christ Iesus was crucified and died for our sins and vpon these two dayes we are commanded to fast till the Sun-setting They also inioyned vs to fast with bread water the forty daies of Lent and to pray seuen times in the day and night By those edicts also we be bound to celebrate our sacrifice vppon Wednesdayes and Fridayes in the euening because at that time our Lord Iesus Christ yeelded vp the ghost vpon the holy Crosse They willed also that vpon Sundaies we should al assemble together in the holy church at the third houre of the day from the Sun rising to reade and heare the bookes of the Prophets and that after that we should preach the Gospell and celebrate Masse Moreouer they appointed nine festiuall daies to be celebrated in memorie of Christ to wit the Annunciation the Natiuity the Circumcision the Purification or Candlemas his Baptisme Palm sunday vnto the octaues of good Friday as we term it which be 12. dayes the Ascension also and the Feast of Penticost with their holy dayes And by the precepts of these bookes we eate flesh euery day without any exception from the Feast of Easter vnto Penticost neither bee we bound to fast in all this time vnto the octaues of Penticost which thing we do for the more honour reuerence of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ They will vs also to celebrate the day of the death assumption of the Virgin Mary with all honor Moreouer besides the precepts of the Apostles one of the Precious Iohns surnamed The seed of Iacob ordained that besides these dayes euery thirtith yere 3. dayes should be celebrated in honor of the same blessed Virgin he also commanded one day in euery moneth to be celebrated for the Natiuity of our Sauior Christ which is euer the 25. day of the month in like manner he appointed one day in euery moneth to be kept holy in honor of S. Michael Furthermore by the cōmandement of the Apostles Synods wee celebrate the day of the Martyrdom of S. Stephen and of other Martyrs We he bound also by the institution of the Apostles to sollemnize two dayes to wit the Sabbath and the Lords day in which daies it is not lawfull for vs to do any manner of businesse no not the least trifle The Sabbath day we obserue for this cause for that God hauing perfected the Creation of the world rested vpon that day which day as it was his will it should be called the Holy of Holies so if that day should not be reuerenced

execute those offices of the court the women likewise by the commandement and decree of the same Maqueda be circumcised shee being induced therevnto by this reason that euen as men haue a fore-skinne that couereth their yards in like manner haue women a certaine kernelly flesh which is called Nympha arysing vp in the middle of their priuy partes which is very fit to take the character of circumcision and this is done both to males and females vpon the eight day and after circumcision the men children be baptised vpon the fortieth day and the women children vpon the eighteeth day vnlesse any sicknesse or infirmity hapneth which may cause it to bee done sooner but if any children be baptised before the time appointed it is not lawfull to giue them sucke of their mothers milke but onely of their nurses vntill their mothers bee purified and the water wherein they bee baptised is consecrated and blessed with exorcismes and that very same day wherein children bee baptised they receiue the blessed bodie of our Lord in a little forme of bread wee receiued baptisme almost before all other Christians from the Eunuch of Candace Queene of Aethiopia whose name was Indich as it is said in the Acts of the Apostles which together with circumcision which wee had at that time as before is sayd wee obserue most holily and Christian like and by Gods assistance euer shall obserue nor doe we obserue or admit of any thing but of those onely which are expressed in the law and the prophets and in the Gospell and in the bookes of the councels of the Apostles and if wee receiue any things besides those they bee onely obserued for the time for that they seeme to appertaine to the gouernment and peace of the Church and that without any bond of sinne Wherefore our circumcision is not vncleane but the law and grace is giuen to our father Abraham which hee receiued of God as a signe not that either he or his children should be saued through circumcision but that the children of Abraham should be known from other nations And that which is inwardly vnderstood by the signe or mistery of circumcision wee doe highly obserue that is that wee may bee circumcised in our hearts neither doe wee boast of circumcision nor therefore thinke our selues more noble then other Christians nor more acceptable vnto God with whom is no acception of persons as Paul saith who also sheweth vs that wee bee not saued through circumcision but by faith because in Christ Iesus neither circumcision nor the cutting off the foreskinne preualeth but the new creature but Paul preached not to destroy the law but to establish it who was also baptised and beeing of the seed of Beniamin hee also circumcised Tymothy who was become a Christian his mother beeing an Hebrew and his father a Gentile knowing that God doth iustifie circumcision by faith and the fore-skinne by faith and as he himselfe was made all to all that hee might saue all To the Iewes hee was as a Iew that thereby hee might winne the Iewes and to those which were vnder the law hee was as one vnder the law although hee was not vnder the law to the end hee might gaine those which were vnder the lawe and to those which were without the law hee was as one without the law although hee was not without the law of GOD but vnder the law of Christ that hee might get those which were without the law and hee became weake that hee might gaine those which were weake which he did to shew that we bee saued not by circumcision but by faith And therefore when he preached to the Hebrewes hee spake vnto them in diuers speeches like an Hebrew saying God heretofore spake many waies and in many manners to our fathers in the prophets shewing vnto them out of the same prophets that Christ was of the seed of Dauid after the flesh Moreouer he preached vnto them that Christ was with our fathers in the tents in the Desert and that he led them into the Land of promise by the hand of Iosua And Paul also testifieth in the same place that Christ was the chiefe of priests and that hee entred into a new tent which is the Sanctum sanctorum The holy of holies and that with the sacrifice of his bodie and bloud hee abolished the bloud of goates and bulles whereby none that killeth them shall bee iustified and so hee spake sundry waies to the Iewes and also suffering himselfe to bee worshipped of his people by many ceremonies in a holy and vncorrupted faith Moreouer those children with vs bee accounted halfe Christians which here I vnderstand in the Romane Church bee called Paganes who because they die without baptisme ought to bee called halfe Christians because they be children of the sanctified bloud of parents baptised and of the holy Ghost and of the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ by which three Testimonies all Christians bee so reputed because there bee three things which giue testimony in earth the spirite water and bloud as Saint Iohn witnesseth in his first canonicall Epistle the Gospell also saith a good tree bringeth forth good fruite and an euill tree bringeth forth euill fruite and therefore the children of Christians are not like vnto the children of the Gentiles and of the Iewes and of the Moores which bee withered trees without any fruit but the Christians bee elected in their mothers wombes as holy Ieremias the prophet and Saint Iohn Baptist were Furthermore the children of Christian women are elected and consecrated by the communication and imparting of the body bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ for when women great with child do take the most blessed body of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the infant in the wombe receiuing nutriment is thereby sanctified for euen as the child in the mothers wombe conceiueth either sorrow or ioy according as the mother is affected so also is it nourished by the mothers norishment and as our Lord saith in his holy Ghospell if any one eate my body and drinke my bloud hee shall not tast of eternall death and againe if any one eate of my body and drinke my bloud hee shall remaine with mee and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles saith the vnbeleeuing husband is iustified by the beleeuing wife the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the beleeuing husband otherwise your children should be vncleane but now they bee sanctified which if it bee so that the children of an vnbeleeuing mother bee sanctified by the saithfulnesse of the father then be they much more holy that bee borne of faithfull fathers and mothers for which cause it is farre more holy to call children before they bee christned halfe Christians then Pagans and the Apostles also haue said in their bookes of councels that al which beleeue and be not baptised may iustly bee termed halfe Christians who also say in the said bookes if Iew Moore or Gentile will receiue the faith hee is

much as in me lyeth I may defend and protect my country-folkes against the bitter taunts and reprehensions of many who setting aside all reuerence will not stick to defame reuile that most potent Prince precious Iohn and vs his subiects with slanders and reproches calling vs Iewes and Mahometans because we obserue Circumcision and keepe holy the Sabbath day like vnto the Iewes and also for that like the Mahometans wee fast vntill the Sunne going downe which they alledge is vnfit for a Christian man to do and this they obiect against vs most bitterly that we allow and hold it as lawfull for Priests to marry as for lay people this also they omit not to speake against vs and that most nippingly for that we as it were distrusting in our first Baptisme be re-baptized once euery yeare that women be circumcised as well as men which custome was neuer vsed amongst the Iewes Furthermore because we hold that a difference of meats is most religiously to be obserued and last of all because we call those children halfe Christians which before Baptisme be wont to be called Pagans to which slanders and misreports I am inforced to say thus much that I may purge our people from such reproches and calumnies that I may make the Doctors of the holy Romane church more affable vnto vs by whom how holily I know not I haue bin forbidden to receiue the body of our Lord euer since I came into Portugall which is the space of 7. yeares and that which I speake with griefe and teares I am reputed amongst the Christian brethren as an Ethnicke and one accursed which he that quickeneth and refresheth all things may see and discerne to whose Iudgement I commit all these matters And I am not sent from my most mightie Lord the Emperour of Aethiopia vnto the Bishop of Rome and vnto Iohn the most renowned king of Portugall to mooue disputations and contentions But to begin friendship and felowship and not either to increase or diminish humane traditions but that I should inquire and diligently vnderstand touching the Heresies of Arrius Prince of Heretickes whether the Christians of Europe would meete with vs to ouerthrow the opinions of this man for the destroying of whose errors there was a Councell assembled together at Nicea vnder Pope Iulius consisting of three hundred and eighteene Bishops and withall that I might know whether that be obserued among the Christians of Europe which the Apostles teach in their bookes of Synods that is That a Councell should be celebrated in the church of Christ twise euery yeare to dispute of matters of faith the first of which Councels by the Apostles desire should be assembled at the feast of Penticost the other the tenth of October as also to vnderstand how we did agree together touching the errors of Macedonius for which cause there was a Councel of an hundred and fifty bishops assembled together at Constantinople vnder Pope Damasus and likewise of the errors of Nestorius for whome there was a Councell of two hundred Bishops assembled together in Ephesus vnder Pope Celestine Lastly that I might also know of the fourth Chalcedonian councel wherein for the errors of Eutiches were assembled 632. bishops at which time S. Leo was bishop of Rome from which Councell after many disputations and nothing concluded for the peace of the church the matter beeing left as it was they all departed home euery one remaining in his owne opinion The bookes of which Councels and of others which were celebrated afterwards our most mightie Lord the Emperour of Aethiopia hath in his keeping and of this cockle which the enemy of truth the diuel hath sowne amongst Christians my Lord is much grieued and all his subiects which beleeue in Christ Our countri-men euen from the beginning of the primitiue Church haue acknowledged the bishop of Rome to be the chiefe Bishop whome at this day wee obey as the Vicar of Christ In whose court we would often bee but that the iourney is ouer long and many kingdomes of the Mahometanes betwixt vs that may hinder our passage so as though you should enter into all those great dangers yet you can effect nothing although that most wise and inuincible King Emanuel of happie memorie who was the first that by his nauigations not without Gods celestiall assistance made passage into East India gaue great hope that it might afterwards be done more commodiously for he hauing ouercome the Ocean with his nauie brought the red sea into his subiection being no whit deterred with the greatnesse of the coast so as hee might increase the faith of Christ and as it were make a way open to make vse of our friendship And seeing that is now done and that each nation may receiue ayde from the other wee hope that in short time by the Portugals forces and our owne all the Mahometans and other vnbeleeuing Ethnickes shall be driuen and expelled from the whole Erithraean sea and from all Arabia Persis and India In like manner we trust by the power of Iesus Christ that it will come to passe that peace beeing established amongst all the Christians of Europe the enemies of the crosse shall bee expelled also from the mediterranean places Pontus and other Prouinces that according to the words of Christ There may be vpon earth one lawe one fold and one shepheard Of which thing we haue two Oracles or predictions one out of the Prophecy of S. Ficator the other of S. Synoda the Eremit who was borne in the vttermost rock of Egypt neither of which two differeth from other And since the time that my most mighty Lord receiued the ambassadors of the most famous king Emanuel the truth of these oracles doth seeme to hasten to an end for truly our Prince thinks of nothing more than of that meditating also both by his councell forces how he may root out all Mahometans from the face of the earth For these causes and for others which I haue layd open before the most famous King Iohn the sonne of Emanuel was I sent hither by my most mightie Lord as an Ambassadour and not for friuolous and vaine disputations And I pray with an vnfained heart that the great and mighty God may bring the decrees and indeauours of our Prince for which I was sent to a happie end and to his glorie Amen Hauing gone thus far I will now briefly expound somthing by the way of the state of our Patriarke and Emperour And first you must vnderstand that by a sollemne custome our Patriarke is created by the voyces of our Monkes of Hierusalem which remaine there about the sepulcher of our Lord his election creation is in this maner The Patriarke being dead our Emperour Prester Iohn ●endeth foorthwith a speedie messenger vnto Hierusalem vnto the Monkes there as is sayd who receiuing the message and the gifts which our Lord the Emperour sendeth vnto the holy Sepulcher they presenrly and with all possible expedition

elect another Patriarch by the most voyces but it is not lawfull to elect any other than one of Alexandria and one of incorrupt manners and vntainted conuersation who being created they signe their suffrages and giue them into the Legates hands that came for that purpose he foorthwith goeth to Cayre whither when he is come he offereth that creation vnto the Patriarch of Alexandria whose seate is alwaies there to be read And when he perceiueth which of the people of Alexandria they haue elected he foorth-with sendeth the man ordained to such honors with the Legate into Aethiopia who by an old ordonance ought alwaies to be an Eremit of the Order of S. Anthony with whom the Ambassadour goeth straight into Aethiopia where he is receiued of all men with great ioy and honor in which busines somtimes is spent a yere or two in al which time precious Iohn doth dispose of the reuenues of the Patriarke according to his pleasure Now the chiefest office of the Patriarch is to giue orders which none but he can either giue or take away but he can bestow vpon none either Bishopricke or other Church-benefice this onely belongeth to precious Iohn who dispenceth of all things according to his will And the Patriarch beeing dead he whose power and yerely reuenues is the largest is made heire of the whole substance of all his goods Moreouer the office of the Patriarch is to proceed to excommunication against the stubborne the obseruation whereof is so strict as the punishment of perpetuall steruing to death is inflicted vpon the offenders Indulgences he giueth nor granteth none neither bee any interdicted the Sacraments of the church for any offence whatsoeuer be it neuer so hainous but onely for homicide the name of the Patriarchship in our speech is called Abunna but he which now executeth the office is called Marcus which was the proper name giuen him in Baptisme he is a man of an hundred yeares of age or aboue And you must note that we begin our yeare in the Kalends of September which day alwaies falleth vpon the vigill of Saint Iohn Baptist the other festiuall dayes as the Feast of the Natiuity of our Lord Easter and the rest bee celebrated with vs at the same times they be in the Roman Church And this I may not obscurely passe ouer as though it were not so that Saint Philip the Apostle did preach the Gospell and faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ our Lord in our countrie Now if you desire to know of the name of our Emperour he is fully perswaded that hee was euer called precious Iohn and not Presbiter Iohn as is falsly bruted abrode for in one speech it is written with characters that signifie Ioannes Belull that is as much to say as precious or high Iohn and in the chaldaean tongue it is Ioannes Encoe which beeing interpreted doth signifie precious or high Iohn Neither is hee to be named Emperour of the Abyssini as Matheus hath vntruly declared but Emperour of the Aethiopians and Mathew beeing an Armenian could not throughly vnderstand our matters especially those which appertained vnto faith and Christian Religion and therefore he related many things in the presence of the most prudent and most potent king Emanuel of happy memory which with vs are nothing soe and this hee did not with a desire to speake vntruths for hee was a good man but for that hee was not throughly instructed in matters concerning our religion The succession of his Kingdomes and Empire doth not alwaies descend vpon the eldest sonne but vnto him vpon whome the father pleaseth to bestow it And hee which now gouerneth the Empire was his fathers third sonne which hee merited and obtayned by an awfull and holy reuerence to his father for when his father lay a dying he commanded all his sonnes to sit downe vpon his throne which all the rest of his children did sauing he and he refused saying God for bid that so much should be attributed vnto me that I should sit in my Lords chaire whose deuotion when his father saw hee indued him with all his Kingdomes Empire he is called Dauid the power of whose Empire as well ouer Christians as Ethnickes is large and ample wherin be many Kings and petty Kings Earles Barons and Peeres and much Nobility all which be most obedient to his command In all whose dominions there is no mony vsed but such as is brought from other places for they giue and receiue siluer and gold by weight wee haue many citties and great townes but not such as we see here in Portugall the reason whereof for the most part is that precious Ioan liueth alwaies in campes and tents which custome is vsed for this purpose that the nobility may continually excercise themselues in military affaires And this I may not omit to tell you that wee bee compasled about on all sides with the enimies of our faith with whom we haue many and euer prosperous conflicts which victories we attribute to gods diuine assistance written lawes we haue none in vse amongst vs neither be the complaints of those which sue others expressed in libells or writings but by words which is done least by the couetuousnesse of Iudges and counsellors controuersies should be protracted And this more I thinke sit to shew you that this Mathew was not sent by Dauid our Emperor vnto the most inuincible and potent King Emanuell of happy memory but by Queene Helena the Emperors wife surnamed the hand of Mary who at that time by reason of Dauids nonage tooke vpon her the gouernment of the Kingdomes being a woman without doubt most prudent and holy And the same Helen as shee was excceeding well learned writ two bookes in the Chaldean tongue one of the which is called Enzera Chebaa that is to say praise God vpon the Organes and instruments of Musicke in which booke shee disputeth very learnedly of the Trinitie and of the virginity of Mary the mother of Christ The other booke is called Chedale Chaay that is to say the sonne beame contayning very acute disputations of the law of God All these things concerning our faith religion and state of our country I Zaga Zabo by interpretation the grace of the father both Bishop and Preest and Bugana Raz that is Captaine Knight and Veceroy of the Prouince haue declared which I could not deny at your request my most deere Sonne in Christ Damianus nor yet any other man desiring to be instructed there in neither is it lawfull to deny it for two causes the first whereof is for that I am commanded by my most mighty Lord Precious Iohn Emperor of the Aethiopians to satisfie euery one that demandeth of me concerning our faith religion and prouinces that I should conceale nothing but faithfully declare vnto them the truth of al things both by words and writing the other reason is for that I deeme it very fitting and labour well spent that our names customes and ordinances and