a voyage to abyssinia-第2章

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In　his　account　of　the　mission；　where　his　veracity　is　most　to　be　suspected；　he　neither　exaggerates　overmuch　the　merits　of　the　Jesuits；　if　we　consider　the　partial　regard　paid　by　the　Portuguese　to　their　countrymen；　by　the　Jesuits　to　their　society；　and　by　the　Papists　to　their　church；　nor　aggravates　the　vices　of　the　Abyssins；　but　if　the　reader　will　not　be　satisfied　with　a　Popish　account　of　a　Popish　mission；　he　may　have　recourse　to　the　history　of　the　church　of　Abyssinia；　written　by　Dr。　Geddes；　in　which　he　will　find　the　actions　and　sufferings　of　the　missionaries　placed　in　a　different　light；　though　the　same　in　which　Mr。　Le　Grand；　with　all　his　zeal　for　the　Roman　church；　appears　to　have　seen　them。

This　learned　dissertator；　however　valuable　for　his　industry　and　erudition；　is　yet　more　to　be　esteemed　for　having　dared　so　freely　in　the　midst　of　France　to　declare　his　disapprobation　of　the　Patriarch　Oviedo's　sanguinary　zeal；　who　was　continually　importuning　the　Portuguese　to　beat　up　their　drums　for　missionaries；　who　might　preach　the　gospel　with　swords　in　their　hands；　and　propagate　by　desolation　and　slaughter　the　true　worship　of　the　God　of　Peace。

It　is　not　easy　to　forbear　reflecting　with　how　little　reason　these　men　profess　themselves　the　followers　of　Jesus；　who　left　this　great　characteristic　to　His　disciples；　that　they　should　be　known　by　loving　one　another；　by　universal　and　unbounded　charity　and　benevolence。

Let　us　suppose　an　inhabitant　of　some　remote　and　superior　region；　yet　unskilled　in　the　ways　of　men；　having　read　and　considered　the　precepts　of　the　gospel；　and　the　example　of　our　Saviour；　to　come　down　in　search　of　the　true　church：　　if　he　would　not　inquire　after　it　among　the　cruel；　the　insolent；　and　the　oppressive；　among　those　who　are　continually　grasping　at　dominion　over　souls　as　well　as　bodies；　among　those　who　are　employed　in　procuring　to　themselves　impunity　for　the　most　enormous　villainies；　and　studying　methods　of　destroying　their　fellow…creatures；　not　for　their　crimes　but　their　errors；　if　he　would　not　expect　to　meet　benevolence；　engage　in　massacres；　or　to　find　mercy　in　a　court　of　inquisition；　he　would　not　look　for　the　true　church　in　the　Church　of　Rome。

Mr。　Le　Grand　has　given　in　one　dissertation　an　example　of　great　moderation；　in　deviating　from　the　temper　of　his　religion；　but　in　the　others　has　left　proofs　that　learning　and　honesty　are　often　too　weak　to　oppose　prejudice。　　He　has　made　no　scruple　of　preferring　the　testimony　of　Father　du　Bernat　to　the　writings　of　all　the　Portuguese　Jesuits；　to　whom　he　allows　great　zeal；　but　little　learning；　without　giving　any　other　reason　than　that　his　favourite　was　a　Frenchman。　This　is　writing　only　to　Frenchmen　and　to　Papists：　　a　Protestant　would　be　desirous　to　know　why　he　must　imagine　that　Father　du　Bernat　had　a　cooler　head　or　more　knowledge；　and　why　one　man　whose　account　is　singular　is　not　more　likely　to　be　mistaken　than　many　agreeing　in　the　same　account。

If　the　Portuguese　were　biassed　by　any　particular　views；　another　bias　equally　powerful　may　have　deflected　the　Frenchman　from　the　truth；　for　they　evidently　write　with　contrary　designs：　　the　Portuguese；　to　make　their　mission　seem　more　necessary；　endeavoured　to　place　in　the　strongest　light　the　differences　between　the　Abyssinian　and　Roman　Church；　but　the　great　Ludolfus；　laying　hold　on　the　advantage；　reduced　these　later　writers　to　prove　their　conformity。

Upon　the　whole；　the　controversy　seems　of　no　great　importance　to　those　who　believe　the　Holy　Scriptures　sufficient　to　teach　the　way　of　salvation；　but　of　whatever　moment　it　may　be　thought；　there　are　not　proofs　sufficient　to　decide　it。

His　discourses　on　indifferent　subjects　will　divert　as　well　as　instruct；　and　if　either　in　these；　or　in　the　relation　of　Father　Lobo；　any　argument　shall　appear　unconvincing；　or　description　obscure；　they　are　defects　incident　to　all　mankind；　which；　however；　are　not　too　rashly　to　be　imputed　to　the　authors；　being　sometimes；　perhaps；　more　justly　chargeable　on　the　translator。

In　this　translation；　if　it　may　be　so　called；　great　liberties　have　been　taken；　which；　whether　justifiable　or　not；　shall　be　fairly　confessed；　and　let　the　judicious　part　of　mankind　pardon　or　condemn　them。

In　the　first　part　the　greatest　freedom　has　been　used　in　reducing　the　narration　into　a　narrow　compass；　so　that　it　is　by　no　means　a　translation　but　an　epitome；　in　which；　whether　everything　either　useful　or　entertaining　be　comprised；　the　compiler　is　least　qualified　to　determine。

In　the　account　of　Abyssinia；　and　the　continuation；　the　authors　have　been　followed　with　more　exactness；　and　as　few　passages　appeared　either　insignificant　or　tedious；　few　have　been　either　shortened　or　omitted。

The　dissertations　are　the　only　part　in　which　an　exact　translation　has　been　attempted；　and　even　in　those　abstracts　are　sometimes　given　instead　of　literal　quotations；　particularly　in　the　first；　and　sometimes　other　parts　have　been　contracted。

Several　memorials　and　letters；　which　are　printed　at　the　end　of　the　dissertations　to　secure　the　credit　of　the　foregoing　narrative；　are　entirely　left　out。

It　is　hoped　that；　after　this　confession；　whoever　shall　compare　this　attempt　with　the　original；　if　he　shall　find　no　proofs　of　fraud　or　partiality；　will　candidly　overlook　any　failure　of　judgment。




PART　I　…　THE　VOYAGE　TO　ABYSSINIA




Chapter　I



The　author　arrives　after　some　difficulties　at　Goa。　　Is　chosen　for　the　Mission　of　Aethiopia。　　The　fate　of　those　Jesuits　who　went　by　Zeila。　　The　author　arrives　at　the　coast　of　Melinda。


I　embarked　in　March；　1622；　in　the　same　fleet　with　the　Count　Vidigueira；　on　whom　the　king　had　conferred　the　viceroyship　of　the　Indies；　then　vacant　by　the　resignation　of　Alfonso　Noronha；　whose　unsuccessful　voyage　in　the　foregoing　year　had　been　the　occasion　of　the　loss　of　Ormus；　which　being　by　the　miscarriage　of　that　fleet　deprived　of　the　succours　necessary　for　its　defence；　was　taken　by　the　Persians　and　English。　　The　beginning　of　this　voyage　was　very　prosperous：　　we　were　neither　annoyed　with　the　diseases　of　the　climate　nor　distressed　with　bad　weather；　till　we　doubled　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　which　was　about　the　end　of　May。　　Here　began　our　misfortunes；　these　coasts　are　remarkable　for　the　many　shipwrecks　the　Portuguese　have　suffered。　　The　sea　is　for　the　most　part　rough；　and　the　winds　tempestuous；　we　had　here　our　rigging　somewhat　damaged　by　a　storm　of　lightning；　which　when　we　had　repaired；　we　sailed　forward　to　Mosambique；　where　we　were　to　stay　some　time。　　When　we　came　near　that　coast；　and　began　to　rejoice　at　the　prospect　of　ease　and　refreshment；　we　were　on　the　sudden　alarmed　with　the　sight　of　a　squadron　of　ships；　of　what　nation　we　could　not　at　first　distinguish；　but　soon　discovered　that　they　were　three　English　and　three　Dutch；　and　were　preparing　to　attack　us。　　I　shall　not　trouble　the　reader　with　the　particulars　of　this　fight；　in　which；　though　the　English　commander　ran　himself　aground；　we　lost　three　of　our　ships；　and　with　great　difficulty　escaped　with　the　rest　into　the　port　of　Mosambique。

This　place　was　able　to　afford　us　little　consolation　in　our　uneasy　circumstances；　the　arrival　of　our　company　almost　caused　a　scarcity　of　provisions。　　The　heat　in　the　day　is　intolerable；　and　the　dews　in　the　night　so　unwholesome　that　it　is　almost　certain　death　to　go　out　with　one's　head　uncovered。　　Nothing　can　be　a　stronger　proof　of　the　malignant　quality　of　the　air　than　that　the　rust　will　immediately　corrode　both　the　iron　and　brass　if　they　are　not　carefully　covered　with　straw。　　We　stayed；　however；　in　this　place　from　the　latter　end　of　July　to　the　beginning　of　September；　when　having　provided　ourselves　with　other　vessels；　we　set　out　for　Cochim；　and　landed　there　after　a　very　hazardous　and　difficult　passage；　made　so　partly　by　the　currents　and　storms　which　separated　us　from　each　other；　and　partly　by　continual　apprehensions　of　the　English　and　Dutch；　who　were　cruising　for　us　in　the　Indian　seas。　　Here　the　viceroy　and　his　company　were　received　with　so　much　ceremony；　as　was　rather　troublesome　than　pleasing　to　us　who　were　fatigued　with　the　labours　of　the　passage；　and　having　stayed　here　some　time；　that　the　gentlemen　who　attended　the　viceroy　to　Goa　might　fit　out　their　vessels；　we　set　sail；　and　after　having　been　detained　some　time