a voyage to abyssinia-第19部分

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lack；　and　yellow；　they　have　a　wide　mouth；　with　which　they　draw　in　a　great　quantity　of　air；　and；　having　retained　it　some　time；　eject　it　with　such　force　that　they　kill　at　four　yards'　distance。　　I　only　escaped　by　being　somewhat　farther　from　him。　　This　danger；　however；　was　not　much　to　be　regarded　in　comparison　of　another　which　my　negligence　brought　me　into。　　As　I　was　picking　up　a　skin　that　lay　upon　the　ground；　I　was　stung　by　a　serpent　that　left　his　sting　in　my　finger；　I　at　least　picked　an　extraneous　substance　about　the　bigness　of　a　hair　out　of　the　wound；　which　I　imagined　was　the　sting。　　This　slight　wound　I　took　little　notice　of；　till　my　arm　grew　inflamed　all　over；　in　a　short　time　the　poison　infected　my　blood；　and　I　felt　the　most　terrible　convulsions；　which　were　interpreted　as　certain　signs　that　my　death　was　near　and　inevitable。　I　received　now　no　benefit　from　bezoar；　the　horn　of　the　unicorn；　or　any　of　the　usual　antidotes；　but　found　myself　obliged　to　make　use　of　an　extraordinary　remedy；　which　I　submitted　to　with　extreme　reluctance。　　This　submission　and　obedience　brought　the　blessing　of　Heaven　upon　me；　nevertheless；　I　continued　indisposed　a　long　time；　and　had　many　symptoms　which　made　me　fear　that　all　the　danger　was　not　yet　over。　　I　then　took　cloves　of　garlic；　though　with　a　great　aversion；　both　from　the　taste　and　smell。　　I　was　in　this　condition　a　whole　month；　always　in　pain；　and　taking　medicines　the　most　nauseous　in　the　world。　　At　length　youth　and　a　happy　constitution　surmounted　the　malignity；　and　I　recovered　my　former　health。

I　continued　two　years　at　my　residence　in　Tigre；　entirely　taken　up　with　the　duties　of　the　missionpreaching；　confessing；　baptising　and　enjoyed　a　longer　quiet　and　repose　than　I　had　ever　done　since　I　left　Portugal。　　During　this　time　one　of　our　fathers；　being　always　sick　and　of　a　constitution　which　the　air　of　Abyssinia　was　very　hurtful　to；　obtained　a　permission　from　our　superiors　to　return　to　the　Indies；　I　was　willing　to　accompany　him　through　part　of　his　way；　and　went　with　him　over　a　desert；　at　no　great　distance　from　my　residence；　where　I　found　many　trees　loaded　with　a　kind　of　fruit；　called　by　the　natives　anchoy；　about　the　bigness　of　an　apricot；　and　very　yellow；　which　is　much　eaten　without　any　ill　effect。　　I　therefore　made　no　scruple　of　gathering　and　eating　it；　without　knowing　that　the　inhabitants　always　peeled　it；　the　rind　being　a　violent　purgative；　so　that；　eating　the　fruit　and　skin　together；　I　fell　into　such　a　disorder　as　almost　brought　me　to　my　end。　　The　ordinary　dose　is　six　of　these　rinds；　and　I　had　devoured　twenty。

I　removed　from　thence　to　Debaroa；　fifty…four　miles　nearer　the　sea；　and　crossed　in　my　way　the　desert　of　the　province　of　Saraoe。　　The　country　is　fruitful；　pleasant；　and　populous；　there　are　greater　numbers　of　Moors　in　these　parts　than　in　any　other　province　of　Abyssinia；　and　the　Abyssins　of　this　country　are　not　much　better　than　the　Moors。

I　was　at　Debaroa　when　the　prosecution　was　first　set　on　foot　against　the　Catholics。　　Sultan　Segued；　who　had　been　so　great　a　favourer　of　us；　was　grown　old；　and　his　spirit　and　authority　decreased　with　his　strength。　　His　son；　who　was　arrived　at　manhood；　being　weary　of　waiting　so　long　for　the　crown　he　was　to　inherit；　took　occasion　to　blame　his　father's　conduct；　and　found　some　reason　for　censuring　all　his　actions；　he　even　proceeded　so　far　as　to　give　orders　sometimes　contrary　to　the　Emperor's。　　He　had　embraced　the　Catholic　religion；　rather　through　complaisance　than　conviction　or　inclination；　and　many　of　the　Abyssins　who　had　done　the　same；　waited　only　for　an　opportunity　of　making　public　profession　of　the　ancient　erroneous　opinions；　and　of　re…uniting　themselves　to　the　Church　of　Alexandria。　So　artfully　can　this　people　dissemble　their　sentiments　that　we　had　not　been　able　hitherto　to　distinguish　our　real　from　our　pretended　favourers；　but　as　soon　as　this　Prince　began　to　give　evident　tokens　of　his　hatred；　even　in　the　lifetime　of　the　Emperor；　we　saw　all　the　courtiers　and　governors　who　had　treated　us　with　such　a　show　of　friendship　declare　against　us；　and　persecute　us　as　disturbers　of　the　public　tranquillity；　who　had　come　into　Aethiopia　with　no　other　intention　than　to　abolish　the　ancient　laws　and　customs　of　the　country；　to　sow　divisions　between　father　and　son；　and　preach　up　a　revolution。

After　having　borne　all　sorts　of　affronts　and　ill…treatments；　we　retired　to　our　house　at　Fremona；　in　the　midst　of　our　countrymen；　who　had　been　settling　round　about　us　a　long　time；　imagining　we　should　be　more　secure　there；　and　that；　at　least　during　the　life　of　the　Emperor；　they　would　not　come　to　extremities；　or　proceed　to　open　force。　　I　laid　some　stress　upon　the　kindness　which　the　viceroy　of　Tigre　had　shown　to　us；　and　in　particular　to　me；　but　was　soon　convinced　that　those　hopes　had　no　real　foundation；　for　he　was　one　of　the　most　violent　of　our　persecutors。　　He　seized　upon　all　our　lands；　and；　advancing　with　his　troops　to　Fremona；　blocked　up　the　town。　　The　army　had　not　been　stationed　there　long　before　they　committed　all　sorts　of　disorders；　so　that　one　day　a　Portuguese；　provoked　beyond　his　temper　at　the　insolence　of　some　of　them；　went　out　with　his　four　sons；　and；　wounding　several　of　them；　forced　the　rest　back　to　their　camp。

We　thought　we　had　good　reason　to　apprehend　an　attack；　their　troops　were　increasing；　our　town　was　surrounded；　and　on　the　point　of　being　forced。　　Our　Portuguese　therefore　thought　that；　without　staying　till　the　last　extremities；　they　might　lawfully　repel　one　violence　by　another；　and　sallying　out　to　the　number　of　fifty；　wounded　about　three　score　of　the　Abyssins；　and　had　put　them　to　the　sword　but　that　they　feared　it　might　bring　too　great　an　odium　upon　our　cause。　　The　Portuguese　were　some　of　them　wounded；　but　happily　none　died　on　either　side。

Though　the　times　were　by　no　means　favourable　to　us；　every　one　blamed　the　conduct　of　the　viceroy；　and　those　who　did　not　commend　our　action　made　the　necessity　we　were　reduced　to　of　self…defence　an　excuse　for　it。　　The　viceroy's　principal　design　was　to　get　my　person　into　his　possession；　imagining　that　if　I　was　once　in　his　power；　all　the　Portuguese　would　pay　him　a　blind　obedience。　　Having　been　unsuccessful　in　his　attempt　by　open　force；　he　made　use　of　the　arts　of　negotiation；　but　with　an　event　not　more　to　his　satisfaction。　This　viceroy　being　recalled；　a　son…in…law　of　the　Emperor's　succeeded；　who　treated　us　even　worse　than　his　predecessor　had　done。

When　he　entered　upon　his　command；　he　loaded　us　with　kindnesses；　giving　us　so　many　assurances　of　his　protection　that；　while　the　Emperor　lived；　we　thought　him　one　of　our　friends；　but　no　sooner　was　our　protector　dead　than　this　man　pulled　off　his　mask；　and；　quitting　all　shame；　let　us　see　that　neither　the　fear　of　God　nor　any　other　consideration　was　capable　of　restraining　him　when　we　were　to　be　distressed。　　The　persecution　then　becoming　general；　there　was　no　longer　any　place　of　security　for　us　in　Abyssinia；　where　we　were　looked　upon　by　all　as　the　authors　of　all　the　civil　commotions；　and　many　councils　were　held　to　determine　in　what　manner　they　should　dispose　of　us。　　Several　were　of　opinion　that　the　best　way　would　be　to　kill　us　all　at　once；　and　affirmed　that　no　other　means　were　left　of　re…establishing　order　and　tranquillity　in　the　kingdom。

Others；　more　prudent；　were　not　for　putting　us　to　death　with　so　little　consideration；　but　advised　that　we　should　be　banished　to　one　of　the　isles　of　the　Lake　of　Dambia；　an　affliction　more　severe　than　death　itself。　　These　alleged　in　vindication　of　their　opinions　that　it　was　reasonable　to　expect；　if　they　put　us　to　death；　that　the　viceroy　of　the　Indies　would　come　with　fire　and　sword　to　demand　satisfaction。　　This　argument　made　so　great　an　impression　upon　some　of　them　that　they　thought　no　better　measures　could　be　taken　than　to　send　us　back　again　to　the　Indies。　　This　proposal；　however；　was　not　without　its　difficulties；　for　they　suspected　that　when　we　should　arrive　at　the　Portuguese　territories；　we　would　levy　an　army；　return　back　to　Abyssinia；　and　under　pretence　of　establishing　the　Catholic　religion　revenge　all　the　injuries　we　had　suffered。　　While　they　were　thus　deliberating　upon　our　fate；　we　were　imploring　the　succour　of　the　Almighty　with　fervent　and　humble　supplications；　entreating　him　in　the　midst　of　our　sighs　and　tears　that　he　would　not　suffer　his　own　cause　to　miscarry；　and　that；　however　it　might　please　him　to　dispose　of　our　liveswhich；　we　prayed；　he　would　assist　us　to　lay　down　with　patience　and　resignation　worthy　of　the　faith　for　which　we　were　persecutedhe　would　not　permit　our　enemies　to　triumph　over　the　truth。

Thus　we　passed　our　days　and　nights　in　prayers；　in　affliction；　and　tears；　continually　crowded　with　widows　and　orphans　that　subsisted　upon　our　charity　and　came　to　us　for　bread　when　we　had　not　any　for　ourselves。

While　we　were　in　this　distress　we　received　an　account　that　the　viceroy　of　the　Indies　had　fitted　out　a　powerful　fleet　against　the　King　of　Mombaza；　who；　having　thrown　off　the　authority　of　the　Portuguese；　had　killed　the　governor　of　the　fortress；　and　had　since　committed　many　acts　of　cruelty。　　The　same　fleet；　as　we　were　informed；　after　the　King　of　Mombaza　was　reduced；　was　to　burn　and　ruin　Zeila；　in　revenge　of　the　death　of　two　Portuguese　Jesuits　who　were　killed　by　the　King　in　the　year　1604。　　As　Zeila　was　not　far　from　the　frontiers　of　Abyssinia；　they　imagined　that　they　already　saw　the　Portuguese　invading　their　country。

The　viceroy　of　Tigre　had　inquired　of　me　a　few　days　before　how　many　men　one　India　ship　carried；　and　being　told　that　the　complement　of　some　was　a　thousand　men；　he　compared　that　answer　with　the　report　then　spread　over　all　the　country；　that　there　were　eighteen　Portuguese　vessels　on　the　coast　of　Adel；　and　concluded　that　they　were　manned　by　an　army　of　eighteen　thousand　men；　then　considering　what　had　been　achieved　by　four　hundred；　under　the　command　of　Don　Christopher　de　Gama；　he　thought　Abyssinia　already　ravaged；　or　subjected　to　the　King　of　Portugal。　　Many　declared　themselves　of　his　opinion；　and　the　court　took　its　measures　with　respect　to　us　from　these　uncertain　and　ungrounded　rumours。　　Some　were　so　infatuated　with　their　apprehensions　that　they　undertook　to　describe　the　camp　of　the　Portuguese；　and　affirmed　that　they　had　heard　the　report　of　their　cannons。

All　this