a voyage to abyssinia-第29部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


pily　I　found　means　to　retire　out　of　this　dangerous　place；　and　was　followed　by　the　viceroy　almost　to　Fremona；　who；　being　disappointed；　desired　me　either　to　visit　him　at　his　camp；　or　appoint　a　place　where　we　might　confer。　　I　made　many　excuses；　but　at　length　agreed　to　meet　him　at　a　place　near　Fremona；　bringing　each　of　us　only　three　companions。　　I　did　not　doubt　but　he　would　bring　more；　and　so　he　did；　but　found　that　I　was　upon　my　guard；　and　that　my　company　increased　in　proportion　to　his。　　My　friends　were　resolute　Portuguese；　who　were　determined　to　give　him　no　quarter　if　he　made　any　attempt　upon　my　liberty。　　Finding　himself　once　more　countermined；　he　returned　ashamed　to　his　camp；　where　a　month　after；　being　accused　of　a　confederacy　in　the　revolt　of　that　prince　who　kept　his　father　prisoner；　he　was　arrested；　and　carried　in　chains　to　the　Emperor。

The　time　now　approaching　in　which　we　were　to　be　delivered　to　the　Turks；　we　had　none　but　God　to　apply　to　for　relief：　　all　the　measures　we　could　think　of　were　equally　dangerous。　　Resolving；　nevertheless；　to　seek　some　retreat　where　we　might　hide　ourselves　either　all　together　or　separately；　we　determined　at　last　to　put　ourselves　under　the　protection　of　the　Prince　John　Akay；　who　had　defended　himself　a　long　time　in　the　province　of　Bar　against　the　power　of　Abyssinia。

After　I　had　concluded　a　treaty　with　this　prince；　the　patriarch　and　all　the　fathers　put　themselves　into　his　hands；　and　being　received　with　all　imaginable　kindness　and　civility；　were　conducted　with　a　guard　to　Adicota；　a　rock　excessively　steep；　about　nine　miles　from　his　place　of　residence。　　The　event　was　not　agreeable　to　the　happy　beginning　of　our　negotiation；　for　we　soon　began　to　find　that　our　habitation　was　not　likely　to　be　very　pleasant。　　We　were　surrounded　with　Mahometans；　or　Christians　who　were　inveterate　enemies　to　the　Catholic　faith；　and　were　obliged　to　act　with　the　utmost　caution。　Notwithstanding　these　inconveniences　we　were　pleased　with　the　present　tranquillity　we　enjoyed；　and　lived　contentedly　on　lentils　and　a　little　corn　that　we　had；　and　I；　after　we　had　sold　all　our　goods；　resolved　to　turn　physician；　and　was　soon　able　to　support　myself　by　my　practice。

I　was　once　consulted　by　a　man　troubled　with　asthma；　who　presented　me　with　two　alquieresthat　is；　about　twenty…eight　pounds　weightof　corn　and　a　sheep。　　The　advice　I　gave　him；　after　having　turned　over　my　books；　was　to　drink　goats'　urine　every　morning；　I　know　not　whether　he　found　any　benefit　by　following　my　prescription；　for　I　never　saw　him　after。

Being　under　a　necessity　of　obeying　our　acoba；　or　protector；　we　changed　our　place　of　abode　as　often　as　he　desired　it；　though　not　without　great　inconveniences；　from　the　excessive　heat　of　the　weather　and　the　faintness　which　our　strict　observation　of　the　fasts　and　austerities　of　Lent；　as　it　is　kept　in　this　country；　had　brought　upon　us。　　At　length；　wearied　with　removing　so　often；　and　finding　that　the　last　place　assigned　for　our　abode　was　always　the　worst；　we　agreed　that　I　should　go　to　our　sovereign　and　complain。

I　found　him　entirely　taken　up　with　the　imagination　of　a　prodigious　treasure；　affirmed　by　the　monks　to　be　hidden　under　a　mountain。　　He　was　told　that　his　predecessors　had　been　hindered　from　discovering　it　by　the　demon　that　guarded　it；　but　that　the　demon　was　now　at　a　great　distance　from　his　charge；　and　was　grown　blind　and　lame；　that　having　lost　his　son；　and　being　without　any　children　except　a　daughter　that　was　ugly　and　unhealthy；　he　was　under　great　affliction；　and　entirely　neglected　the　care　of　his　treasure；　that　if　he　should　come；　they　could　call　one　of　their　ancient　brothers　to　their　assistance；　who；　being　a　man　of　a　most　holy　life；　would　be　able　to　prevent　his　making　any　resistance。　　To　all　these　stories　the　prince　listened　with　unthinking　credulity。　　The　monks；　encouraged　by　this；　fell　to　the　business；　and　brought　a　man　above　a　hundred　years　old；　whom；　because　he　could　not　support　himself　on　horseback；　they　had　tied　on　the　beast；　and　covered　him　with　black　wool。　　He　was　followed　by　a　black　cow　（designed　for　a　sacrifice　to　the　demon　of　the　place）；　and　by　some　monks　that　carried　mead；　beer；　and　parched　corn；　to　complete　the　offering。

No　sooner　were　they　arrived　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain　than　every　one　began　to　work：　　bags　were　brought　from　all　parts　to　convey　away　the　millions　which　each　imagined　would　be　his　share。　　The　Xumo；　who　superintended　the　work；　would　not　allow　any　one　to　come　near　the　labourers；　but　stood　by；　attended　by　the　old　monk；　who　almost　sang　himself　to　death。　　At　length；　having　removed　a　vast　quantity　of　earth　and　stones；　they　discovered　some　holes　made　by　rats　or　moles；　at　sight　of　which　a　shout　of　joy　ran　through　the　whole　troop：　　the　cow　was　brought　and　sacrificed　immediately；　and　some　pieces　of　flesh　were　thrown　into　these　holes。　　Animated　now　with　assurance　of　success；　they　lose　no　time：　　every　one　redoubles　his　endeavours；　and　the　heat；　though　intolerable；　was　less　powerful　than　the　hopes　they　had　conceived。　　At　length　some；　not　so　patient　as　the　rest；　were　weary；　and　desisted。　　The　work　now　grew　more　difficult；　they　found　nothing　but　rock；　yet　continued　to　toil　on；　till　the　prince；　having　lost　all　temper；　began　to　inquire　with　some　passion　when　he　should　have　a　sight　of　this　treasure；　and　after　having　been　some　time　amused　with　many　promises　by　the　monks；　was　told　that　he　had　not　faith　enough　to　be　favoured　with　the　discovery。

All　this　I　saw　myself；　and　could　not　forbear　endeavouring　to　convince　our　protector　how　much　he　was　imposed　upon：　　he　was　not　long　before　he　was　satisfied　that　he　had　been　too　credulous；　for　all　those　that　had　so　industriously　searched　after　this　imaginary　wealth；　within　five　hours　left　the　work　in　despair；　and　I　continued　almost　alone　with　the　prince。

Imagining　no　time　more　proper　to　make　the　proposal　I　was　sent　with　than　while　his　passion　was　still　hot　against　the　monks；　I　presented　him　with　two　ounces　of　gold　and　two　plates　of　silver；　with　some　other　things　of　small　value；　and　was　so　successful　that　he　gratified　me　in　all　my　requests；　and　gave　us　leave　to　return　to　Adicora；　where　we　were　so　fortunate　to　find　our　huts　yet　uninjured　and　entire。

About　this　time　the　fathers　who　had　stayed　behind　at　Fremona　arrived　with　the　new　viceroy；　and　an　officer　fierce　in　the　defence　of　his　own　religion；　who　had　particular　orders　to　deliver　all　the　Jesuits　up　to　the　Turks；　except　me；　whom　the　Emperor　was　resolved　to　have　in　his　own　hands；　alive　or　dead。　　We　had　received　some　notice　of　this　resolution　from　our　friends　at　court；　and　were　likewise　informed　that　the　Emperor；　their　master；　had　been　persuaded　that　my　design　was　to　procure　assistance　from　the　Indies；　and　that　I　should　certainly　return　at　the　head　of　an　army。　　The　patriarch's　advice　upon　this　emergency　was　that　I　should　retire　into　the　woods；　and　by　some　other　road　join　the　nine　Jesuits　who　were　gone　towards　Mazna。　I　could　think　of　no　better　expedient；　and　therefore　went　away　in　the　night　between　the　23rd　and　24th　of　April　with　my　comrade；　an　old　man；　very　infirm　and　very　timorous。　　We　crossed　woods　never　crossed；　I　believe；　by　any　before：　　the　darkness　of　the　night　and　the　thickness　of　the　shade　spread　a　kind　of　horror　rou