BERMUDEZ. 25 
returning with his courtiers into submission to the 
patriarch of Alexandria, he took a high tone, and 
threatened, if this conduct should be persisted in, 
instantly to remove, with all the Portuguese 
troops, out of Abyssinia. The king warned him, 
that he would by no means permit such a removal ; 
that he would compel the Portuguese to continue 
their services, and would place them under a 
general of his own appointment. These dissen- 
sions soon broke out into open hostilities, where 
the superior discipline of the Portuguese gave 
them the advantage, though they were unable to 
make any impression on the vast numbers of the 
Abyssinian army. The king, however, seeing 
that he could not prevail by open force, resolved 
to employ stratagem. He sent, therefore, to 
Bermudez a large present of oxen and sheep, with 
liberal promises of pay to the men, and of cele- 
brating in person general orders by Christmas 
next, according to agreement. These tokens of 
friendship so delighted Bermudez, that he, with 
the rest of the Portuguese, immediately set out 
to visit the king in his camp. They were receiv- 
ed with every demonstration of respect and joy 5 
but, in a few hours after, orders were issued to 
the respective chiefs to take their departure for 
different parts of Abyssinia ; the king being re- 
solved to practise the maxim. Divide et impera, 
Bermudez, however, was sent into quite an 
