MOCHA. 
483 
during which a continual struggle was maintained between the 
people and its monarchs, the former appearing to have been 
uniformly averse from the doctrines which the Jesuits attempted 
to introduce. After the expulsion of these priests, the Abyssinian 
Empire seems to have enjoyed an interval of rest, the seat of 
government became settled at Gondar, which was built by 
Facilidas,* and the court regained a considerable portion of its 
former splendour, as appears by the testimony of Mods. Poncet, 
a French traveller, who visited the country in 1699. Fortunately 
for the success of his mission, this gentleman lost his companion. 
Father Brevedent, a Franciscan friar, on the way,- whose purpose, 
like that of his predecessors, would in all probability have occa- 
sioned their destruction. 
The Society of the Propaganda had not yet, however, given 
up its views on Abyssinia, for so late as the year 1750, a fresh 
mission was sent into the country consisting of three Franciscan 
friars named P. Remedio and Martino of Bohemia, and Antonio 
of Aleppo, who succeeded in penetrating as far as Gondar in the 
Dembea, 1G17, dal Pletro Paez, e altera scritta da Goa, 1620, per Michael della Pace, 
published at Firenze, 1622. , 
2nd. Litterse ^thiopicte pp. Societ. Jesu— de prop, fide apud Abissinos ab ineunte 
Julio 1623, ad exitura Aprilis 1624, published Gandavi, 1626. These letters appear 
to have been communicated by Father Almeyda, and contain very interesting details 
concerning the existing state of affairs. 
3rd. Histoire de I'Ethiopie es annees 1624-5 and 6. Traduite de I'ltalien p. Alphonze 
Patriarche de rEthiopie, Paris, 1629, and Gaspard Paez, dated July, 1629. 
4th. Histoire de I'Ethiopie en Tannic 1626jusques 1629. Traduite de I'ltalien — de 
Gorgora, par Emanuel Almeida, Paris, 1629. All these are at present in the collection 
of Lord Valentia, who obligingly lent them to me. 
* The court during the preceding reigns had successively resided at Coja, Ibaba, Gor^ 
gora, Dancaz, Kaha, &c., as circumstances rendered most convenient. 
3 Q 
