49 2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



the language unknown, not only to him, but likewife to 

 every province in Abyflinia, except Tigre ; fo that it would 

 have coft him no more pains to teach the nation the Greek 

 character and Greek language, than to have tranflated the 

 New Teftament into Ethiopic, ufmg the Geez character, 

 which was equally unknown, unlcfs in Tigre. The faving 

 of time and labour would have been very material to him ; 

 he would have uied the whole fcriptures, as received in his 

 own church, and the Greek letter and language would have 

 been jufl as eafily attained in Amhara as the Geez ; and 

 thofe people, even of the province of Tigre, that had not 

 yet learned to read, would have written the Greek charac- 

 ter as eafdy as their own. I do not know that fo early there 

 was any Arabic tranflation of the Old Teftament ; if there 

 was, the fame reafons would have militated for his preferring 

 this ; and ftill he had but the New Teftament to undertake. 

 But having found the books of the Old Teftament already 

 tranflated into Geez, this altered the cafe ; and he, very pro- 

 perly, continued the gofpel in that language and letter al- 

 fo, that it might be a teftimony for the Chriftians, and againft 

 the Jews, as it was intended. 



G K"'" **££ 



CHAP. 



