TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



fS^ 



W E D E M A S F E R I. 



From 1370 to 1 380. 

 Memoirs of this and the following Keign defeElivc. 



WE know nothing of this prince, only that he fucceeS- 

 ed his father Saif Araad, and reigned ten years ; yet 

 his name, which figniiies lover ofwar^ feems to indicate an ac- 

 tive reign. It is remarkable, that in this reign is firft men- 

 tioned an sera of Abyffinian chronology, which has veiy 

 much puzzled feveral learned writers, and the origin of 

 which is not, perhaps, yet fully known. This is that epoch, 

 called that of Maharat, or Mercy, which Scaliger and Ludolf 

 have called the cera of grace. Scaliger fays, he has toiled 

 much before he found out what it was ; and I doubt his 

 toil has not been bleiTcd with all the fuccefs we could wifh. 

 That it is not the asra of redemption, is plain upon a hun- 

 dred trials, nor of the converfion, nor of Dioclefian. What 

 it alludes to we know not, but it is iirfl quoted in the Abyf- 

 ffinian hillory in this reign, and anfwers to the year 1348 

 of Chrift ; but from what event it had its origin we cannot 

 pofitively fay, nor further, than that all which Scaliger has 

 laid concerning it is merely vifionary. 



I DAVID 



