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EASTERN CHUECHES. 



worshipped by them, soon made his authority felt ; 

 and, had not Theodore risen from obscurity, Abouna 

 Salama would, no doubt, have been the Hildebrand 

 of Abyssinia. 



During the campaigns of Lij Kassa against the 

 ruler of Godjam, and during that period of revolution 

 ending in the overthrow of Ras Ali, Abouna Salama 

 retired to his property in Tigre, residing there in 

 peace under the protection of his friend Oubie, Ever 

 since his arrival in Abyssinia Abouna Salama had 

 shown the bitterest opposition to the Koman Catho- 

 lics, an enmity not so much engendered by convic- 

 tion, perhaps, as inflamed by the fact that some of 

 his property had been seized at Jeddah at the instiga- 

 tion of some Roman Catholic priests, who had, 

 through his influence, been plundered, ill-treated, 

 and expelled from Abyssinia. When the intelligence 

 reached the Abouna that Lij Kassa was marching 

 against Tigre', he publicly excommunicated him, on 

 the ground that Kassa was the friend of the Roman 

 Catholics, protected their bishop, De Jacobis, and 

 wanted to subvert in favor of the creed of Rome the 

 religion of the land. But Kassa was a match for the 

 Abouna: he denied the charge, and at the same^time 

 stated " if Abouna Salama could excommunicate, 

 Abouna de Jacobis could remove it." _The bishop, 

 alarmed at the influence his enemies might possibly 

 obtain, offered to recall his anathema, on condition 

 that Kassa would expel De Jacobis. These terms hav- 

 ing been agreed upon, Abouna Salama shortly after- 

 ward consented to place the crown of Abyssinia on 

 the usurper's head, and did so in the very church 

 Cubic* had erected for his own coronation, under the 

 name of Theodore the Second. Pleased with the 

 bishop's compliance with his wishes, Theodore 

 showed him the utmost respect. He carried his 

 chair, or walked behind him with a lance and shield 

 as if he was nothing but a follower of his, and on 

 all fit occasions fell down on the ground in his pres- 

 ence and respectfully kissed his hand. Abouna 

 Salama for a time believed that his influence over 

 Theodore was as unbounded as it had been over Ras 

 Ali and Oubie*. He mistook Theodore's show of 

 humility for sincere admiration and devotion ; and 

 the more Theodore seemed disposed to humility, the 

 more arrogant did the bishop publicly show himself. 

 But he had not quite understood the character of the 

 Emperor he had anointed ; and, overrating his own 

 importance, made of Theodore at last an open and 

 relentless enemy. The crisis came when Abouna 

 Salama least expected it. One day Theodore went 

 in state to pay him his respects. Arrived at the 

 Abouna's tent, he informed him of his visit ; the 

 bishop ^ sent word that he would receive him when 

 convenient, and meanwhile bade him remain without. 

 Theodore complied, but, as time passed and the bishop 

 made no appearance, Theodore walked away, the 

 enemy of his prelate, and burning for revenge. 



For years afterward they lived in open enmity, or 

 enmity slightly masked. Each worked hard at the 

 destruction of the other. If Theodore's reign had 

 been a peaceful one, the Abouna would have won the 

 day ; but, surrounded as the Emperor was by a large 

 army of devoted followers, he found ready listeners 

 to his descriptions of the bishop's character. Abouna 

 Salama was never very popular; he was, without 

 being a miser, far from liberal. Friendship in Abys- 

 sinia means presents ; it is accepted as such by all ; 

 and every chief, every man of note, who courts popu- 

 larity, squanders with an unsparing hand. The King 

 naturally took advantage of this want of liberality in 



e bishop's character, to contrast it with his own 

 generosity. He insinuated that he was only a mer- 

 chant at heart ; that, instead of selling the tribute he 

 received in kind to the people of the country, as was 

 lormorly the custom, he sent it by caravans to Mas- 

 sowah, trafficked with the Turks, and hoarded all his 

 money in Egypt. Little by little Theodore worked 

 on the minds of his people, impressing them with 

 the idea that, after all, the Abouna was only a man 



like themselves ; and at least in Theodore's camp 

 the Abouna had already lost much of his prestige, 

 when the Emperor spread ^he report that his honor 

 had been assailed by the bishop they all worshipped. 



Dr. Blank heard from Theodore himself the details 

 of his grievance, which was no less than the seduc- 

 tion of his wife by the Abouna, a story which, in the 

 opinion of Dr. Blank, was an abominable invention. 



Abouna Salama lost credit, though, perhaps, few 

 people believed the Emperor's assertion. In public 

 Theodore always still treated him with respect, 

 though not with such a great show of humility as 

 before ; but he evidently, for the sake of his people, 

 made a distinction between the official character of 

 the Abouna, respecting it on account of his Christian 

 faith, and his private one, for which he expressed the 

 greatest scorn. 



For a long while the question of the Church lands 

 was a great deal discussed between them. Theodore 

 could not tolerate any power in the state but his own. 

 When he thought the occasion favorable to do away 

 entirely with his power and influence, he confiscated 

 all the Church lands and revenues some of the 

 bishop's hereditary property by the same stroke 

 and placed himself virtually at the head of the 

 Church. The Abouna's anger knew no bounds. Nat- 

 urally of a violent temper, he grossly abused Theo- 

 dore on every occasion. Some of their quarrels were 

 most unbecoming the intense hatred burning in 

 the prelate's heart showing itself in expressions that 

 ought never to have fallen from his lips. The Bishop 

 of Abyssinia was never tolerant. I nave mentioned 

 that toward Roman Catholics he was most intolerant. 

 He persecuted them at every opportunity, and even 

 when himself a prisoner at Magdala he never moved 

 to obtain the release of an unfortunate Abyssinian 

 who had been years before cast into chains at his in- 

 stigation, for the sole reason that he had visited 

 Rome, and had become a convert there. Toward 

 Protestants he was better inclined; still, he would 

 not hear of "conversions." Missionaries might in- 

 struct, but they had to stop there ; and when, as it 

 happened, some Jews were made by the teachings of 

 the missionaries to accept Christianity, they had to 

 be baptized and received as members of the Abys- 

 sinian Church. 



The Abouna left Azzazoo with the King's camp 

 after the rainy season of 1864. A serious rebellion 

 had broken out in Shoa, and Theodore was greatly 

 annoyed at the bishop's refusal to accompany him. 

 The Shoa people are of all Abyssinians the most big- 

 oted, and have the greatest regard for their Abouna. 

 With him in his camp many of the opposing chiefs 

 would at once have laid down their arms and returned 

 to their allegiance. But the bishop, who had in view 

 his fertile districts in Tigre, proposed to accompany 

 Theodore first to that province ; and, after the rebel- 

 lion had been put down in that part of the kingdom, 

 proceed with him to Shoa. Their interview on that 

 occasion was very stormy, and Theodore must have 

 had great command over himself to have refrained 

 from extremities. Abouna Salama remained at Mag- 

 dala, according to his desire, but a prisoner. He was 

 never put in chains, though it is said that Theodore 

 had several times resolved it should be done, and 

 had even the fetters prepared. However, he was al- 

 ways restrained by dread of the effect that measure 

 might have on his people. The bishop was allowed 

 to go as far as the church, should he desire it, but at ' 

 night a small guard always watched outside his 

 house ; sometimes even some of the soldiers passed 

 the night in the Abouna's apartment. Almost all his 

 servants were spies of the King. He could trust no 

 one, except a few of his slaves young Gallas given 

 to him in former days by Theodore and a Copt, 

 who, with some priests, had accompanied the Patri- 

 arch David on his visit to Abyssinia. 



After the bishop's reconciliation with Samuel, our 

 relations with him were more frequent and intimate. 

 He was at all times willing to help us to the best of 



