a voyage to abyssinia-第12部分

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wealth　in　costly　ornaments　for　the　churches　and　vessels　for　the　altars。　　It　is　true　that　this　people　has　a　natural　disposition　to　goodness；　they　are　very　liberal　of　their　alms；　they　much　frequent　their　churches；　and　are　very　studious　to　adorn　them；　they　practise　fasting　and　other　mortifications；　and　notwithstanding　their　separation　from　the　Roman　Church；　and　the　corruptions　which　have　crept　into　their　faith；　yet　retain　in　a　great　measure　the　devout　fervour　of　the　primitive　Christians。　　There　never　were　greater　hopes　of　uniting　this　people　to　the　Church　of　Rome；　which　their　adherence　to　the　Eutichian　heresy　has　made　very　difficult；　than　in　the　time　of　Sultan　Segued；　who　called　us　into　his　dominions　in　the　year　1625；　from　whence　we　were　expelled　in　1634。　　As　I　have　lived　a　long　time　in　this　country；　and　borne　a　share　in　all　that　has　passed；　I　will　present　the　reader　with　a　short　account　of　what　I　have　observed；　and　of　the　revolution　which　forced　us　to　abandon　Aethiopia；　and　destroyed　all　our　hopes　of　reuniting　this　kingdom　with　the　Roman　Church。

The　empire　of　Abyssinia　hath　been　one　of　the　largest　which　history　gives　us　an　account　of：　　it　extended　formerly　from　the　Red　Sea　to　the　kingdom　of　Congo；　and　from　Egypt　to　the　Indian　Sea。　　It　is　not　long　since　it　contained　forty　provinces；　but　is　now　not　much　bigger　than　all　Spain；　and　consists　but　of　five　kingdoms　and　six　provinces；　of　which　part　is　entirely　subject　to　the　Emperor；　and　part　only　pays　him　some　tribute；　or　acknowledgment　of　dependence；　either　voluntarily　or　by　compulsion。　　Some　of　these　are　of　very　large　extent：　　the　kingdoms　of　Tigre；　Bagameder；　and　Goiama　are　as　big　as　Portugal；　or　bigger；　Amhara　and　Damote　are　something　less。　　The　provinces　are　inhabited　by　Moors；　Pagans；　Jews；　and　Christians：　　the　last　is　the　reigning　and　established　religion。　　This　diversity　of　people　and　religion　is　the　reason　that　the　kingdom　in　different　parts　is　under　different　forms　of　government；　and　that　their　laws　and　customs　are　extremely　various。

The　inhabitants　of　the　kingdom　of　Amhara　are　the　most　civilised　and　polite；　and　next　to　them　the　natives　of　Tigre；　or　the　true　Abyssins。　The　rest；　except　the　Damotes；　the　Gasates；　and　the　Agaus；　which　approach　somewhat　nearer　to　civility；　are　entirely　rude　and　barbarous。　　Among　these　nations　the　Galles；　who　first　alarmed　the　world　in　1542；　have　remarkably　distinguished　themselves　by　the　ravages　they　have　committed；　and　the　terror　they　have　raised　in　this　part　of　Africa。　　They　neither　sow　their　lands　nor　improve　them　by　any　kind　of　culture；　but；　living　upon　milk　and　flesh；　encamp　like　the　Arabs　without　any　settled　habitation。　　They　practise　no　rites　of　worship；　though　they　believe　that　in　the　regions　above　there　dwells　a　Being　that　governs　the　world：　　whether　by　this　Being　they　mean　the　sun　or　the　sky　is　not　known；　or；　indeed；　whether　they　have　not　some　conception　of　the　God　that　created　them。　　This　deity　they　call　in　their　language　Oul。　　In　other　matters　they　are　yet　more　ignorant；　and　have　some　customs　so　contrary　even　to　the　laws　of　nature；　as　might　almost　afford　reason　to　doubt　whether　they　are　endued　with　reason。　　The　Christianity　professed　by　the　Abyssins　is　so　corrupted　with　superstitions；　errors；　and　heresies；　and　so　mingled　with　ceremonies　borrowed　from　the　Jews；　that　little　besides　the　name　of　Christianity　is　to　be　found　here；　and　the　thorns　may　be　said　to　have　choked　the　grain。　　This　proceeds　in　a　great　measure　from　the　diversity　of　religions　which　are　tolerated　there；　either　by　negligence　or　from　motives　of　policy；　and　the　same　cause　hath　produced　such　various　revolutions；　revolts；　and　civil　wars　within　these　later　ages。　　For　those　different　sects　do　not　easily　admit　of　an　union　with　each　other；　or　a　quiet　subjection　to　the　same　monarch。　The　Abyssins　cannot　properly　be　said　to　have　either　cities　or　houses；　they　live　either　in　tents；　or　in　cottages　made　of　straw　and　clay；　for　they　very　rarely　build　with　stone。　　Their　villages　or　towns　consist　of　these　huts；　yet　even　of　such　villages　they　have　but　few；　because　the　grandees；　the　viceroys；　and　the　Emperor　himself　are　always　in　the　camp；　that　they　may　be　prepared；　upon　the　most　sudden　summons；　to　go　where　the　exigence　of　affairs　demands　their　presence。　And　this　precaution　is　no　more　than　necessary　for　a　prince　every　year　engaged　either　in　foreign　wars　or　intestine　commotions。　　These　towns　have　each　a　governor；　whom　they　call　gadare；　over　whom　is　the　educ；　or　lieutenant；　and　both　accountable　to　an　officer　called　the　afamacon；　or　mouth　of　the　King；　because　he　receives　the　revenues；　which　he　pays　into　the　hands　of　the　relatinafala；　or　grand　master　of　the　household：　　sometimes　the　Emperor　creates　a　ratz；　or　viceroy；　general　over　all　the　empire；　who　is　superior　to　all　his　other　officers。

Aethiopia　produces　very　near　the　same　kinds　of　provisions　as　Portugal；　though；　by　the　extreme　laziness　of　the　inhabitants；　in　a　much　less　quantity：　　however；　there　are　some　roots；　herbs；　and　fruits　which　grow　there　much　better　than　in　other　places。　　What　the　ancients　imagined　of　the　torrid　zone　being　uninhabitable　is　so　far　from　being　true；　that　this　climate　is　very　temperate：　　the　heats；　indeed；　are　excessive　in　Congo　and　Monomotapa；　but　in　Abyssinia　they　enjoy　a　perpetual　spring；　more　delicious　and　charming　than　that　in　our　country。　　The　blacks　here　are　not　ugly　like　those　of　the　kingdoms　I　have　spoken　of；　but　have　better　features；　and　are　not　without　wit　and　delicacy；　their　apprehension　is　quick；　and　their　judgment　sound。　　The　heat　of　the　sun；　however　it　may　contribute　to　their　colour；　is　not　the　only　reason　of　it；　there　is　some　peculiarity　in　the　temper　and　constitution　of　their　bodies；　since　the　same　men；　transported　into　cooler　climates；　produce　children　very　near　as　black　as　themselves。

They　have　here　two　harvests　in　the　year；　which　is　a　sufficient　recompense　for　the　small　produce　of　each；　one　harvest　they　have　in　the　winter；　which　lasts　through　the　months　of　July；　August；　and　September；　the　other　in　the　spring；　their　trees　are　always　green；　and　it　is　the　fault　of　the　inhabitants　that　they　produce　so　little　fruit；　the　soil　being　well　adapted　to　all　sorts；　especially　those　that　come　from　the　Indies。　　They　have　in　the　greatest　plenty　raisins；　peaches；　sour　pomegranates；　and　sugarcanes；　and　some　figs。　Most　of　these　are　ripe　about　Lent；　which　the　Abyssins　keep　with　great　strictness。

After　the　vegetable　products　of　this　country；　it　seems　not　improper　to　mention　the　animals　which　are　found　in　it；　of　which　here　are　as　great　numbers；　of　as　many　different　species；　as　in　any　country　in　the　world：　　it　is　infested　with　lions　of　many　kinds；　among　which　are　many　of　that　which　is　called　the　lion　royal。　　I　cannot　help　giving　the　reader　on　this　occasion　a　relation　of　a　fact　which　I　was　an　eye…　witness　of。　　A　lion　having　taken　his　haunt　near　the　place　where　I　lived；　killed　all　the　oxen　and　cows；　and　did　a　great　deal　of　other　mischief；　of　which　I　heard　new　complaints　every　day。　　A　servant　of　mine　having　taken　a　resolution　to　free　the　country　from　this　destroyer；　went　out　one　day　with　two　lances；　and　after　he　had　been　some　time　in　quest　of　him；　found　him　with　his　mouth　all　smeared　with　the　blood　of　a　cow　he　had　jus