THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ^6f 



ly confenting that Verfeau, and five other Jefuits, fhoukl 

 without delay pafs into Abyflinia. 



But it very foon appeared, that, however this might be 

 the language of the pope, nothing could be more remote 

 from his intentions ; for, without the knowledge of the Je- 

 fuits, or any way confulting them, he appointed the fupe- 

 rior of the Francifcans to be his legate a latere to the king 

 of Abyflinia, and provided him with prefents to that prince, 

 and the chief noblemen of his court. 



Some time afterwards, when, to prevent ftrife or concur- 

 rence, the Jefuits applied to the pope to receive his diredions 

 which of the two fhould firft attempt to enter Abyflinia, the 

 Francifcans, or their own Order, the pope anfwered fliortly. 

 That it fliould be thofe who were moft expert. Whether this 

 apparent indifpofition of his Holinefs intimidated Verfeau is 

 not known ; but, inftead of going to Cairo, he went to Con- 

 ftantinople, thence to Syria, to a convent of his Order of which 

 he was fuperior, and there he ftaid. So that the Ethiopic 

 mifllon at Cairo remained in the hands of two perfons of 

 difl'erent Orders, the one Pafchal, an Italian Francifcan friar, 

 the other a Jefuit and Frenchman, whofe name was Breve- 

 dent. 



Brevedent was a perfon of the moft diftinguiflied piety 

 and probity, zealous in promoting his religion, but nei- 

 ther imprudent nor rafli in his demonftrations of it ; afla- 

 ble in his carriage, chearful in his difpofition, of the moll 

 profound humility and exemplary patience. Befides this, 

 he was reputed a man of good tafte and knowledge in pro- 

 fane learning, and, what crowned all, an excellent mathe- 



YoL. II. 3 N matician. 



