720 Report on Shoa [No. 140. 



him, that if he would only lend his assistance in burning the monkish 

 books, and hanging the worthy fathers themselves upon tall trees, he 

 might be seated upon the imperial throne of his ancestors. But the 

 general despising the offer, and resting confidence in the firelocks of the 

 Portuguese, rushed to the attack. The combat raged fiercely for a time. 

 Four hundred monks devoting themselves to death, carried destruction 

 through the royal host ; but the tide of victory set at length in his favor, 

 and after a fearful carnage on either side, he found himself master of the 

 field. 



Great rejoicings at court followed the news of this success. Peter 

 declared that heaven, by the extermination of his enemies, had given the 

 desired sign, that the Roman Catholic should be the religion of the land, 

 and the emperor, who partly from fear of his subjects, and partly from 

 dislike to relinquish his supernumerary wives and concubines, had not as 

 yet publicly professed the Latin religion, now openly embraced the faith, 

 and confessed his sins to the triumphant Jesuit. 



A letter containing the royal sentiments was published for the benefit 

 of the nation. " The king henceforth obeys the Pope of Rome, the 

 successor of St. Peter, chief of the Apostles, who could neither err in doc- 

 trine nor in conduct, and all subjects are hereby advised to adopt the 

 same creed." And the missionary who now reasonably imagined, that 

 the work was satisfactorily concluded, wrote to the courts of Rome and 

 Lisbon, requesting that a Patriarch and twenty ecclesiastics might be 

 immediately sent to the vineyard, adding, that although the harvest was 

 plentiful, the labourers were but few. 



The happy tidings were received by Philip the Fourth of Spain ; Mutio 

 Vitelesse, the general of Jesuits offered to proceed in person, but the 

 Pope refused permission, as had been the case with his predecessor 

 Loyola, and Alphonse Mendez, a learned doctor of the Society of Jesus, 

 was inaugurated at Lisbon with all the customary solemnities. 



After suffering much difficulty and delay in his passage, the Portuguese 

 Patriarch at length arrived on the Danakil coast, with a large train of 

 priests, servants, masons, and musicians. The same greediness and cu- 

 pidity were experienced amongst the savage Adaiel, that the traveller finds 

 at the present day : baseness and avarice having stamped their character 

 for generations ; but the troubles of a weary march were soon forgotten 

 in the cordial reception which awaited the party at the royal camp, and 



