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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05331	A geographical historie of Africa, written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More, borne in Granada, and brought vp in Barbarie. Wherein he hath at large described, not onely the qualities, situations, and true distances of the regions, cities, townes, mountaines, riuers, and other places throughout all the north and principall partes of Africa; but also the descents and families of their kings ... gathered partly out of his owne diligent obseruations, and partly out of the ancient records and chronicles of the Arabians and Mores. Before which, out of the best ancient and moderne writers, is prefixed a generall description of Africa, and also a particular treatise of all the maine lands and isles vndescribed by Iohn Leo. ... Translated and collected by Iohn Pory, lately of Goneuill and Caius College in Cambridge; Della descrittione dell'Africa. English	Leo, Africanus, ca. 1492-ca. 1550.; Pory, John, 1572-1636.	1600 (1600)	STC 15481; ESTC S108481	490,359	493

the bodie of our Lord vnder a small morsell of bread But such as are growen to yeeres of discretion before they come vnto the Lords holy supper do make confession and receiue absolution of all their sinnes from the priest Then doe they all betimes in the morning both clergie and laytie receiue the whole sacrament of the bodie and true blood of Iesus Christ in their churches Which being receiued they may not vnder paine of grieuous punishment so much as once spit till the going downe of the sunne Popish confirmation and vnction they neither esteeme for sacraments nor vse them The Pope of Rome either in regard of errour and ignorance or to win his fauour they acknowledge to be head of the church and doe pretend a kinde of obedience to the sea of Rome Albeit that the Pope before the Portugals discouerie of the east Indies could neuer communicate any assistance vnto them nor yet since that time by reason of the huge distance almost of fifteene thousand miles For so many miles the ambassadour which was sent out of Portugall to Ethiopia said that he had trauailed It is nothing so long a iourney through Egypt Troglodytica and Barnagasso but that the way through those countries is stopped by the 〈◊〉 of the Turkes Howbeit Queene Helena and after her king Dauid seeme onely to haue sought and desired some coniunction with the Roman church and the Christians of Europe to the end that with their powers and forces vnited they might assaile and vanquish the Mahumetans being most deadly enimies to the Christian name Moreouer these Ethiopick Christians do vse to fast vpon certaine daies of the weeke till sun set as namely vpon Wednesdaies to renue the sadde memorie of the Iewes councell wherein they decreed to crucifie our Redeemer and vpon Fridaies that they may with thankfull mindes acknowledge his most bitter passion and death Likewise the day of Good Fridaie whereon our blessed Sauiour was nailed to the crosse they celebrate with great deuotion especially towards the euening Vnto these they adde a Lent of fortie daies wherein they liue onely by bread and water The feasts both of Christ of the virgine Marie and of certaine Saints they keepe holie vpon which daies meeting in their churches three houres after sunne-rising they read the bookes of the Prophets and emploie themselues in holy exercises They sanctifie the Sabaoth in 〈◊〉 of the Iewes and keepe holy the Lords day according to the apostles institution On both these daies they worship God by performing things holie and eschuing matters prophane Into their churches they may not come but barefoote onely neither is it there lawfull for any man to walke vp and downe nor to talke of worldly affaires nor to spit nor cough The chiefe vse of the law they say is to shew vs our sinnes neither do they thinke any man liuing able to performe the same but onely Iesus Christ who fulfilled it on our behalfe The Saints they loue indeed and reuerence but doe not pray vnto them Vnto the blessed virgine Marie the mother of Christ they ascribe great honour but neither do they adore her nor craue assistance at her hands They haue euery day one masse onely and that a short one in stead of a sacrifice but gaines thereby they make none at all Neither do they eleuate or holde vp the sacrament of the supper as the masse-priests do nor applie the same to redeeme dead mens soules from the paines of purgatorie Howbeit that there is a place of purgatorie they do not denie Wherefore their dead are buried with crosses and supplications and especially with the rehearsall of the beginning of Saint Iohns Gospell Then the day following they offer almes for them and vpon certaine daies after they adde funerall-banquets supposing that vpon Sabaoths and the Lords daies they which died godly are freed from all torments in Purgatorie and at length hauing receiued the full measure of chastisement for their sinnes that then they go into eternall rest For the effecting whereof they do not thinke any indulgences of their 〈◊〉 but onely the meere mercy and grace of God to be auaileable Mariage is no lesse permitted to their clergie and priests then to their laie-people yet so that his first wife being dead a priest cannot marry another without the Patriarkes dispensation Whosoeuer keepeth a concubine is debarred from all sacred administrations And whatsoeuer bishop or clergie-man is found to haue a bastard he is vtterly depriued of holy orders and of all his benefices and spirituall dignities Mariages are often solemnized without the church a bed being placed before the house of the bride and the bridegroome Then come three priests who going thrise about the bridegromes bed sing with a loud voice Halleluiah and other things This done they cut one locke of haire from the bridegroomes head and another from the head of the bride which they wash in wine made of hony and then putting vpon either of their heads the others lock they sprinkle them with a kinde of holy-water and so depart Which being performed the mariage-feast beginneth and holdeth on till the night be far spent At length the bride and bridegroom are brought vnto their owne house out of which neither of them may go forth for the space of an whole moneth after In some places they are maried in the church by the patriarke himselfe Where the mariage-bed standing in manner aforesaid the patriarke with sweet incense and crosses walketh thrise about it and then turning himselfe towards them he layeth his hand vpon the bridegroomes head saying Do that which god hath commanded in his gospel and thinke now that you are not two but one flesh Hauing spoken these words he administreth the communion vnto them and blesseth them Polygamie or many wiues at once are permitted by the emperour and ciuill magistrate vnto the Ethiopians but in their churches there is no place at all for such as haue more wiues then one Neither may any such persons presume to enter into their churches but are held as excommunicate and are not receiued into the congregation before hauing put away all the residue of their wiues they betake themselues to one onely Diuorcements they vse very commonlie and often vpon light occasions except onely the priests who may by no meanes depart from their wiues Whereby it appeareth that their priests approue not that inconstancie in a matter of so great moment The best remedy which they haue to preuent this mischiefe is at the daye of mariage to alotte some great penalty vpon that person which shall first forsake the other Amongst them likewise according to the law of Moses brothers vse to marry their brothers wiues to raise vp seede vnto them Howbeit this abuse of mariage is not practised by all but onely by the mightier sort For the country-people and those of poorer condition being euery one contented with his owne wife do so painefully employ themselues about their labour and the

inheritance Canons but priests sonnes haue no such priuilege vnlesse they be ordained by the Abuna They pay no tithes to any churches but the clergie are maintained by great possessions belonging to their churches and monasteries Also when any priest is cited he is conuented before a secular iudge Whereas I saide they sit not in their churches it is to bee vnderstoode that alwaies without the church doore stande a great number of woodden crutches such as lame men vse to goe vpon where euery man taketh his owne and leaneth thereupon all the time of their diuine seruice All their books which they haue in great numbers are written in parchment for paper they haue none and the language wherein they are written named Tigia is all one with the Abassin language but so it was called from the name of the first towne in all that empire which was conuerted to the Christian religion All their churches haue two curtaines one about their great altar with belles within which curtaine none may enter but onely priests also they haue another curtaine stretching through the midst of their church and within that may no man come but such as haue taken holy orders insomuch that many gentlemen and honorable persons take orders vpon them onely that they may haue accesse into their churches The greater part of their monasteries are built vpon high mountaines or in some deepe valley they haue great reuenues and iurisdictions and in many of them they eate no flesh all the yeere long Neither do they spende any store of fish bicause they know not how to take it Vpon the wals of all their churches are painted the pictures of Christ of the blessed virgine Marie of the apostles prophets and angels and in euery one the picture of Saint George a horseback They haue no Roodes neither will they suffer Christ crucified to be painted bicause they say they are not woorthy to behold him in that passion All their priests friers and noblemen continually carrie crosses in their hands but the meaner sort of people carrie them about their neckes Their mooueable feasts namely Easter the feast of Ascension Whitsontide they obserue at the verie same daies and times that we do Likewise as concerning the feasts of Christmas the Circumcision the Epiphanie and other the feasts of the saints they agree whollie with vs though in some other things they varie They haue great store of leprous persons who are not put apart from the rest of the people but liue in company with them and many there are who for charitie and deuotions sake do wash them and heale their wounds They haue a kinde of trumpets but not of the best and likewise certaine drums of brasse which are brought from Cairo and of woode also couered with leather at both endes and cimbals like vnto ours and certaine great basons whereon they make a noise There are flutes in like sort and a kinde of square instruments with strings not much vnlike to an harpe which they call Dauid Mozan that is to say the harpe of Dauid and with these harpes they sounde before the Prete but some what rudely Their horses of the countrey-breed are in number infinite but such small hackney-iades that they doe them little seruice howbeit those that are brought out of Arabia and Egypt are most excellent and beautifull horses and the great horse-masters also in Abassia haue certaine breeds or races of them which being new foled they suffer not to sucke the damme aboue three daies if they be such as they meane to backe betimes but separating them from their dammes they suckle them with kine and by that meanes they prooue most sightly and gallant horses Hitherto Aluarez Thus much I hope may suffice to haue bin spoken concerning the vpper or Inner Ethiopia which containeth the empire of Prete Ianni now sithens we are so far proceeded let vs take also a cursory and briefe surueie of the lower or extreme Ethiopia extending it selfe in forme of a speares point or a wedge as far as thirtie fiue degrees of southerly latitude Of the lower or extreme Ethiopia THis parte of Africa being vtterly vnknowne to Ptolemey and all the ancient writers but in these later times throughly discouered by the Portugales especially along the coast beginneth to the Northwest about the great riuer of Zaire not far from the Equinoctial from whence stretching southward to thirtie fiue degrees and then Northward along the sea-coast on the backside of Africa as far as the very mouth or enterance of the Arabian gulfe it limiteth the south and east frontiers of the Abassin Empire last before described In this part also are many particulars very memorable as namely besides sundry great empires kingdomes The famous mountaines of the moon the mightie riuers of Magnice Cuama and Coauo springing out of the lake Zembre the renowmed cape of good hope and other matters whereof we will intreate in their due places This portion of Africa is diuided into sixe principall partes namely The land of Aian the land of Zanguebar the empire of Mohenemugi the empire of Monomotapa the region of Cafraria the kingdome of Congo Aian the first generall part of Ethiopia the lower THe land of Aian is accounted by the Arabians to be that region which lyeth betweene the narrow entrance into the Red sea and the riuer of Quilimanci being vpon the sea-coast for the most part inhabited by the said Arabians but the inland-partes thereof are peopled with a black nation which are Idolaters It comprehendeth two kingdomes Adel and Adea Adel is a very large kingdome and extendeth from the mouth of the Arabian gulfe to the cape of Guardafu called of olde by Ptolemey Aromata promontorium South and west it bordereth vpon the dominions of Prete Ianni about the kingdome of Fatigar The king of this countrie being a Moore is accounted amongst the Mahumetans a most holy man and very much reuerenced by them because he wageth continuall war with the Christians taking captiue many of the Abassins and sending them to the great Turke and the princes of Arabia of whome he receiueth greate ayde for the maintenance of his warres both of horse and foote The people of Adel are of the colour of an oliue being very warlike notwithstanding that the greatest part of them want weapons Their principall city is called Anar as some are of opinion Vnto this kingdome is subiect the citie of Zeila inhabited by Mooes situate on a sandie and low soile which some suppose to be built in the very same place without the enterance of the Red sea where Ptolemey placed the ancient mart-towne of Aualites This citie is a place of great traffike for hither they bring out of India cloth elephants teeth frankincense pepper golde and other rich merchandize The territorie adioining yeeldeth abundance of honie waxe and great quantitie of oile which they make not of oliues but of a kinde of daintie plums it affourdeth likewise such

time they will challenge and prouoke one another foorth of the citie-walles And hauing fought hard all the whole day at night they fall to throwing of stones till at length the citie-officers come vpon them taking some and beating them publiquely throughout the citie Sometimes it falleth 〈◊〉 that the yoong striplings arming themselues and going by night out of the citie range vp and downe the fields and gardens and if the contrarie faction of yoonkers and they meere it is woonderfull what a bloodie skirmish ensueth howbeit they are often most seuerely punished for it Of the African poets IN Fez there are diuers most excellent poets which make verses in their owne mother toong Most of their poems and songs intreat of loue Euery yeere they pen certaine verses in the commendation of Mahumet especially vpon his birth-day for then betimes in the morning they resort vnto the palace of the chiefe iudge or gouernour ascending his tribunall-seate and from thence reading their verses to a great audience of people and hee whose verses are most elegant and pithie is that yeere proclaimed prince of the poets But when as the kings of the Marin-familie prospered they vsed to inuite all the learned men of the citie vnto their palace and honourably entertaining them they commanded each man in their hearing to recite their verses to the commendation of Mahumet and he that was in all mens opinions esteemed the best poet was rewarded by the king with an hundred duckats with an excellent horse with a woman-slaue and with the kings owne robes wherewith he was then apparelled all the rest had fiftie duckats apeece giuen them so that none departed without the kings liberalitie but an hundred and thirtie yeeres are expired since this custome together with the maiestie of the Fessan kingdome decaied A description of the grammar-schooles in Fez. OF schooles in Fez for the instructing of children there are almost two hundred euery one of which is in fashion like a great hall The schoolemasters teach their children to write and read not out of a booke but out of a certaine great table Euery day they expound one sentence of the Alcoran and hauing red quite through they begin it againe repeating it so often til they haue most firmely committed the same to memorie which they doe right well in the space of 7. yeeres Then read they vnto their scholers some part of orthographie howbeit both this and the other parts of Grammar are far more exactly taught in the colleges then in these triuiall schooles The said schoolemasters are allowed a very small stipend but when their boies haue learned some part of the Alcoran they present certaine gifts vnto their master according to each ones abilitie Afterward so soon as any boy hath perfectly learned the whole Alcaron his father inuiteth all his sonnes schoole-fellowes vnto a great banket and his sonne in costly apparell rides through the street vpon a gallant horse which horse and apparell the gouernour of the royall citadell is bound to lend him The rest of his schoole-fellowes being mounted likewise on horse-backe accompany him to the banketing house singing diuers songs to the praise of God and of Mahumet Then are they brought to a most sumptuous banket whereat all the kinsfolkes of the foresaid boyes father are vsually present euery one of whom bestoweth on the schoolemaster some small gift and the boyes father giues him a new sute of apparell The said scholers likewise vse to celebrate a feast vpon the birth-day of Mahumet and then their fathers are bound to send each man a torch vnto the schoole whereupon euery boy carrieth a torch in his hand some of which waigh thirty pound These torches are most curiously made being adorned round about with diuers fruits of waxe which being lighted betimes in the morning doe burne till sun-rise in the meane while certaine singers resound the praises of Mahumet and so soone as the sunne is vp all their solemnitie ceaseth this day vseth to be very gainfull vnto the schoolemasters for they sell the remnant of the waxe vpon the torches for an hundred duckats and sometimes for more None of them paies any rent for his schoole for all their schooles were built many yeeres agoe and were freely bestowed for the training vp of youth Whatsoeuer ornaments or toyes are vpon the 〈◊〉 the schoolemasters diuide them among their scholers and among the singers Both in these common schooles and also in the colleges they haue two daies of recreation euery weeke wherein they neither teach nor studie Of the fortune-tellers and some other artizans in Fez. WE haue said nothing as yet of the leather-dressers who haue diuers mansions by the riuers side paying for euery skin an halfepeny custome which amounteth yeerely almost vnto three hundred duckats Here are likewise chirurgions barbers whom because they are so few I thought not to haue mentioned in this place Now let vs speake of the fortune-tellers and diuiners of whom there is a great number and three kindes For one sort vseth certaine Geomanticall figures Others powring a drop of oile into a viall or glasse of water make the saide water to bee transparent and bright wherein as it were in a mirrour they affirme that they see huge swarmes of diuels that resemble an whole armie some whereof are trauelling some are passing ouer a riuer and others fighting a land-battell whom when the diuiner seeth at quiet he demandeth such questions of them as he is desirous to be resolued of and the diuels giue them answere with beckning or with some gesture of their hands or eies so inconsiderate and damnable is their credulitie in this behalfe The foresaid glasse-viall they will deliuer into childrens hands scarce of eight yeeres old of whom they will aske whether they see this or that diuell Many of the citie are so besotted with these vanities that they spend great summes vpon them The third kinde of diuiners are women-witches which are affirmed to haue familiaritie with diuels some diuels they call red some white and some blacke diuels and when they will tell any mans fortune they perfume themselues with certaine odours saying that then they possesse themselues with that diuell which they called for afterward changing their voice they faine the diuell to speake within them then they which come to enquire ought with great feare trembling aske these vile abominable witches such questions as they meane to propound and lastly offering some fee vnto the diuell they depart But the wiser and honester sort of people call these women Sahaoat which in Latin signifieth Fricatrices because they haue a damnable custome to commit vnlawfull Venerie among themselues which I cannot expresse in any modester termes If faire women come vnto them at any time these abominable witches will burne in lust towardes them no otherwise then lustie yoonkers doe towards yoong maides and will in the diuels behalfe demaunde for a rewarde that they may lie with them and so by

getting of their 〈◊〉 that they are free from those violent passions of lust Infants that die before baptisme they name halfe christians because being sanctified onely by the faith of 〈◊〉 parents they are not as yet by baptisme throughly engraffed into the church From meates which the law of Moses accounted vncleane they also do abstaine The heresies of Arrius Macedonius and Nestorius they reiect and condemne The whole church of Ethiopia is gouerned by a patriark called in the Ethiopick language Abuna which signifieth A Father This patriark of theirs is first solemnely created at Ierurasem by the voices of those monkes which keepe the sepulchre of our Lord. Afterward hee is confirmed and sent into Ethiopia by the patriarke of Alexandria The emperour Prete Ianni so often as there is need of a new patriark sendeth an ambassage with many gifts to Ierusalem and requireth a patriark from thence Which patriarke together with a monke of the order of Saint Antony the Hermite being come into Ethiopia is according to an ancient custome receiued with the generall consent congratulation applause and reioycing of all degrees and estates of people To this high function is singled out some one man of singular piety grauity 〈◊〉 and of more ancient yeeres then the rest His speciall duties are to giue holy orders to administer church-discipline and to excommunicate contumaces or obstinate offenders which are for their stubbornnes famished to death But the authoritie of giuing Bishopricks and spirituall benefices the Emperour reserueth to himselfe In Ethiopia there are infinit numbers of priests and of monkes Francis Aluarez saw at one time ordained by the Patriarke two thousand three hundred fiftie sixe priests And the like manner of ordaining or instalment they haue euerie yeere twise It seemeth that those which are chosen into that order are men destitute of learning and liberall artes Vnto their priesthood none is admitted before he be full thirtie yeeres of age It falleth out likewise that during the vacation of the Patriarkship the church hath great want of priests Which vacation is often times prolonged by reason of the continuall wars betweene the Christians and the bordering Mahumetans and Gentiles whereby all passage from Ethiopia to the monks of Ierusalem is quite cut off Hence proceedeth great desolation in that church But with monks all places in this Abassin empire do mightily swarme These do not onely confine themselues in monasteries wherof here are great numbers but also take vpon them offices in the court and intangle themselues in militarie affaires and in buying and selling of merchandize Neither are there anie kinde of people in those easterne parts more conuersant in trade of merchandize then priests 〈◊〉 monkes So that the old said sawe is most truelie verified What ere the world doth put in vre The Monke will intermeddle sure It is 〈◊〉 to be noted that the priests monkes and other ministers of 〈◊〉 Ethiopian church are not maintained by tithes and almes as they are in Europe They haue onelie certaine fieldes and gardens which must be manured by the monkes and clergie themselues To beg ought of the common people they are in no wise permitted vnlesse perhaps some man will of his owne accorde bestowe somewhat in their churches for the exequies of the dead or for some other sacred vses These Ethiopians haue a certaine booke which they suppose to haue beene written by all the Apostles when they were assembled at Ierusalem This booke in their language they call Manda and Abetilis and do beleeue that all thinges therein contained are to be holden for gospel In it amongst other matters are contained certaine penal statutes as for example If a priest be conuicted of Adultery Man-slaughter Robberie or periurie he is to receiue like punishment with other malefactors Likewise that aswell ecclesiasticall as secular persons are to abstaine from comming to church for the space of fower and twentie howers after carnall copulation Some lawes also there are concerning the purification of women after their moneths and their child-birth which bicause we can make but little vse of them I do heere passe ouer in silence One thing there is in this booke very well prouided namely that twise euery yeere there be a Synod assembled in the church of Christ for the handling and discussing of all matters ecclesiasticall These are the principall points of the religion faith and ceremonies of the Ethiopicke church vnder Prete Ianni which hitherto haue come to our knowledge A good part whereofis agreeable vnto the scriptures of the old and new testament And such in very deed they are as represent vnto vs the acknowledgement of one true God and the faith and worship of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. But as neuer any church vpon earth was quite voide of blemish so neither is this of Ethiopia free from all staines of errour Which notwithstanding may seeme the lesse strange bicause in Ethiopia there are no schooles nor Seminaries of liberall artes saue only that the priests themselues according to their simple skill traine vp their sonnes vnto such learning as may in time make them capable of priesthood Neither was there euer any man yet that reformed their errors Francis Aluarez reporteth that the Patriarke of this Ethiopick church in a certaine priuate conference did grieuously complaine of all such errours as were there maintained and was most earnestly desirous of a reformation Which desire of his as it is most holy cōmendable so is it by al christiās to be approoued God almightie grant that the Ethiopians may one daie attaine to the accomplishment of this his compassionate well-wishing and may haue a happie reformation of their church For this to desire and praie for is farre more conuenient and Christian-like then to disgrace them with reprochfull words and to bereaue them of the name of Christians Which harde and vnchristian measure Zagazabo the Ethiopian ambassadour reporteth with griefe that he found among the Popish priests of Portugall by whom he was quite restrained from the vse and communion of the 〈◊〉 supper as ifhe had beene a meere Gentile or Anathema It is indeed an errour or rather a great infirmitie that they do as yet retaine and vse some of the Iewish ceremonies But we are 〈◊〉 to impute it to their ignorance of Christian liberty And wheras they permit mariage to their priests it is neither repugnant to the sacred word of God nor to the institution of the Apostles Wherefore it ought not to be disallowed of any Christians Vnlesse they will preferre the decrees of the Pope before the commandement of God established by Christ and his apostles Wherby it may plainly appeere how impiously and sauagely the Priests of Portugall dealt in that especially for this cause they so sharpely inneied against the Ethiopick ambassadour and so vnciuilly entreated him Their yeerely renewing ofbaptisme was at the first brought in by errour and since by ancient vse and tradition hath growen authenticall For in

very deed so great is the force of antiquitie and custome that where they once take roote they can hardly be remooued And it is a woonder that the Ethiopians do so often repeat baptisme when as they cannot be circumcised any more then once But in regard of all these defects what can we better deuise to do then in our daily praiers to wish them mindes better informed and the puritie and integritie of faith which is agreeable vnto gods worde The Ethiopians conceiued exceeding ioy at the first arriuall of the Portugals in their countrie hoping that their mutuall acquaintance and familiaritie would breed a similitude and coniunction as well of their religions as of their affections and mindes But I am verily afraid least the reprochfull and sterne carriage of the Popish priests and monkes towards the Ethiopick ambassadours before mentioned hath more then euer in times past estranged the mindes of that nation from the Christians of Europe Howbeit the singular care and industrie of those two renowmed Princes Iohn the second and Emanuel kings of Portugall is most highly to be extolled and celebrated who by infinit charges emploied vpon their nauigations to The east Indies and to these parts haue opened a way for the European Christians to the southerne church of Ethiopia and for the Ethiopians to this westerne church of Europe Which had not these two woorthie Princes brought to effect we should not so much as haue knowne the name of a Christian church in Ethiopia For thither by the way of Arabia and Egypt in regard of the Arabians and Mahumetans most deadly enmitie to the Christian faith it is so dangerous and difficult to trauell as it seemeth to be quite barred and shut vp Vnlesse therefore ouer the Atlantike Ethiopick and Indian seas the Portugals had thither found a passage by nauigation it had almost beene impossible for any ambassadours or other persons to haue come out of Ethiopia into these westerne parts Thus 〈◊〉 Matthew Dresserus An ambassage sent from Pope Paule the fourth to Claudius the Emperour of Abassia or the higher Ethiopia for planting of the religion and ceremonies of the church of Rome in his dominions which ambassage tooke none effect at all IN the yeere 1555 Iohn the third king of Portugal determined to leaue no meanes vnattempted for the absolute reconciliation of Prete Ianni vnto the church of Rome For though Dauids ambassador had performed obedience to Pope Clement the seuenth on his emperours behalfe yet doubted the king of Portugal as true it was that for want of speedie prosecution those forward beginnings would proue but altogether fruitlesse in that for all this they still embraced the heresies of Dioscorus and Eutiches and depended on the authoritie of the Patriark of Alexandria receiuing their Abuna from him who is the sole arbitrator of all their matters ecclesiasticall the administrer of their sacraments the giuer of orders ouer all Ethiopia master of their ceremonies and Instructer of their faith Whereupon he supposed that he could not do any thing more profitable or necessarie then to send thither a Patriark appointed at Rome who might exercise spirituall authority ouer them as also with him some priests of singular integrity and learning who with their sermons disputations discourses both publike and priuate might reduce those people from their errors and heresies to the trueth and might confirme and strengthen them in the same And vnto this it seemed a wide gate was already open because not many yeeres before Claudius the emperour of Ethiopia receiued great succours from the Portugals against Graadamet king of Zeila who had brought him to an hard point and in a letter written from him to Stephen Gama he called Christopher Gama his brother who died in this war by the reuerend name of a Martyr The king of Portugal therefore hauing imparted this his resolution first with Pope Iulius the third and then with Paul the fourth it was by them concluded to send into Ethiopia thirteene priests men of principall estimation and account aboue others of their qualitie Iohn Nunnes Barretto was made Patriark and there were ioyned vnto him two assisting Bishops Melchior Carnero and Andrea Oiuedo vnder title of the Bishops of Nicea and Hierapolis King Iohn set forth this ambassage not onely with whatsoeuer the voiage it selfe necessarily required but further with all royall preparation and rich presents for Prete Ianni Neuerthelesse the better to lay open an entrance for the Patriarke there was by the kings appointment sent before from the city of Goa Iago Dias and with him Gonsaluo Rodrigo into Ethiopia to discouer the minde of the Neguz and the disposition of his people These two being admitted to the presence of that Prince shewed him the letters of king Iohn wherein he congratulated with him on the behalfe of all Christians for that following the example of his grandfather and father he had embraced the Christian faith and vnion Whereat Claudius was amazed ' as at a thing neuer before thought of And it being demaunded why he had written to the king of Portugal to that effect he excused himselfe by the writer and interpreter of his letter adding thereunto that though hee esteemed that king as his very good brother yet was he neuer minded to swerue one iot from the faith of his predecessors Roderigo for all this was no whit daunted but wrought all meanes to bring Claudius to his opinion But the greatest difficultie against this his busie enterprise was the ignorance of the emperour and the princes of Ethiopia in all the generall Councels and ancient Histories Afterwards perceiuing that the Neguz did not willingly admit him to audience he wrote and diuulged a booke in the Chaldean toong wherein confuting the opinions of the the Abassins he laboured mightily to aduance the authoritie of the Romaine church Which booke raised so great a tumult that the emperour to auoide woorse inconueniences which were likely to ensue was faine quickly to suppresse it Iago Dias perceiuing that he did but loose time the terme of his returne approching tooke his leaue of the Neguz And hauing made knowne in Goa how matters stood it was not thought requisite that the Patriarke should expose his owne person togither with the reputation of the Romaine church vnto so great hazard But rather not wholy to abandon the enterprise they determined to send thither Andrew Ouiedo newe elect bishop of Hierapolis with two or three assistants who with greater authoritie might debate of that which Roderigo alreadie had so vnfruitfully treated of Ouiedo most willingly vndertaking this attempt put himselfe on the voiage with father Emanuel Fernandez and some fewe others When he was come into Abassia he stood in more need of patience then disputation For king Claudius within a fewe moneths after being vanquished and slaine Adamas his brother succeeded who was a great enimie to the sea of Rome This man drew 〈◊〉 and his assistants to the warres with him and