46o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



afk the patriarch why he difplaced Abuna Chriftodulus, and 

 appointed Abba Sanuda in his room, and defiring that Ab- 

 ba Maixus fliould be made Abuna, and Sanuda depofed. 

 The clergy met very pundually, and the patriarch's letter 

 was produced in the aflfembly, the feal examined, and de- 

 clared to be the patriarch's, and imbroken. The letter being 

 opened by the king's order, it contained the patriarch's man- 

 date to depofe Abba Sanuda, and to put Marcus Abuna in his 

 place, which was immediately done by command of the king,. 



While Yafous was thus bufied in dire«fling the affairs 

 of his kingdom with great wifdora and fuccefs, both in- 

 church and Hate, a matter was in agitation, unknown to 

 him, at a diflance from his dominions, which had a ten- 

 dency to tlirow them again into confufion. 



Towards the end of the lail century, there was fettled at 

 Cairo a number of Italian millionaries of the reformed 

 Order of St Francis^ who, though they lived in the fame 

 convent, and were maintained at the expence of the fa- 

 thers of the Holy Land, yet did they Hill pretend to be 

 independent of the guardian of Jerufalem, the fuperior of 

 thefe latten. 



The expence of their maintenance, joined with their pre- 

 tenfions to independence, gave great offence to thofe religi- 

 ous of the Holy Land, who thereupon carried their com^ 

 plaints to Rome, offering to be at the whole charge of the 

 miffion of Egypt, and to furnifli from their own fociety 

 fubjeds capable of attending to, and extending the Chrif- 

 tian faith. This offer met with the defired fuccefs at 

 Rome. The miffion of Egypt, to the cxclufion of every 



other 



