3*8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



plaint to make. He is much fallen in efteem from what 

 he was formerly, chiefly from his own little intrigues, his 

 ignorance, avarice, and want of firmnefs. His greateft em- 

 ployment is in ordinations. A number of men and chil- 

 dren prefent themfelves at a diflance, and there Hand, from 

 humility, not daring to approach him. He then afks who 

 thefe are ? and they tell him that they want to be deacons. 

 On this, with a fmall iron crofs in his hand, after making 

 two or three figns, he blows with his mouth twice or thrice 

 upon them, faying, " Let them be deacons." I faw once all the 

 army of Begemder made deacons, j uft returned from fhedding 

 the blood of 10,000 men, thus drawn up in Aylo Meidan, and 

 the Abuna Handing at the church of St Raphael, about a 

 quarter of a mile diftant from them. With thefe were min- 

 gled about 1000 women, who confequently, having part of 

 the fame blafl and brandifhment of the crofs, were as good 

 deacons as the reft. 



The fame with regard to monks. A crowd of people, 

 when he is riding, will affemble within 500 yards of him, 

 and there begin a melancholy fong. He afks who thefe 

 men with beards are ? they tell him they want to be ordain- 

 ed monks. After the fame figns of the crofs, and three 

 blafts with his mouth, he orders them to be monks. But 

 in ordaining priefts, they muft be able to read a chapter of 

 St Mark, which they do in a language he does not under- 

 (tand a word of. They then give the Abuna a brick of fait, 

 to the value of perhaps fixpence, for their ordination ; 

 which, from this prefent given, the Jefuits maintained to be 

 Simoniacal. 



TlTE 



