a voyage to abyssinia-第15部分

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de　themselves　have　a　true　sense　of　the　greatness　of　the　mother　of　God；　or　pay　her　the　honours　that　are　due　to　her。　　There　are　some　tribes　amongst　them　（for　they　are　distinguished　like　the　Jews　by　their　tribes）；　among　whom　the　crime　of　swearing　by　the　name　of　the　Virgin　is　punished　with　forfeiture　of　goods　and　even　with　loss　of　life；　they　are　equally　scrupulous　of　swearing　by　St。　George。　　Every　week　they　keep　a　feast　to　the　honour　of　the　apostles　and　angels；　they　come　to　mass　with　great　devotion；　and　love　to　hear　the　word　of　God。　　They　receive　the　sacrament　often；　but　do　not　always　prepare　themselves　by　confession。　　Their　charity　to　the　poor　may　be　said　to　exceed　the　proper　bounds　that　prudence　ought　to　set　it；　for　it　contributes　to　encourage　great　numbers　of　beggars；　which　are　a　great　annoyance　to　the　whole　kingdom；　and　as　I　have　often　said；　afford　more　exercise　to　a　Christian's　patience　than　his　charity；　for　their　insolence　is　such；　that　they　will　refuse　what　is　offered　them　if　it　be　not　so　much　as　they　think　proper　to　ask。

Though　the　Abyssins　have　not　many　images；　they　have　great　numbers　of　pictures；　and　perhaps　pay　them　somewhat　too　high　a　degree　of　worship。　　The　severity　of　their　fasts　is　equal　to　that　of　the　primitive　church。　　In　Lent　they　never　eat　till　after　sunset；　their　fasts　are　the　more　severe　because　milk　and　butter　are　forbidden　them；　and　no　reason　or　necessity　whatsoever　can　procure　them　a　permission　to　eat　meat；　and　their　country　affording　no　fish；　they　live　only　on　roots　and　pulse。　　On　fast…days　they　never　drink　but　at　their　meat；　and　the　priests　never　communicate　till　evening；　for　fear　of　profaning　them。　　They　do　not　think　themselves　obliged　to　fast　till　they　have　children　either　married　or　fit　to　be　married；　which　yet　doth　not　secure　them　very　long　from　these　mortifications；　because　their　youths　marry　at　the　age　of　ten　years；　and　their　girls　younger。

There　is　no　nation　where　excommunication　carries　greater　terrors　than　among　the　Abyssins；　which　puts　it　in　the　power　of　the　priests　to　abuse　this　religious　temper　of　the　people；　as　well　as　the　authority　they　receive　from　it；　by　excommunicating　them；　as　they　often　do；　for　the　least　trifle　in　which　their　interest　is　concerned。

No　country　in　the　world　is　so　full　of　churches；　monasteries；　and　ecclesiastics　as　Abyssinia；　it　is　not　possible　to　sing　in　one　church　or　monastery　without　being　heard　by　another；　and　perhaps　by　several。　They　sing　the　psalms　of　David；　of　which；　as　well　as　the　other　parts　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　they　have　a　very　exact　translation　in　their　own　language；　in　which；　though　accounted　canonical；　the　books　of　the　Maccabees　are　omitted。　　The　instruments　of　music　made　use　of　in　their　rites　of　worship　are　little　drums；　which　they　hang　about　their　necks；　and　beat　with　both　their　hands；　these　are　carried　even　by　their　chief　men；　and　by　the　gravest　of　their　ecclesiastics。　　They　have　sticks　likewise；　with　which　they　strike　the　ground；　accompanying　the　blow　with　a　motion　of　their　whole　bodies。　　They　begin　their　concert　by　stamping　their　feet　on　the　ground；　and　playing　gently　on　their　instruments；　but　when　they　have　heated　themselves　by　degrees；　they　leave　off　drumming；　and　fall　to　leaping；　dancing；　and　clapping　their　hands；　at　the　same　time　straining　their　voices　to　the　utmost　pitch；　till　at　length　they　have　no　regard　either　to　the　tune　or　the　pauses；　and　seem　rather　a　riotous　than　a　religious　assembly。　　For　this　manner　of　worship　they　cite　the　psalm　of　David；　〃O　clap　your　hands　all　ye　nations。〃　　Thus　they　misapply　the　sacred　writings　to　defend　practices　yet　more　corrupt　than　those　I　have　been　speaking　of。

They　are　possessed　with　a　strange　notion　that　they　are　the　only　true　Christians　in　the　world；　as　for　us；　they　shunned　us　as　heretics；　and　were　under　the　greatest　surprise　at　hearing　us　mention　the　Virgin　Mary　with　the　respect　which　is　due　to　her；　and　told　us　that　we　could　not　be　entirely　barbarians　since　we　were　acquainted　with　the　mother　of　God。　　It　plainly　appears　that　prepossessions　so　strong；　which　receive　more　strength　from　the　ignorance　of　the　people；　have　very　little　tendency　to　dispose　them　to　a　reunion　with　the　Catholic　Church。

They　have　some　opinions　peculiar　to　themselves　about　purgatory；　the　creation　of　souls；　and　some　of　our　mysteries。　　They　repeat　baptism　every　year；　they　retain　the　practice　of　circumcision；　they　observe　the　Sabbath；　they　abstain　from　all　those　sorts　of　flesh　which　are　forbidden　by　the　law。　　Brothers　espouse　the　wives　of　their　brothers；　and　to　conclude；　they　observe　a　great　number　of　Jewish　ceremonies。

Though　they　know　the　words　which　Jesus　Christ　appointed　to　be　used　in　the　administration　of　baptism；　they　have　without　scruple　substituted　others　in　their　place；　which　makes　the　validity　of　their　baptism；　and　the　reality　of　their　Christianity；　very　doubtful。　　They　have　a　few　names　of　saints；　the　same　with　those　in　the　Roman　martyrology；　but　they　often　insert　others；　as　Zama　la　Cota；　the　Life　of　Truth；　Ongulari；　the　Evangelist；　Asca　Georgi；　the　Mouth　of　Saint　George。

To　bring　back　this　people　into　the　enclosure　of　the　Catholic　Church；　from　which　they　have　been　separated　so　many　ages；　was　the　sole　view　and　intention　with　which　we　undertook　so　long　and　toilsome　a　journey；　crossed　so　many　seas；　and　passed　so　many　deserts；　with　the　utmost　hazard　of　our　lives；　I　am　certain　that　we　travelled　more　than　seven　thousand　leagues　before　we　arrived　at　our　residence　at　Fremona。

We　came　to　this　place；　anciently　called　Maigoga；　on　the　21st　of　June；　as　I　have　said　before；　and　were　obliged　to　continue　there　till　November；　because　the　winter　begins　here　in　May；　and　its　greatest　rigour　is　from　the　middle　of　June　to　the　middle　of　September。　　The　rains　that　are　almost　continually　falling　in　this　season　make　it　impossible　to　go　far　from　home；　for　the　rivers　overflow　their　banks；　and　therefore；　in　a　place　like　this；　where　there　are　neither　bridges　nor　boats；　are；　if　they　are　not　fordable；　utterly　impassable。　　Some；　indeed；　have　crossed　them　by　means　of　a　cord　fastened　on　both　sides　of　the　water；　others　tie　two　beams　together；　and　placing　themselves　upon　them；　guide　them　as　well　as　they　can；　but　this　experiment　is　so　dangerous　that　it　hath　cost　many　of　these　bold　adventurers　their　lives。　　This　is　not　all　the　danger；　for　there　is　yet　more　to　be　apprehended　from　the　unwholesomeness　of　the　air；　and　the　vapours　which　arise　from　the　scorched　earth　at　the　fall　of　the　first　showers；　than　from　the　torrents　and　rivers。　　Even　they　who　shelter　themselves　in　houses　find　great　difficulty　to　avoid　the　diseases　that　proceed　from　the　noxious　qualities　of　these　vapours。　　From　the　beginning　of　June　to　that　of　September　it　rains　more　or　less　every　day。　　The　morning　is　generally　fair　and　bright；　but　about　two　hours　after　noon　the　sky　is　clouded；　and　immediately　succeeds　a　violent　storm；　with　thunder　and　lightning　flashing　in　the　most　dreadful　manner。　　While　this　lasts；　which　is　commonly　three　or　four　hours；　none　go　out　of　doors。　　The　ploughman　upon　the　first　appearance　of　it　unyokes　his　oxen；　and　betakes　himself　with　them　into　covert。　Travellers　provide　for　their　security　in　the　neighbouring　villages；　or　set　up　their　tents；　everybody　flies　to　some　shelte