NEW EMPIRB OF ABYSSINIA. 211 



affected with heterodoxy. The uppfr commerce of Goiidar belonged to this sect, 

 whofe ideas, little dangerous to the stale, offended the Negus. He assembled at 

 <Tondar a council, over which he presided, and where tlie dissenters argued warmly 

 against the ignorant Morina and his orthodox courtiers. Tlieodore resumed the 

 discussion, and asked the people of Azngo : "Do you recognize the Aborina, yes 

 or no, as your legularly appointed head ?" " Yes," answered they without hesita- 

 tion. "Id that case, nny children," replied the Negus, "you are seditious persons 

 if you think otherwise than the Aborina, the regular bead of the church, and I, 

 the temporal protector of the same church. Go, therefore, and abjure your error, 

 or else the executioner will cut off your heads on this very spot." In fact, the 

 executioner of the state was there, armed with his heavy sword. The dissidents, 

 flut of countenance, observed that some time was requisite for such an action, and 

 requested three days for reflection. Theodore granted them, dismissed the assem- 

 bly, and had them contiQed in the council chamber without provisions and without 

 water. I have not heard that any one of them waited until the ev.-iiing of the 

 second day to abjure. It is said, an 1 I e?.sily believe that they abjured oidy with 

 their lips. There is in the mountains near Gondar a half savage race, but timid 

 and inoffensive, the last remains of a population which probably preceded the 

 present Abyssiiiians in the possession of the soil. The Kamautes, (this is the 

 name of the tribe) practice, under (he shelter of their forests, a mysterious 

 paganism, and have no other employment but that of supplying the capital with 

 the needful amount of firewood. Theodore thuught once of having them baptised 

 by force and en mast»e; but a courtier, to whom he communicated this idea, judi- 

 ciously observed to him : " that whenever the Kamant'^s' became Christian-^, they 

 would be the equals of the other Abyssinians, and would disdain to bring any longer 

 their fagots to the city, so that Gondar would be no longer inhabitable" This 

 worldly prudence saved these poor people from an unprovoked persecution. 

 About thiee years ago, the French government demanded, by the voice of its 

 Consul, the free preaching of the Roman Catholic religion in his empire. Theo- 

 dore answered by a curious letter, the meaning of which is as follows: '■ It is 

 truly scandalous for Christianity that it should be divided into five or six hostile 

 communities, whilst Islamism presents a well disciplined body. Why should not 

 an oecumenical council be held to draw up a doctrine which all the Christian 

 world should be bound to adopt? The pontiffs holding the five equal patriar- 

 chates of Christianity, Alexandria, Antiocb, Kome, Constantinople and Jerusalem, 

 would settle without dispute the question of knowing whether the church ought 

 to have a head, and if this head should be at Rome or somewhere else. I am 

 ready to submit to the decrees of such a council ; but until it is convoked, I will 

 remaiu in my ancient faith, which is that of my fathers, and I will not allow any 

 other to be preached, for there ought not to be two religions in a well governed 

 state." Faithful to this programme, Theodore permits no attack against the 

 ofiicial church, whether it comes from the Protestants or from the Catholics. 

 While showing his obedience to the national church, Theodore considers himself 

 bound m no respects to a clergy whose influence hinders his policy, and whose 

 head, Aboxina Salama, is an incorrigible and notorious conspirator. Salama, 

 during the six first years of hjs pontificate, treated the Abyssinian princes with 



