and were every day relaxing in discipline, total ignorance was likely to follow their separation from their primitive church, and this could not end but in a relapse into Paganism, or in their embracing the religion of Mahomet.

The prohibition of making any of their country. men Abuna, secured them always a man of foreign education and attachments to fill this important station, and thus secured the dependence of the Abyssinians upon the patriarch of Alexandria. This is what I judge probable; for I have already invincibly shewn, that it is impossible this canon could be one of the first general Council; and its being in Arabic, and conceived in very barbarous terms, sufficiently evinces that it was forged for some particular purpose.

IGBA SION.

From 1283 to 1312.

Quick Succession of Princes-Memoirs of these Reigns defective.

To Icon Amlac succeeded Igba Sion, and after him five other princes, his brothers, Bahar Segued, Tzenaf Segued, Jan Segued, Haseb Araad, and Kedem Segued, all in five years. So quick a succession in so short a period seems to mark very unsettled times*. Whether it was a civil war which brought these reigns to so speedy a conclusion, or the Moorish states in Adel had grown in power, and fought successfully against them, we do not know. One thing only is certain, that no molestation was offered by the late royal family of Lasta, who continued in peace, and firm in the observation of their treaty. A civil war among the brothers was probably the occasion of the quick succession of so many princes; and that in the time when the kingdom was weakened by this calamity, the states of Adel, grown rich and powerful, had improved the opportunity, and seized upon all that territory from Azab

The reason why nothing more except the names and respective reigns of these princes is known, is owing to the large defect already mentioned in the national history. Their names, reigns, and deaths, are from the small chronicle. E.

to Melinda, cutting off the Abyssinians entirely from the sea-coast, and from an opportunity of trading directly with India from the ports situated upon the ocean. And my reason is, that, in a reign which speedily follows, we find the kingdom of Adel increased greatly in power, and Moorish princes from Arabia established in little principalities, exactly corresponding with the southern limits of Abyssinia, and placed between them and the ocean; and we see, at the same time, a rancour and hatred firmly rooted in the breasts of both nations, one of the causes of which is constantly alledged by the Abyssinian princes to be, that the Moors of Adel were anciently their subjects and vassals, had withdrawn themselves from their allegiance, and owed their present independence to rebellion only.

To these princes succeeded Wedem Araad, their youngest brother, who reigned fifteen years, probably in peace; for in this state we find the kingdom in the days of his successor; but then it is such a peace, that we see it only wanted any sort of provocation from one party to the other, for both to break out into very cruel, long, and bloody wars.

AMDA SION.

From 1312 to 1342.

Licentious beginning of this King's Reign-His rigorous Conduct with the Monks of Debra Libanos-His Mahometan Subjects rebel-Mara and Adel declare War-Are defeated in several Battles, and submit.

AMDA Sion succeeded his father, Wedem Araad, who was youngest brother of Icon Amlac, and came to the crown upon the death of his uncles. He is generally known by this his inauguration name; his Christian name was Guebra Mascal. His reign began with a scene as disgraceful to the name of Christian as new in the annals of Ethiopia, and which promised a character very different from what this prince preserved ever afterwards. He had for some time, privately, loved a concubine of his father, but had now taken her to live with him publicly; and, not content with committing this sort of incest, he, in a very little time after, had seduced his two sisters.

*

Tegulat (the capital of Shoa) was then the royal residence; and near it is the monastery of Debra Libanos, founded by Tecla Haimanout, restorer of the line of Solomon. To this monastery many men, eminent for learning and religion, had retired from the scenes of war that desolated Palestine and Egypt. Among the number of these was one Honorius, a Monk of the first character for piety, who since has been canonized as a saint. Honorius thought it his

The city of Wolves, or Hyænas.

duty first to admonish, and then publicly excommunicate, the king for these crimes.

It would seem that patience was as little among this prince's virtues as chastity. He immediately ordered Honorius to be apprehended, stripped naked, and severely whipped through every street of his capital. That same night the town taking fire, was entirely consumed; and the clergy lost no time to persuade the people, that it was the blood of Honorius that turned to flame, whenever it had dropped upon the ground. The king, less credulous, perhaps better informed, thought otherwise of this, and supposed the burning of his capital to be owing to the monks themselves. He therefore banished those of Debra Libanos out of the province of Shoa.

The mountain of Geshen had been chosen for the prison wherein to guard the princes of the male-line of the race of Solomon, after the massacre by Esther*, upon the rock Damo in Tigré.

It is a very steep and high rock, in the kingdom of Amhara, adjoining to, and under the jurisdiction of Shoa. Hither the king sent Philip the Itcheguè, chief of the monastery of Debra Libanos; and he scattered the rest through Dembea, Tigré, and Begemder (whose inhabitants were mostly Pagans and Jews), where they greatly propagated the knowledge of the Christian religion.

This instance of severity in the king had the effect to make all ranks of people return to their duty; and all talk of Honorius and his miracles was dropt. The town was rebuilt speedily more magnificently than ever; and Amda Sion found time to turn his thoughts

*She had several names, as I have before said; Judith in Tigré, and in Ambara, Esther,