NEW EMPIRE OF ABYSSTNIA. 141 



JaaA to deal, and thought he could treat Theodore as his predecessors had treated 

 t^ indolent and weak kings of Gondar, He proceeded so far that the Negua, 

 ■without saying a word, drew a pistol from his girdle and capped it, then aiming 

 at the terrified patriarch said calmly : " My Father, bless me ! " Darid fell on his 

 Jbwe?, and, with trembling hand, gave the required benediction. Even this lesson 

 did not cure him ; another day he spoke of excommunication, a serious measure, 

 far a revolution might be its result. The Kegus then begged Salama, the head of 

 hie olmrch, to remove the ban of excommunication, and he, perfectly understand- 

 ing the imperative nature of this prayer, hastened to comply with it. Theodore 

 iiad assigned to each of the prelates, not far from his pavilion, a zeriba or enclo- 

 Bore of thorns, where they were to a certain extent in confinement, although 

 ©Jirroiinded with attentions and obsequious respect. David, upon the threshold 

 ®f Ms door, stretched forth a menacing arm towards the tent of the Negus, and 

 iproaounced the canonical excommunication, to which Salama, from the middle of 

 Hs Eeriba, replied by a veto not less legal. Thereupon, the patriarch turning 

 towards his suffragan, proudly told him that he was his superior, and that what 

 ise liad bound no man could unloose. " You are my superior at Alexandria " 

 ««plied Salama ; " but in Abyssiaia you are nothing and I am everything 1 " 

 *' Kebellious priest " said David, " I excommunicate you with your master ! '* 

 ^^ And I excommunicate you also " said the abouna, " And my excommunication 

 ^8 alone valid." In short, for two hours,, the dreaded formula flew from one 

 .sterifeflt to the other, to the gi'eat scandal of the soldiers, who did not know which 

 lii tJiese two infallible arbiters of the faith to believe. The Negus Avas not sorry 

 to give the soldiers this practical lesson in scepticism, and to ruin, in their minds, 

 a power which he dreaded for the future. When he thought the scandalous scene 

 Jjad lasted long enough he put a stop to it. The Patriarch David returned to 

 C/ffliro without having accomplished anything. By way of reprisal, he caused 

 everything that the Abyssinians possessed in Jerusalem to be seized, that is to 

 say, the monastery founded by the ancient Ethiopian kings for pilgrims of that 

 nation going to the Holy Land. The monastery and all its appurtenances were 

 Bold to the Russian bishop of Jerusalem for 60,000 dollars, which found their way 

 arato the patriarch's coffers. The Abyssinian monks cried out against the spolia- 

 tion, but the Pacha of Jerusalem, gained over, it is said, by a timely bakshish, 

 put them in irons and consecrated the spoliation for which the Negus has never 

 forgiven the Copts and their Mahommedan patrons. 



During these, fruitless negotiations with Egypt, the Tigreen revolt suddenly 

 aisBumed the dignity of a diplomatic question and entered a new phase. From 

 Ms retreat in Halai, Mgr. de Jacobis, had patiently waited for an occasion to strike 

 & serious blow at the persecuting power, which it is well known, he never acknow- 

 tedged. The revolt in Tigre appeared to him to be vigorously carried on, and 

 he did not hesitate to enter into it, giving it a religious and political character 

 not yet apparent. In order to feel his way he sent to Negousie an obscure agent 

 ta ask him, now that he possessed the whole of Oubie's former territory, for the 

 Teligious liberty which Oubie had voluntarily granted to the Catholics. This 

 ■overture, which had nothing compromising in it, was well received by the young 

 pretender, who easily saw the advantage to be derived from it ; he replied by 



