loS TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



degree of profperity and power, that little ufe remained fot 

 fuch an ally as the king of Abylfinia. 



The Moorifh trade and navigation to India had already 

 received a fatal blow, as well from the Portuguefe them- 

 felves, as from the fall of the Mamalukes in Egypt ; and So- 

 liman, and his fervant Sinan Baflia, by their conqueft, and 

 introducing foldiers who had not any idea or talent for trade, 

 but only plunder and rapine, had given a finifhing ftroke 

 to what the difcovery of the Gape of Good Hope began. The 

 filling Arabia with fire-arms and Turks was now of confe- 

 quence to none but to David ; and of fuch a confequence it 

 had been, that, as we have feen, in the courfe of 12 years it 

 had left him nothing in Abylfinia but the bare name of 

 king, and a life fo precarious that it could not be counted 

 upon from one day's end to the other. 



David had detained in Ahyffinia two Portuguefe, one call- 

 ed Mafter John, the other Lazarus d'Andrad a painter, being 

 two of Don Roderigo's train that came from the Indies with 

 him. The Abuna (Mark) was become old and incapable, 

 and, fince the Turkifh conqueft of Eg^^pt, very indifferent 

 to, and unconnected with, what pafled at Cairo. Before he 

 died, at the king's defire he had appointed John his fuccef- 

 for, and accordingly ordained liim Abuna, as well as having 

 firft given him all the inferior orders at once ; for John was 

 a layman and ftudent in phyfic; a very fimple creature, but 

 a great bigot.; and we ftiall from henceforward call him 

 John Bermudes. 



John vei^ willingly confented to his ordination, pro- 

 vided the pope approved of it ; and he fet out for Rome, 



not 



