THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 69 



convent. He alfo obtained ft'om the Pope * a convent for 

 the Abyffinians at Rome, which to this day is appropriated 

 to them, though it is very feldora that either there, or 

 even at Jerufalem, there are now any Abyffinians. By his 

 defire, and in his nam-e, ambafTadors (u e. priefts from Jeru- 

 falem) were fcnt by Abba Nicodemus, the then Superior, 

 who affifted at the council of Florence, where, however, 

 they adhered to the opinion of the Greek church about the 

 proceeding of the Holy Glioll, which created a fchifm be- 

 tween the Greek and Latin churches. Tliis embafTy was 

 thought of confequence enough to be the fubjea: of a 

 painting in the Vatican, and to this picture we owe the 

 knowledge of fuch an embafTy having been font. 



The mild reign of the laft Soldan of Egypt fccms gi'eat- 

 ly to have favoured the difpofition of Zara Jacob, in main- 

 taining- an intercourfc with Europe and Afia. And it is for 

 the firft time now in this reign that we read of a difpute 

 upon religion with the Franks, or Frangi, a name wliich. 

 afterwards became more odious and fatal to whomfoever 

 it was applied. Abba George is faid to have difputed before 

 the king upon fome point of his religion, and to have 

 confuted his opponent even to conviction. We are not in- 

 formed of the name of Abba George's antagonift, but he is 

 thought to have been a Venetian painter f, who lived many 

 years after in Abyilinia, and, it is believed, died there; From 

 this time, however, in ?Jmoft every, reign,, there appear, 

 marks of a party formed in favour of the church of Rome,, 

 which probably had its firft rife from the Abyilinian em- 



baffy to the council of Florence. 



Although 



" St Stefaoo ia Rotondls. . + Francifco de Branca Leoiu 



