a voyage to abyssinia-第22部分

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g　circumcised；　which；　however；　by　much　persuasion；　he　at　last　agreed　to；　and　afterwards　taking　a　religious　habit；　died　ten　years　after　with　great　signs　of　sanctity。　　He　added　another　history　of　a　famous　Abyssinian　monk；　who　killed　a　devil　two　hundred　feet　high；　and　only　four　feet　thick；　that　ravaged　all　the　country；　the　peasants　had　a　great　desire　to　throw　the　dead　carcase　from　the　top　of　a　rock；　but　could　not　with　all　their　force　remove　it　from　the　place；　but　the　monk　drew　it　after　him　with　all　imaginable　ease　and　pushed　it　down。　　This　story　was　followed　by　another；　of　a　young　devil　that　became　a　religious　of　the　famous　monastery　of　Aba　Gatima。　　The　good　father　would　have　favoured　me　with　more　relations　of　the　same　kind；　if　I　had　been　in　the　humour　to　have　heard　them；　but；　interrupting　him；　I　told　him　that　all　these　relations　confirmed　what　we　had　found　by　experience；　that　the　monks　of　Abyssinia　were　no　improper　company　for　the　devil。



Chapter　IX



The　viceroy　is　defeated　and　hanged。　　The　author　narrowly　escapes　being　poisoned。


I　did　not　stay　long　at　Fremona；　but　left　that　town　and　the　province　of　Tigre；　and　soon　found　that　I　was　very　happy　in　that　resolution；　for　scarce　had　I　left　the　place　before　the　viceroy　came　in　person　to　put　me　to　death；　who；　not　finding　me；　as　he　expected；　resolved　to　turn　all　his　vengeance　against　the　father　Gaspard　Paes；　a　venerable　man；　who　was　grown　grey　in　the　missions　of　Aethiopia；　and　five　other　missionaries　newly　arrived　from　the　Indies；　his　design　was　to　kill　them　all　at　one　time　without　suffering　any　to　escape；　he　therefore　sent　for　them　all；　but　one　happily　being　sick；　another　stayed　to　attend　him；　to　this　they　owed　their　lives；　for　the　viceroy；　finding　but　four　of　them；　sent　them　back；　telling　them　he　would　see　them　all　together。　　The　fathers；　having　been　already　told　of　his　revolt；　and　of　the　pretences　he　made　use　of　to　give　it　credit；　made　no　question　of　his　intent　to　massacre　them；　and　contrived　their　escape　so　that　they　got　safely　out　of　his　power。

The　viceroy；　disappointed　in　his　scheme；　vented　all　his　rage　upon　Father　James；　whom　the　patriarch　had　given　him　as　his　confessor；　the　good　man　was　carried；　bound　hand　and　foot；　into　the　middle　of　the　camp；　the　viceroy　gave　the　first　stab　in　the　throat；　and　all　the　rest　struck　him　with　their　lances；　and　dipped　their　weapons　in　his　blood；　promising　each　other　that　they　would　never　accept　of　any　act　of　oblivion　or　terms　of　peace　by　which　the　Catholic　religion　was　not　abolished　throughout　the　empire；　and　all　those　who　professed　it　either　banished　or　put　to　death。　　They　then　ordered　all　the　beads；　images；　crosses；　and　relics　which　the　Catholics　made　use　of　to　be　thrown　into　the　fire。

The　anger　of　God　was　now　ready　to　fall　upon　his　head　for　these　daring　and　complicated　crimes；　the　Emperor　had　already　confiscated　all　his　goods；　and　given　the　government　of　the　kingdom　of　Tigre　to　Keba　Christos；　a　good　Catholic；　who　was　sent　with　a　numerous　army　to　take　possession　of　it。　　As　both　armies　were　in　search　of　each　other；　it　was　not　long　before　they　came　to　a　battle。　　The　revolted　viceroy　Tecla　Georgis　placed　all　his　confidence　in　the　Galles；　his　auxiliaries。　　Keba　Christos；　who　had　marched　with　incredible　expedition　to　hinder　the　enemy　from　making　any　intrenchments；　would　willingly　have　refreshed　his　men　a　few　days　before　the　battle；　but　finding　the　foe　vigilant；　thought　it　not　proper　to　stay　till　he　was　attacked；　and　therefore　resolved　to　make　the　first　onset；　then　presenting　himself　before　his　army　without　arms　and　with　his　head　uncovered；　assured　them　that　such　was　his　confidence　in　God's　protection　of　those　that　engaged　in　so　just　a　cause；　that　though　he　were　in　that　condition　and　alone；　he　would　attack　his　enemies。

The　battle　began　immediately；　and　of　all　the　troops　of　Tecla　Georgis　only　the　Galles　made　any　resistance；　the　rest　abandoned　him　without　striking　a　blow。　　The　unhappy　commander；　seeing　all　his　squadrons　broken；　and　three　hundred　of　the　Galles；　with　twelve　ecclesiastics；　killed　on　the　spot；　hid　himself　in　a　cave；　where　he　was　found　three　days　afterwards；　with　his　favourite　and　a　monk。　　When　they　took　him；　they　cut　off　the　heads　of　his　two　companions　in　the　field；　and　carried　him　to　the　Emperor；　the　procedure　against　him　was　not　long；　and　he　was　condemned　to　be　burnt　alive。　　Then　imagining　that；　if　he　embraced　the　Catholic　faith；　the　intercession　of　the　missionaries；　with　the　entreaties　of　his　wife　and　children；　might　procure　him　a　pardon；　he　desired　a　Jesuit　to　hear　his　confession；　and　abjured　his　errors。　　The　Emperor　was　inflexible　both　to　the　entreaties　of　his　daughter　and　the　tears　of　his　grand…children；　and　all　that　could　be　obtained　of　him　was　that　the　sentence　should　be　mollified；　and　changed　into　a　condemnation　to　be　hanged。　　Tecla　Georgis　renounced　his　abjuration；　and　at　his　death　persisted　in　his　errors。　　Adero；　his　sister；　who　had　borne　the　greatest　share　in　his　revolt；　was　hanged　on　the　same　tree　fifteen　days　after。

I　arrived　not　long　after　at　the　Emperor's　court；　and　had　the　honour　of　kissing　his　hands；　but　stayed　not　long　in　a　place　where　no　missionary　ought　to　linger；　unless　obliged　by　the　most　pressing　necessity：　　but　being　ordered　by　my　superiors　into　the　kingdom　of　Damote；　I　set　out　on　my　journey；　and　on　the　road　was　in　great　danger　of　losing　my　life　by　my　curiosity　of　tasting　a　herb；　which　I　found　near　a　brook；　and　which；　though　I　had　often　heard　of　it；　I　did　not　know。　　It　bears　a　great　resemblance　to　our　radishes；　the　leaf　and　colour　were　beautiful；　and　the　taste　not　unpleasant。　　It　came　into　my　mind　when　I　began　to　chew　it　that　perhaps　it　might　be　that　venomous　herb　against　which　no　antidote　had　yet　been　found；　but　persuading　myself　afterwards　that　my　fears　were　merely　chimerical；　I　continued　to　chew　it；　till　a　man　accidentally　meeting　me；　and　seeing　me　with　a　handful　of　it；　cried　out　to　me　that　I　was　poisoned；　I　had　happily　not　swallowed　any　of　it；　and　throwing　out　what　I　had　in　my　mouth；　I　returned　God　thanks　for　this　instance　of　his　protection。

I　crossed　the　Nile　the　first　time　in　my　journey　to　the　kingdom　of　Damote；　my　passage　brought　into　my　mind　all　that　I　had　read　either　in　ancient　or　modern　writers　of　this　celebrated　river；　I　recollected　the　great　expenses　at　which　some　Emperors　had　endeavoured　to　gratify　their　curiosity　of　knowing　the　sources　of　this　mighty　stream；　which　nothing　but　their　little　acquaintance　with　the　Abyssins　made　so　difficult　to　be　found。　　I　passed　the　river　within　two　days'　journey　of　its　head；　near　a　wide　plain；　which　is　entirely　laid　under　water　when　it　begins　to　overflow　the　banks。　　Its　channel　is　even　here　so　wide；　that　a　ball…shot　from　a　musket　can　scarce　reach　the　farther　bank。　　Here　is　neither　boat　nor　bridge；　and　the　river　is　so　full　of　hippopotami；　or　river…horses；　and　crocodiles；　that　it　is　impossible　to　swim　over　without　danger　of　being　devoured。　　The　only　way　of　passing　it　is　upon　floats；　which　they　guide　as　well　as　they　can　with　long　poles。　　Nor　is　even　this　way　without　danger；　for　these　destructive　animals　overturn　the　floats；　and　tear　the　passengers　in　pieces。　　The　river　horse；　which　lives　only　on　grass　and　branches　of　trees；　is　satisfied　with　killing