sinians. In this he made such progress, as quickly to surpass the natives: after which he established a school, where the children of the Portuguese and Abyssinians were promiscuously taught, and their progress was spoken of at the court. On this (in 1604) he was sent for by the emperor; and, having vanquished the best theologians opposed to him, performed mass before the court, in the Romish manner: this was followed by a sermon, which, in elegance of diction, is said to have excelled any thing that had ever been heard there; and Za Denghel resolved to embrace the Catholic religion. Communicating this resolution to several friends, he soon after issued proclamations forbidding the observation of the Jewish sabbath, and wrote letters to pope Clement VIII., and Philip III. of Spain, desiring a new supply of teachers, to instruct his people in religion and the useful arts. This precipitate conduct had the effect which might have been expected. The Abyssinians, headed by one Za Selasse, prevailed on the abuna to excommunicate the emperor, and absolve his subjects from their allegiance. He then set out for Gojam, where, the people being remarkable for their aversion to the church of Rome, he found no difficulty in raising an army; and Za Denghel soon found, by the great desertion among his troops, how fearfully the excommunication had availed. John Gabriel, an experienced Portuguese officer, advised him to retire to some fortress, until his subjects should return to a sense of duty. This advice however was rejected; and a sanguinary battle ensued, in which at first the Portuguese seemed to carry every thing before them. In the other wing, however, the cowardly and treacherous Abyssinians deserted their emperor, who was quickly surrounded by his enemies, and, after great personal exertion, fell under the hands of the traitor Za Selasse

On Za Denghel's death, Socinios appeared as å candidate already in possession of the empire, and ready to support his right by force of arms. Za Selasse at first hesitated to acknowledge him, in expectation that Jacob would make his appearance, from whom he had received several flattering promises; but after much vacillation, he made proposals to join Socinios; and, though Jacob had sufficient influence to raise a more numerous army than his rival, the latter boldly advanced to give him battle; in which the overconfident Jacob perished. In this battle also was killed the wicked priest Abuna Petros, who had been the occasion of Za Denghel's death. By this victory Socinios was fully established on the throne, though his situation might still be accounted precarious, from the rebellious disposition of many of the provinces. He began with making a general proclamation of pardon, excepting only the murderers of Za Denghel, with whom he had been on terms of intimate friendship, and distinguished the Portuguese by his favors. He enlarged the territory possessed by the Jesuits at Fremona; after which he detlared to Paez his resolution of embracing the Catholic religion, forwarding at the same time letters to the king of Portugal and to the pope, requesting more European troops. Before, how

ever, any thing of importance could be done in religion, an impostor appeared, who assumed the name of Jacob the late king, pretending to have escaped from the battle; but so much injured in the face, that he kept one side of it covered to conceal his wounds. He hovered for some time amongst the Galla in the mountains, where he was finally assassinated by two young men, who had been outlawed for murder.

Another dangerous rebellion in this reign was headed by one Melchizedec, a servant of the late Sertza Denghel, but a man of great expe rience in war, and a bloody battle ensued, in which Sanuda, the emperor's general, was so totally defeated, that he alone had the good fortune to escape. On this Socinios sent Emana Christos with a considerable force to reduce the rebels, and a second engagement took place on the 9th of March, 1611, which was fought with great obstinacy on both sides: for some time the advantage appeared on that of the rebels; till Emana Christos pushed desperately forward to the place where Melchizedec himself was, who instantly turned his horse and fled; and his ariny soon followed his example. Melchizedec, however, was closely pursued, taken prisoner, and executed as a traitor.

News were now received that the whole country round the head of the Nile to the province of Tigré had revolted; so that there was a necessity for the immediate presence of the emperor in this tract of territory. His brothers, Emana and Sela Christos, were also employed against different rebel chiefs. A mountainous district named Gusman, on the Nile, was now completely laid waste. The men found in rebellion were uniformly killed, though, at the intercession of Peter Paez, the women and children, instead of being sold for slaves, were given to the Jesuits. The Gongas and Agows were next attacked with equal success, and still greater cruelty; one of their tribes, named Zalabassa, being almost entirely exterininated. Gideon, king of the Jews of Samen, having killed the guards who watched him, set at this time a new impostor, who took the name of Jacob, at liberty, and supported his cause. He soon collected a formidable army, with which he defeated the royal forces. This brought Socinios himself against him, who instantly attacked the Jewish monarch, and took a strong fortress of his named Massiraba by storm. Hotchi, Amba Za Hancasse, and Senganat, three other strong fortresses, shared the same fate; Gideon himself narrowly escaping with his life. The war was now resumed against the Gongas and Guba; whom the emperor annually invaded for the purpose of making slaves. In 1616 the emperor set out on an expedition against the Galla; but this was laid aside on the death of his eldest son, for whom he entertained a great affection. It was succeeded by a very cruel order against the Jews, whom Socinios now resolved to exterminate without any apparent occasion. His commands, however, were executed so punctually, that very few escaped; and, among the rest, their prince Gideon, perished. He was supposed to be immensely rich, and to have concealed his riches, which have since been sought for in vain by the

ETHIOPIA.

Abyssinians. The children of the murdered
Jews were sold for slaves.

At last the emperor, being left for a short time
at rest from rebellion, determined to make war
on his neighbour the king of Sennaar. In this
expedition he was assisted by one Wed Ageeb,
a prince of the Arabs, who lived on the frontiers
of Abyssinia. The allies proceeded with their
usual cruelty, killing all the men, and selling the
women and children for slaves. Vast numbers
of cattle were also carried off; and the victorious
armies returned with an immense booty. His
next expedition was against Fatima queen of the
Shepherds, otherwise called queen of the Greeks,
who resided on the north-east of Atbara. In this
also he proved successful, though less blood was
shed than usual. All this time Peter Paez had
applied himself with the utmost assiduity to the
conversion of the Abyssinians, and had been at-
tended in this undertaking with surprising suc-
cess. His universal genius, and knowledge of
the arts, came happily in aid of his zeal and learn-
ing, while the barbarous ignorance and savage
manners of his antagonists tended to prejudice
every one against their tenets. At last a public
dispute was appointed between the catholic and
the Abyssinian patriarch; in which the inferiority
of the latter was very apparent. While the labors
of Paez were proceeding in this prosperous way,
letters arrived from pope Paul V., and Philip
III. king of Spain, assuring him of their alliance
and of the support of the Holy Spirit himself,
provided he continued firm in his resolution of
embracing the catholic faith. Socinios would
have been better satisfied with an account of a
reinforcement of soldiers; but, as matters stood,
he resolved to submit in form to the pope,
renounce the Greek church; and, to accomplish
this, sent new ambassadors to Europe.

Socinios had now gone so far in favor of the catholic party, that he began to share the unpopularity of Za Denghel, and numberless conspiracies were formed against him. The conspirators were at this time supported, not only by the abuna, but by Emana Christos himself, the emperor's brother. Their first step was the very same which had been so successfully taken by Za Selasse in the time of Za Denghel, viz. to procure a sentence of excommunication on the emperor from the patriarch. He was then absent on an expedition against the Agows; but returned immediately; informing the abuna, that, if he did not recal the excommunication without delay, his head should pay the forfeit. This spirited declaration had such an effect, that the anathema was annulled, and the conspiracy dissolved. It was next resolved between Emana Christos, the emperor's brother, Julius his sonin-law, and Kesla Wahad, master of the household, to assassinate Socinios in his palace; and, on this failing, that of Sela Christos was attempted; because the emperor had taken the government of Gojam from Emana Christos, who was a schismatic, to give it to Sela, a violent catholic. The enterprise was begun by Julius; ho issued a proclamation, that all those who believed there were two natures in Christ should leave the province of Tigré, where he was governor; and that such as were true friends to the

Alexandrian faith should repair to his standard the catholics in Tigré to be confiscated; and to fight for it. He then ordered the goods of all But here the whole scheme was baffled by the marched into Gojam, to surprise Sela Christos. vigilance and activity of the emperor; who, hearing of what had been attempted, returned into that province before the conspirators had heard of his having left it. Julius was now very much disconcerted; but advanced to attack the emperor before he could be joined by Sela Christos, Simon himself (the abuna) offering to share his fortunes. He had been persuaded by the latter, that as soon as the imperial army should see him (Julius), they would abandon the emperor's standard and join him. On this, without farther consideration, he rushed into the camp of Socinios with very few attendants, and reached the emperor's tent before he was known. Here, however, the guards instantly despatched him; and his whole army, retreating in dismay, were pursued with great slaughter by the imperialists. By this victory the whole scheme of the conspirators was overthrown. But another soon followed, which arose out of a dispute concerning the sabbath; the Abyssinian church insisting on the observance of the seventh day of the week, and the Romish church on that of the first. The author of this rebellion was one Jonael, who drew together his forces in the country of the Galla. On this the emperor entered and laid waste their territories; on which one part of that people were disposed to afford protection to Jonael, and another to deliver him up: and the the head of the rebel. latter were soon bribed by Socinios to send him enemy, however, still remained. The province A more formidable of Damot was one of the most disaffected to Sogreatest part of the relig ous fanatics in the other cinios in the whole empire; and hither the provinces had retired. They now mustered an army of more than 12,000 men, among whom were 400 monks. Against these Sela Christos was despatched with about 7000 excellent troops; and as the general himself was a zealous Roman catholic, as well as most of his imagined themselves sure of the protection of heaven. The two armies met on the 16th of both parties October, 1620; when the monks made a most obstinate resistance, and did not yield till after 180 of them had been killed; but the rebels were finally and completely beaten. Socinios to the church of Rome, and renounced the Alexnow determined openly to show his attachment andrian faith in the most explicit manner. example of the sovereign, however, had very little effect upon his subjects: it only, in fact, urged forward a new rebellion. This, however, was put down, and Socinios persevered. a new set of missionaries, with a patriarch, AlAt last phonso Mendez, at their head, arrived at Gorgora, the seat of imperial residence. in the beginning of 1626; and, at the first audience, it was agreed, that the emperor should take an oath of submission to the pope; a ceremony which was performed with the utmost splendor. Sela Christos, not contented with taking the oath, drew his sword, and denounced vengeance on those who fell from their duty."

men,

The

This was

Excommunication was now pronounced against all who did not keep the oath: a proclamation was issued, that all priests should embrace the catholic religion under pain of death; and that every one, under the same penalty, should observe Lent and Easter according to the rules of the Romish church; while the new patriarch proceeded to re-ordain the clergy, to consecrate the churches anew, and to rebaptise the people.

We cannot follow the conseqences of this attempted change in detail: it will suffice to say, that neither the example nor authority of the emperor could wean the people from their attachment to the ancient faith and, after repeated efforts to effect this, Socinios's own attachment to the Romish religion began to decline. In this disposition he set out for the country of Lasta, where Melca Christos had raised the standard of revolt; and the entrance to which was guarded by very high and rugged mountains. Among these the rebels had fortified themselves; but were driven from their posts by the king's troops, so that the latter imagined they had gained a complete victory. The rebels, however, descending suddenly upon them, cut off great numbers, and obliged the rest to make a precipitate retreat. They even rallied, and sustained an action, in which they lost 8000 men. On viewing the field of battle next day, prince Facilidas is said to have made a pathetic speech to his father. How many men have you slaughtered !' he exclaimed; 'how many more have you yet to kill! We are become a proverb even to the Pagans and Moors for carrying on this war; and for apostatising, as they say, from the faith of our ancestors.' The king made no reply, but the effect of the prince's words was soon apparent. And, when the patriarch upbraided him with his ingratitude to the catholics, he replied, that he had done every thing in his power to establish the catholic religion; that he had shed the blood of thousands, and had still as much more to shed; but that he should consider of the matter, and acquaint him with his final resolution. Next day, in a message to the patriarch, he recounted the many rebellions which had been excited on account of religion; and concluded with observing, that though the faith of Rome was not a bad one, yet the people of Abyssinia did not understand it. For this reason, he was determined to tolerate both and immediately afterwards issued a proclamat on, declaring the Alexandrian faith restored, with the altars, liturgy, &c.; and stated, at the same time, that being now old and infirm, he himself resigned the empire to Facilidas. This remarkable proclamation was dated the 14th of June, 1632; after which Socinios retired from public affairs. He died on the 7th of September, 1632; and with him fell all the hopes of the Jesuits.

:

Facilidas was an inveterate enemy to the Romish faith. As soon therefore as he had obtained the government, the catholics were every where displaced: a letter was sent to the patriarch, informing him, that as the Alexandrian faith was now restored, it was necessary for him to leave the kingdom, and commanding him, with all his brethren, to leave their convents throughout the empire, and retire to Fremona, in Tigré. The emperor, understanding that they

were about to solicit succours from Spain, sent orders to the patriarch instantly to deliver up all the gunpowder they possessed, and to prepare without delay to set out for Masuah. On this the infatuated priest applied for assistance to the Baharnagash, named John Akay, then in rebellion against the emperor; who conducted him and his associates to a strong fortress, named Adicotta; but afterwards a reed to sell them to the Turks, with whom Facilidas was now on friendly terms. He next became jealous of his uncle Sela Christos, as the only remaining Romanist of any rank in the empire. He absolutely refused to renounce his faith; and, notwithstanding his former services, was banished to an unwholesome district among the mountains of Samen: here, being detected in a correspondence with the jesuits, he became a martyr to the new faith, and was sentenced to be hanged on a cedar tree.

Though the catholic faith was now totally suppressed, the spirit of rebellion continued; and Melca Christos was as conspicuous as ever in it. He at one time made himself master of the capital, entered the palace, and was formally crowned emperor. Facilidas, however, having recruited his army, sent three able generals to attack him; who almost entirely cut off his forces, and killed their leader. This victory over Melca Christos was followed by several successful expeditions against the Agows and Galla; but, in the sixth year of the reign of this emperor, the rebels of Lasta chose the son of Melca Christos for their king, and made serious depredations on the neighbouring provinces. Before this rebellion could be suppressed, Claudius, the emperor's brother, placed himself at the head of another. He had not the same good fortune with the rebels of Lasta; but was quickly defeated, taken prisoner, and banished to a mountain called Wechne; which served from that time for the imprisonment of the blood royal. The latter, however, weary at last of the contention, submitted unconditionally to the emperor; who, though he at first affected to treat them with severity, soon after released their leader from prison, and bestowed upon him large possessions. in

Begemder, with his daughter Theoclea in marriage. Facilidas died in October 1665, and was succeeded by his son Hannes I.

Hannes was zealous for the Christianity his forefathers had professed; and, in the beginning of his reign, issued a proclamation forbidding the Mahommedans to eat any flesh but what was killed by Christians; but so far was he from favoring the catholics, that he ordered all their books which could be found in the empire to be burnt. Much of his reign, which lasted but fifteen years, was spent in regulations of the church matters, and in contentions and trifling disputes with the clergy. He died on the 19th of July. 1680.

Yasous, who succeeded with universal approbation, is described as a prince of very amiable qualities. Having visited those of the royal family who were confined on the mountain of Wechne, he found them in the most miserable condition; their revenue having been ill paid by his father, and embezzled by their keepers. ile

assigned a large tract of territory, and an ample revenue, for the maintenance of the princes; who, though left at perfect liberty to depart, unanimously determined to return to their former state of confinement; and, during the whole of his reign, no competitor for the crown ever made his appearance from among them. Yasous, however, had soon to encounter a violent irruption of the Galla, headed by Isaac, a grandson of Socinios, while the Agows and other malecontents were ready to join him as soon as he should pass the Nile. The emperor, however, entirely disconcerted the scheme by his activity; and Isaac himself was taken and put to death.

The most memorable events in the reign of Yasous I. regard religion, and a renewal of the correspondence betwixt Europe and Abyssinia; of which Mr. Bruce gives a detailed account. It was pretended, that, on the expulsion of the Jesuits from Abyssinia, a great number of Catholic Christians had fled into the neighbouring countries of Nubia and Sennaar, where they were so grievously oppressed by the Mahommedans, that without some spiritual assistance, they would be under the necessity of renouncing their religion. This story being confirmed by two Franciscans of Cairo, the cause of these supposed Christians was eagerly espoused by the religious in Italy, and a new mission was set on foot at the expense of the pope for their relief, under the title of the Ethiopic mission. The missionaries had it also in charge to penetrate if possible into Abyssinia, to keep up the catholic faith, until a better opportunity should offer of attempting to convert the whole nation. For this purpose a convent was procured for them at Achmim in Upper Egypt; and permission was granted to settle two of their body at Cairo independent of the fathers of Palestine. While these transactions passed in Italy and Egypt, Louis XIV. of France was in the height of his glory. A scheme was devised by the Jesuits of inducing the emperor of Abyssinia to send an embassy to France; after which they hoped that they might be replaced in the Ethiopic mission. They even applied to the pope to decide which of the two orders should make the attempt to enter Abyssinia; but received no other answer, than that those who were most expert should do so. The mission therefore now fell into the hands of two persons of opposite professions; viz. Paschal, an Italian Franciscan, and Brevedent, a French Jesuit. In the mean time an unexpected incident made way for the admittance of missionaries into Abyssinia. Yasous and his son had both been attacked by a scorbutic disorder, which threatened to end in leprosy; on which one Hagi Ali, a Mahommedan factor at Cairo, received orders, on his return to Abyssinia, to bring with him an European physician. This man, who had been acquainted with friar Paschal, at first proposed that he should accompany him to Abyssinia in the character of a physician; and take a companion of his order with him. But this scheme was frustrated by Maillet the French consul, who represented to Hagi Ali, that friar Paschal understood nothing of medicine; but recommended Charles Poncet, a French chemist and apothecary, as a most able physician, with

father Brevedent, the Jesuit, to attend him as his servant. They arrived safely at Gondar in July 1699, but here Brevedent died on the 9th of August; Poncet however lived to execute his commission, by making a complete cure of his royal patients; and, on the 2d of May 1700, set out on his return for Europe. A main end of this undertaking, to procure an embassy from Abyssinia to the French monarch, was also gained. An ambassador was procured, but M. Maillet, hearing of his low origin, thought proper to call in question the authenticity of his mission, branded Poncet himself as a liar, and would not allow the Abyssinian ambassador to proceed to France.

An embassy sent from France to Abyssinia, at the instigation of the Jesuits, was equally unfortunate. The person appointed as ambassador was M. de Roule, vice-consul at Damietta. He is characterised by Mr. Bruce as a young man of some merit, who had a considerable degree of ambition, and a moderate skill of the languages spoken in the east; but was absolutely ignorant of that of the country to which he was going, and, what was worse, of the customs and prejudices of the nations through which he was to pass.' The Franciscans took advantage of this, and are accused of having procured his murder, which took place at Sennaar, just after that of Yasous the Abyssinian emperor, who fell by a conspiracy of his wife and son.

Yasous was succeeded by his son Tecla Haimanout. Before his death, he had despatched a message to the king of Sennaar, requiring him to afford M. de Roule protection at his court, and a safe conduct from it; but, when the messenger was within three days' journey of the capital of that kingdom, he heard of the assassination of his master. On this he returned in great haste to Gondar, to have the letters of protection renewed by Tecla Haimanout. This was readily done: but now, before the messenger could reach Sennaar, he was informed that De Roule was also assassinated. The Abyssinian monarch, provoked at this violation of the law of nations, resolved on hostilities against the king of Sennaar; and assembled an army for this purpose. But a rival candidate for the throne, named Amda Sion, was set up against him by the friends of his father Yasous, and had been for some time privately collecting troops. In the issue (in 1706) the emperor himself was assassinated, and succeeded by his uncle Tiffilis, or Theophilus; whose reign, was principally occupied in punishing the murderers of his two predecessors. He died in September 1709.

Oustas, the new monarch, was elected by the army, and hardly seated on the throne when a dangerous conspiracy was formed against him by the very parties who had placed him on it. He baffled their designs, however, by seizing the principal conspirators. After this he undertook an expedition against the Shangalla, on a principle, now becoming common, of hunting these poor people for the sake of making slaves. In this he met with great success, until recalled to his capital by the death of his prime minister, Tafa Christos. Soon after this he was taken suddenly ill, and, a few days before he died, David IV.