a voyage to abyssinia-第14部分

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The　meaner　sort　of　people　here　dress　themselves　very　plain；　they　only　wear　drawers；　and　a　thick　garment　of　cotton；　that　covers　the　rest　of　their　bodies：　　the　people　of　quality；　especially　those　that　frequent　the　court；　run　into　the　contrary　extreme；　and　ruin　themselves　with　costly　habits。　　They　wear　all　sorts　of　silks；　and　particularly　the　fine　velvets　of　Turkey。

They　love　bright　and　glaring　colours；　and　dress　themselves　much　in　the　Turkish　manner；　except　that　their　clothes　are　wider；　and　their　drawers　cover　their　legs。　　Their　robes　are　always　full　of　gold　and　silver　embroidery。　　They　are　most　exact　about　their　hair；　which　is　long　and　twisted；　and　their　care　of　it　is　such　that　they　go　bare…　headed　whilst　they　are　young　for　fear　of　spoiling　it；　but　afterwards　wear　red　caps；　and　sometimes　turbans　after　the　Turkish　fashion。

The　ladies'　dress　is　yet　more　magnificent　and　expensive；　their　robes　are　as　large　as　those　of　the　religious；　of　the　order　of　St。　Bernard。　They　have　various　ways　of　dressing　their　heads；　and　spare　no　expense　in　ear…rings；　necklaces；　or　anything　that　may　contribute　to　set　them　off　to　advantage。　　They　are　not　much　reserved　or　confined；　and　have　so　much　liberty　in　visiting　one　another　that　their　husbands　often　suffer　by　it；　but　for　this　evil　there　is　no　remedy；　especially　when　a　man　marries　a　princess；　or　one　of　the　royal　family。　　Besides　their　clothes；　the　Abyssins　have　no　movables　or　furniture　of　much　value；　or　doth　their　manner　of　living　admit　of　them。

One　custom　of　this　country　deserves　to　be　remarked：　　when　a　stranger　comes　to　a　village；　or　to　the　camp；　the　people　are　obliged　to　entertain　him　and　his　company　according　to　his　rank。　　As　soon　as　he　enters　a　house　（for　they　have　no　inns　in　this　nation）；　the　master　informs　his　neighbours　that　he　hath　a　guest；　immediately　they　bring　in　bread　and　all　kinds　of　provisions；　and　there　is　great　care　taken　to　provide　enough；　because；　if　the　guest　complains；　the　town　is　obliged　to　pay　double　the　value　of　what　they　ought　to　have　furnished。　　This　practice　is　so　well　established　that　a　stranger　goes　into　a　house　of　one　he　never　saw　with　the　same　familiarity　and　assurance　of　welcome　as　into　that　of　an　intimate　friend　or　near　relation；　a　custom　very　convenient；　but　which　gives　encouragement　to　great　numbers　of　vagabonds　throughout　the　kingdom。

There　is　no　money　in　Abyssinia；　except　in　the　eastern　provinces；　where　they　have　iron　coin：　　but　in　the　chief　provinces　all　commerce　is　managed　by　exchange。　　Their　chief　trade　consists　in　provisions；　cows；　sheep；　goats；　fowls；　pepper；　and　gold；　which　is　weighed　out　to　the　purchaser；　and　principally　in　salt；　which　is　properly　the　money　of　this　country。

When　the　Abyssins　are　engaged　in　a　law…suit；　the　two　parties　make　choice　of　a　judge；　and　plead　their　own　cause　before　him；　and　if　they　cannot　agree　in　their　choice；　the　governor　of　the　place　appoints　them　one；　from　whom　there　lies　an　appeal　to　the　viceroy　and　to　the　Emperor　himself。　　All　causes　are　determined　on　the　spot；　no　writings　are　produced。　　The　judge　sits　down　on　the　ground　in　the　midst　of　the　high　road；　where　all　that　please　may　be　present：　　the　two　persons　concerned　stand　before　him；　with　their　friends　about　them；　who　serve　as　their　attorneys。　　The　plaintiff　speaks　first；　the　defendant　answers　him；　each　is　permitted　to　rejoin　three　or　four　times；　then　silence　is　commanded；　and　the　judge　takes　the　opinions　of　those　that　are　about　him。　　If　the　evidence　be　deemed　sufficient；　he　pronounces　sentence；　which　in　some　cases　is　decisive　and　without　appeal。　　He　then　takes　the　criminal　into　custody　till　he　hath　made　satisfaction；　but　if　it　be　a　crime　punishable　with　death　he　is　delivered　over　to　the　prosecutor；　who　may　put　him　to　death　at　his　own　discretion。

They　have　here　a　particular　way　of　punishing　adultery；　a　woman　convicted　of　that　crime　is　condemned　to　forfeit　all　her　fortune；　is　turned　out　of　her　husband's　house；　in　a　mean　dress；　and　is　forbid　ever　to　enter　it　again；　she　has　only　a　needle　given　her　to　get　her　living　with。　　Sometimes　her　head　is　shaved；　except　one　lock　of　hair；　which　is　left　her；　and　even　that　depends　on　the　will　of　her　husband；　who　has　it　likewise　in　his　choice　whether　he　will　receive　her　again　or　not；　if　he　resolves　never　to　admit　her　they　are　both　at　liberty　to　marry　whom　they　will。　　There　is　another　custom　amongst　them　yet　more　extraordinary；　which　is；　that　the　wife　is　punished　whenever　the　husband　proves　false　to　the　marriage　contract；　this　punishment　indeed　extends　no　farther　than　a　pecuniary　mulct；　and　what　seems　more　equitable；　the　husband　is　obliged　to　pay　a　sum　of　money　to　his　wife。　　When　the　husband　prosecutes　his　wife's　gallant；　if　he　can　produce　any　proofs　of　a　criminal　conversation；　he　recovers　for　damages　forty　cows；　forty　horses；　and　forty　suits　of　clothes；　and　the　same　number　of　other　things。　　If　the　gallant　be　unable　to　pay　him；　he　is　committed　to　prison；　and　continues　there　during　the　husband's　pleasure；　who；　if　he　sets　him　at　liberty　before　the　whole　fine　be　paid；　obliges　him　to　take　an　oath　that　he　is　going　to　procure　the　rest；　that　he　may　be　able　to　make　full　satisfaction。　Then　the　criminal　orders　meat　and　drink　to　be　brought　out；　they　eat　and　drink　together；　he　asks　a　formal　pardon；　which　is　not　granted　at　first；　however；　the　husband　forgives　first　one　part　of　the　debt；　and　then　another；　till　at　length　the　whole　is　remitted。

A　husband　that　doth　not　like　his　wife　may　easily　find　means　to　make　the　marriage　void；　and；　what　is　worse；　may　dismiss　the　second　wife　with　less　difficulty　than　he　took　her；　and　return　to　the　first；　so　that　marriages　in　this　country　are　only　for　a　term　of　years；　and　last　no　longer　than　both　parties　are　pleased　with　each　other；　which　is　one　instance　how　far　distant　these　people　are　from　the　purity　of　the　primitive　believers；　which　they　pretend　to　have　preserved　with　so　great　strictness。　　The　marriages　are　in　short　no　more　than　bargains；　made　with　this　proviso；　that　when　any　discontent　shall　arise　on　either　side；　they　may　separate；　and　marry　whom　they　please；　each　taking　back　what　they　brought　with　them。



Chapter　IV



An　account　of　the　religion　of　the　Abyssins。


Yet　though　there　is　a　great　difference　between　our　manners；　customs；　civil　government；　and　those　of　the　Abyssins；　there　is　yet　a　much　greater　in　points　of　faith；　for　so　many　errors　have　been　introduced　and　ingrafted　into　their　religion；　by　their　ignorance；　their　separation　from　the　Catholic　Church；　and　their　intercourse　with　Jews；　Pagans；　and　Mohammedans；　that　their　present　religion　is　nothing　but　a　kind　of　confused　miscellany　of　Jewish　and　Mohammedan　superstitions；　with　which　they　have　corrupted　those　remnants　of　Christianity　which　they　still　retain。

They　have；　however；　preserved　the　belief　of　our　principal　mysteries；　they　celebrate　with　a　great　deal　of　piety　the　passion　of　our　Lord；　they　reverence　the　cross；　they　pay　a　great　devotion　to　the　Blessed　Virgin；　the　angels；　and　the　saints；　they　observe　the　festivals；　and　pay　a　strict　regard　to　the　Sunday。　　Every　month　they　commemorate　the　assumption　of　the　Virgin　Mary；　and　are　of　opinion　that　no　Christians　beside　themselves　have　a　true　sense　of　the　greatness　of　the　mother　of　God；　or　pay　h