204 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIX, 
Thy prudence must not wonder that our worthiness lets 
itself be called by the title of Priest: indeed, we have at our 
court many servants with dignities, titles and functions pertain- 
ing to the ecclesiastical state, and honoured with even higher 
dignity than we in the divine ministrations. Thus, our butler 
is a Primate and King; our cupbearer is an Archbishop and 
King; our chamberlain, a Bishop and King: our mareschal, an 
Archimandrite and King; our headcook, a King and Abbot. 
Hence, our highness does not let itself be called by names and 
orders of which our court is full. And so, out of humility, 
we choose to be called by a higher title and a lower rank.! 
canst count the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea, 
number also our dominions and reckon our power. 
Thus far Prester John. We add Assemani’s comments on 
some features of this rodomontade, worthy of an Eastern 
potentate. 
“It appears from this letter, first, that he wished to visit 
the Lord’s sepulchre with a great army; secondly, that, when 
he wrote, he had fixed at Susae the seat of his kingdom; 
thirdly, that he had at his court many Bishops, Archbishops, 
and Archimandrites; fourthly, that out of humility he used 
the name of Priest, rejecting the titles of Archbishop, Bishop. 
and Abbot. As regards the pompous title of Patriarch of St. 
Thomas, Protopapas of Salmagantum, and Archprotopapas of 
ese 
» P- 2 vee 
same custom prevailed among the Christians of Ethiopia. 
calling nowadays the Patriarch of Alexandria, whom they re- 
gard as a supreme Pontiff, by the name of Lika Papasath.’ By 
the Protopapas of Salmagantum understand Salmasa in Media ; 
by the Archprotopapas of Susae, the Prelate of Susae in Elamis, 
about which see pp. 421, 423, and 424. What we hear about 
the body of St. Thomas in Further India, about the body of 
l Stic. ** Be idcirco altitudo nostra non est passa vocari eisdem 
magis eligit nuncupari. 
2 
‘ompare with what we noted above in conrection with Mar John’s. 
account (Document 1) and his title of Patriarch. 
