gle was maintained between the people and its monarchs, the former appearing to have been uniformly averse from the doctrines which the Jesuits attempted to introduce. After the expulsion of these priests, the Abyssinian Empire seems to have enjoyed an interval of rest; the seat of government became settled at Gondar, which was built by Facilidas;[1] and the court regained a considerable portion of its former splendour, as appears by the testimony of Mons. Poncet, a French traveller, who visited the country in 1699. Fortunately for the success of his mission, this gentleman lost his companion, Father Brevedent, a Franciscan friar, on the way, whose purpose, like that of his predecessors, would in all probability have occasioned their destruction.
The Society of the Propaganda had not yet, however, given up its views on Abyssinia; for so late as the year 1750, a fresh mission was sent into the country, consisting of three Franciscan friars named P. Remedio and Martino of Bohemia, and Antonio of Aleppo, who succeeded in penetrating as far as Gondar in the time of Yasous[2] the Second, where they rose into great favour with that Emperor, as well as with the Queen-mother or Iteghé,[3] and many of the principal noblemen about the court. The account of this mission is contained in the MS. of an Italian Journal, now in the possession of Lord Valentia. On first meeting with this narrative, I was led to doubt its authenticity, from not having seen any notice of such a mission either in Mr. Bruce's travels or elsewhere: but I have subsequently ascertained several circumstances, which seem to place its credit beyond dispute; these consist of the correct
- ↑ The court during the preceding reigns had successively resided at Coja, Ibaba, Gorgora, Dancaz, Kaha, &c., as circumstances rendered most convenient.
- ↑ The Emperor Yasous reigned from 29 to 53, as is rightly stated in Mr. Bruce, Vol. IV. Mr. Murray has, by mistake, fixed his death to 6th June, 1745, which is incorrect.
- ↑ This was the Iteghé Welleta Georgis, who afterwards proved herself so great a friend to Mr. Bruce during his stay in the country. Bruce himself notices in Vol. IV. p. 101, "that she had warm attachment to the Catholic religion in her heart;" and there appears to be a confused account of the disturbance occasioned by the arrival of these priests in Vol. IV. p. 111-117, where the event is evidently misdated.
