in the Congo River . 323 
which Urban VIII. allowed the Congo kings to 
be crowned after the Catholic manner by the Ca¬ 
puchins, because the paper bears the “ vene¬ 
rable effigies.” 
Priests may be good servants, but they are, 
mundanely speaking, bad masters. The ecclesias¬ 
tical tyranny exercised upon the people from the 
highest to the lowest goes far to account for the 
extinction of Christianity in the country where so 
much was done to spread it. The kings of Congo- 
land, who “ tread on the lion in the kingdom of 
their mothers ” must abjectly address their spiritual 
lords. “ I conjure you, prostrate at your holy 
feet, to hearken to my words.” Whilst the 
friars talk of “ that meekness which becomes a 
missioner,” their unwise and unwarrantable inter¬ 
ference extends to the Count of Sonho himself; 
whose election was not valid unless published 
in the church, owning withal that, “ though a 
Black, he is an absolute Prince ; and not unworthy 
of a Crown, though he were even in Italy, consider¬ 
ing the number of his Servants and the extent of 
his Dominions.” They issue eight ordinances or 
“ spiritual memorandums ” degrading governors 
of cities and provinces who are not properly 
married, who neglect mass, or who do not keep 
saints’ festivals. Flogging seems to have been 
the punishment of all infractions of discipline, for 
those who used “ magic guards ” to their fields 
