a voyage to abyssinia-第16部分

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r　their　security　in　the　neighbouring　villages；　or　set　up　their　tents；　everybody　flies　to　some　shelter；　as　well　to　avoid　the　unwholesomeness　as　the　violence　of　the　rain。　　The　thunder　is　astonishing；　and　the　lightning　often　destroys　great　numbers；　a　thing　I　can　speak　of　from　my　own　experience；　for　it　once　flashed　so　near　me；　that　I　felt　an　uneasiness　on　that　side　for　a　long　time　after；　at　the　same　time　it　killed　three　young　children；　and　having　run　round　my　room　went　out；　and　killed　a　man　and　woman　three　hundred　paces　off。　　When　the　storm　is　over　the　sun　shines　out　as　before；　and　one　would　not　imagine　it　had　rained；　but　that　the　ground　appears　deluged。　　Thus　passes　the　Abyssinian　winter；　a　dreadful　season；　in　which　the　whole　kingdom　languishes　with　numberless　diseases；　an　affliction　which；　however　grievous；　is　yet　equalled　by　the　clouds　of　grasshoppers；　which　fly　in　such　numbers　from　the　desert；　that　the　sun　is　hid　and　the　sky　darkened；　whenever　this　plague　appears；　nothing　is　seen　through　the　whole　region　but　the　most　ghastly　consternation；　or　heard　but　the　most　piercing　lamentations；　for　wherever　they　fall；　that　unhappy　place　is　laid　waste　and　ruined；　they　leave　not　one　blade　of　grass；　nor　any　hopes　of　a　harvest。

God；　who　often　makes　calamities　subservient　to　His　will；　permitted　this　very　affliction　to　be　the　cause　of　the　conversion　of　many　of　the　natives；　who　might　have　otherwise　died　in　their　errors；　for　part　of　the　country　being　ruined　by　the　grasshoppers　that　year　in　which　we　arrived　at　Abyssinia；　many；　who　were　forced　to　leave　their　habitations；　and　seek　the　necessaries　of　life　in　other　places；　came　to　that　part　of　the　land　where　some　of　our　missionaries　were　preaching；　and　laid　hold　on　that　mercy　which　God　seemed　to　have　appointed　for　others。

As　we　could　not　go　to　court　before　November；　we　resolved；　that　we　might　not　be　idle；　to　preach　and　instruct　the　people　in　the　country；　in　pursuance　of　this　resolution　I　was　sent　to　a　mountain；　two　days'　journey　distant　from　Maigoga。　　The　lord　or　governor　of　the　place　was　a　Catholic；　and　had　desired　missionaries；　but　his　wife　had　conceived　an　implacable　aversion　both　from　us　and　the　Roman　Church；　and　almost　all　the　inhabitants　of　that　mountain　were　infected　with　the　same　prejudices　as　she。　　They　had　been　persuaded　that　the　hosts　which　we　consecrated　and　gave　to　the　communicants　were　mixed　with　juices　strained　from　the　flesh　of　a　camel；　a　dog；　a　hare；　and　a　swine；　all　creatures　which　the　Abyssins　look　upon　with　abhorrence；　believing　them　unclean；　and　forbidden　to　them；　as　they　were　to　the　Jews。　　We　had　no　way　of　undeceiving　them；　and　they　fled　from　us　whenever　we　approached。　　We　carried　with　us　our　tent；　our　chalices；　and　ornaments；　and　all　that　was　necessary　for　saying　mass。　　The　lord　of　the　village；　who；　like　other　persons　of　quality　throughout　Aethiopia；　lived　on　the　top　of　a　mountain；　received　us　with　very　great　civility。　　All　that　depended　upon　him　had　built　their　huts　round　about　him；　so　that　this　place　compared　with　the　other　towns　of　Abyssinia　seems　considerable；　as　soon　as　we　arrived　he　sent　us　his　compliments；　with　a　present　of　a　cow；　which；　among　them；　is　a　token　of　high　respect。　　We　had　no　way　of　returning　this　favour　but　by　killing　the　cow；　and　sending　a　quarter　smoking；　with　the　gall；　which　amongst　them　is　esteemed　the　most　delicate　part。　　I　imagined　for　some　time　that　the　gall　of　animals　was　less　bitter　in　this　country　than　elsewhere；　but　upon　tasting　it；　I　found　it　more；　and　yet　have　frequently　seen　our　servants　drink　large　glasses　of　if　with　the　same　pleasure　that　we　drink　the　most　delicious　wines。

We　chose　to　begin　our　mission　with　the　lady　of　the　village；　and　hoped　that　her　prejudice　and　obstinacy；　however　great；　would　in　time　yield　to　the　advice　and　example　of　her　husband；　and　that　her　conversion　would　have　a　great　influence　on　the　whole　village；　but　having　lost　several　days　without　being　able　to　prevail　upon　her　to　hear　us　on　any　one　point；　we　left　the　place；　and　went　to　another　mountain；　higher　and　better　peopled。　　When　we　came　to　the　village　on　the　top　of　it；　where　the　lord　lived；　we　were　surprised　with　the　cries　and　lamentations　of　men　that　seemed　to　suffer　or　apprehend　some　dreadful　calamity；　and　were　told；　upon　inquiring　the　cause；　that　the　inhabitants　had　been　persuaded　that　we　were　the　devil's　missionaries；　who　came　to　seduce　them　from　the　true　religion；　that　foreseeing　some　of　their　neighbours　would　be　ruined　by　the　temptation；　they　were　lamenting　the　misfortune　which　was　coming　upon　them。　　When　we　began　to　apply　ourselves　to　the　work　of　the　mission　we　could　not　by　any　means　persuade　any　but　the　lord　and　the　priest　to　receive　us　into　their　houses；　the　rest　were　rough　and　untractable　to　that　degree　that；　after　having　converted　six；　we　despaired　of　making　any　farther　progress；　and　thought　it　best　to　remove　to　other　towns　where　we　might　be　better　received。

We　found；　however；　a　more　unpleasing　treatment　at　the　next　place；　and　had　certainly　ended　our　lives　there　had　we　not　been　protected　by　the　governor　and　the　priest；　who；　though　not　reconciled　to　the　Roman　Church；　yet　showed　us　the　utmost　civility；　the　governor　informed　us　of　a　design　against　our　lives；　and　advised　us　not　to　go　out　after　sunset；　and　gave　us　guards　to　protect　us　from　the　insults　of　the　populace。

We　made　no　long　stay　in　a　place　where　they　stopped　their　ears　against　the　voice　of　God；　but　returned　to　the　foot　of　that　mountain　which　we　had　left　some　days　before；　we　were　surrounded；　as　soon　as　we　began　to　preach；　with　a　multitude　of　auditors；　who　came　either　in　expectation　of　being　instructed；　or　from　a　desire　of　gratifying　their　curiosity；　and　God　bestowed　such　a　blessing　upon　our　apostolical　labours　that　the　whole　village　was　converted　in　a　short　time。　　We　then　removed　to　another　at　the　middle　of　the　mountain；　situated　in　a　kind　of　natural　parterre；　or　garden；　the　soil　was　fruitful；　and　the　trees　that　shaded　it　from　the　scorching　heat　of　the　sun　gave　it　an　agreeable　and　refreshing　coolness。　　We　had　here　the　convenience　of　improving　the　ardour　and　piety　of　our　new　converts；　and；　at　the　same　time；　of　leading　more　into　the　way　of　the　true　religion：　　and　indeed　our　success　exceeded　the　utmost　of　our　hopes；　we　had　in　a　short　time　great　numbers　whom　we　thought　capable　of　being　admitted　to　the　sacraments　of　baptism　and　the　mass。

We　erected　our　tent；　and　placed　our　altar　under　some　great　trees；　for　the　benefit　of　the　shade；　and　every　day　before　sun…rising　my　companion　and　I　began　to　catechise　and　instruct　these　new　Catholics；　and　used　our　utmost　endeavours　to　make　them　abjure　their　errors。　When　we　were　weary　with　speaking；　we　placed　in　ranks　those　who　were　sufficiently　instructed；　and　passing　through　them　with　great　vessels　of　water；　baptised　them　according　to　the　form　prescribed　by　the　Church。　　As　their　number　was　very　great；　we　cried　aloud；　those　of　this　rank　are　named　Peter；　those　of　that　rank　Anthony。　　And　did　the　same　amongst　the　women；　whom　we　separated　from　the　men。　　We　then　confessed　them；　and　admitted　them　to　the　communion。　　After　mass　we　applied　ourselves　again　to　catechise；　to　instruct；　and　receive　the　renunciation　of　their　errors；　scarce　allowing　ourselves　time　to　make　a　scanty