$o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



wife is not known, which occafioned his death. Having, a 

 few moments before he died, recollected that his face was 

 turned on a. different fide from the kingdom of Adel, he or- 

 dered himfelf to be fhifted in his bed, and placed fo as to 

 look directly towards it, (a token how much his heart was 

 fet upon its deflruction) and in that pofture he expired. 



He was a prince of great bravery and conduct ; very mo- 

 derate in all his pleafures; of great devotion; zealous for 

 the eflablifhed church, but fleady in refilling the monks and 

 other, clergy in all their attempts towards perfecution, in- 

 novation, and independency. Many flories have been pro- 

 pagated of his inclination to the Catholic religion, and of 

 his averfion to having an Abuna. from Egypt; and it is faid, 

 that, during his whole reign, he obflinately perfifled in re- 

 fufing to fuffer any Abuna in his kingdom. But thefe are 

 fables invented by the Bortuguefe priefts, who came into 

 Abyflinia fome time afterwards, and forged anecdotes to 

 ferve their own purpofes ; for, unlefs we. except the flory of. 

 the Venetian, Branca Leon, there is not a, word faid of any 

 connection Bxda Mariam ever had with the few Catholics , 

 that then were in his country, and even that was a. connec- 

 tion of- his father's. And as to the other flory, we find in, 

 hiilory,. that the Abuna had been in the country ever fince 

 his father Zara Jacob's time; and that, at his defire, the 

 Abuna, Imaranha Chriflos,. came and received, in the field, 

 of battle, large donations in gold, almofl as often as the 

 king gained a victory. Bazda. Mariam died at the age of 

 forty, after reigning ten years, which were fpent in conti-' 

 nual war; during the whole courfe of which hejvvas fuc- 

 cefsful, and might (if he had lived) have very much weak- 

 ened the. Moorifh flate.s, and prevented the. terrible retalia- 

 tion: 



