a voyage to abyssinia-第1章

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A　Voyage　to　Abyssinia

by　Father　Jerome　Lobo

translated　from　the　French　by　Samuel　Johnson。




INTRODUCTION　by　Henry　Morley；　Editor　of　the　1887　edition


Jeronimo　Lobo　was　born　in　Lisbon　in　the　year　1593。　　He　entered　the　Order　of　the　Jesuits　at　the　age　of　sixteen。　　After　passing　through　the　studies　by　which　Jesuits　were　trained　for　missionary　work；　which　included　special　attention　to　the　arts　of　speaking　and　writing；　Father　Lobo　was　sent　as　a　missionary　to　India　at　the　age　of　twenty…　eight；　in　the　year　1621。　　He　reached　Goa；　as　his　book　tells；　in　1622；　and　was　in　1624；　at　the　age　of　thirty…one；　told　off　as　one　of　the　missionaries　to　be　employed　in　the　conversion　of　the　Abyssinians。　　They　were　to　be　converted；　from　a　form　of　Christianity　peculiar　to　themselves；　to　orthodox　Catholicism。　　The　Abyssinian　Emperor　Segued　was　protector　of　the　enterprise；　of　which　we　have　here　the　story　told。

Father　Lobo　was　nine　years　in　Abyssinia；　from　the　age　of　thirty…one　to　the　age　of　forty；　and　this　was　the　adventurous　time　of　his　life。　The　death　of　the　Emperor　Segued　put　an　end　to　the　protection　that　had　given　the　devoted　missionaries；　in　the　midst　of　dangers；　a　precarious　hold　upon　their　work。　　When　he　and　his　comrades　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Turks　at　Massowah；　his　vigour　of　body　and　mind；　his　readiness　of　resource；　and　his　fidelity；　marked　him　out　as　the　one　to　be　sent　to　the　headquarters　in　India　to　secure　the　payment　of　a　ransom　for　his　companions。　　He　obtained　the　ransom；　and　desired　also　to　obtain　from　the　Portuguese　Viceroy　in　India　armed　force　to　maintain　the　missionaries　in　the　position　they　had　so　far　won。　　But　the　Civil　power　was　deaf　to　his　pleading。　　He　removed　the　appeal　to　Lisbon；　and　after　narrowly　escaping　on　the　way　from　a　shipwreck；　and　after　having　been　captured　by　pirates；　he　reached　Lisbon；　and　sought　still　to　obtain　means　of　overawing　the　force　hostile　to　the　work　of　the　Jesuits　in　Abyssinia。　　The　Princess　Margaret　gave　friendly　hearing；　but　sent　him　on　to　persuade；　if　he　could；　the　King　of　Spain；　and　failing　at　Madrid；　he　went　to　Rome　and　tried　the　Pope。　He　was　chosen　to　go　to　the　Pope；　said　the　Patriarch　Alfonso　Mendez；　because；　of　all　the　brethren　at　Goa；　the　'Pater　Hieronymus　Lupus'　（Lobo　translated　into　Wolf）　was　the　most　ingenious　and　learned　in　all　sciences；　with　a　mind　most　generous　in　its　desire　to　conquer　difficulties；　dexterous　in　management　of　business；　and　found　most　able　to　make　himself　agreeable　to　those　with　whom　there　was　business　to　be　done。　　The　vigour　with　which　he　held　by　his　purpose　of　endeavouring　in　every　possible　way　to　bring　the　Christianity　of　Abyssinia　within　the　pale　of　the　Catholic　Church　is　in　accordance　with　the　character　that　makes　the　centre　of　the　story　of　this　book。　Whimsical　touches　arise　out　of　this　strength　of　character　and　readiness　of　resource；　as　when　he　tells　of　the　taste　of　the　Abyssinians　for　raw　cow's　flesh；　with　a　sauce　high　in　royal　Abyssinian　favour；　made　of　the　cow's　gall　and　contents　of　its　entrails；　of　which；　when　he　was　pressed　to　partake；　he　could　only　excuse　himself　and　his　brethren　by　suggesting　that　it　was　too　good　for　such　humble　missionaries。　　Out　of　distinguished　respect　for　it；　they　refrained　from　putting　it　into　their　mouths。

Good　Father　Lobo　gave　up　the　desire　of　his　heart；　when　it　was　proved　unattainable；　and　returned　to　India　six　years　after　the　breaking　up　of　his　work　in　Abyssinia；　at　the　age　of　forty…seven。　　He　came　to　be　head　of　the　Provincials　of　the　Jesuit　settlement　at　Goa；　and　after　about　ten　more　years　of　active　duty　in　the　East　returned　in　1658　to　Lisbon；　when　he　died　in　the　religious　house　of　St。　Roque　in　1678；　at　the　age　of　eighty…five。　　A　comrade　of　Father　Lobo's；　Baltazar　Tellez；　said　that　Lobo　had　travelled　thirty…eight　thousand　leagues　with　no　other　object　before　him　but　the　winning　of　more　souls　to　God。　　His　years　in　Abyssinia　stood　out　prominently　to　his　mind　among　all　the　years　of　his　long　life；　and　he　wrote　an　account　of　them　in　Portuguese；　of　which　the　manuscript　is　at　Lisbon　in　the　monastery　of　St。　Roque；　where　he　closed　his　life。

Of　that　manuscript；　then　and　still　unprinted　（though　use　was　made　of　it　by　Baltazar　Tellez　in　his　History　of　'Ethiopia…Coimbra；'　1660）；　the　Abbe　Legrand；　Prior　of　Neuville…les…Dames；　and　of　Prevessin；　published　a　translation　into　French。　　The　Abbe　Legrand　had　been　to　Lisbon　as　Secretary　to　the　Abbe　d'Estrees；　Ambassador　from　France　to　Portugal。　　The　negotiations　were　so　long　continued　that　M。　Legrand　was　detained　five　years　in　Lisbon；　and　employed　the　time　in　researches　among　documents　illustrating　the　Portuguese　possessions　in　India　and　the　East。　　He　obtained　many　memoirs　of　great　interest；　and　published　from　one　of　them　an　account　of　Ceylon；　but　of　all　the　manuscripts　he　found　none　interested　him　so　much　as　that　of　Father　Lobo。　　His　translation　was　augmented　with　illustrative　dissertations；　letters；　and　a　memoir　on　the　circumstances　of　the　death　of　M。　du　Roule。　　It　filled　two　volumes；　or　636　pages　of　forty　lines。　　This　was　published　in　1728。　　It　was　on　the　31st　of　October；　1728；　that　Samuel　Johnson；　aged　nineteen；　went　to　Pembroke　College；　Oxford；　and　Legrand's　'Voyage　Historique　d'Abissinie　du　R。　P。　Jerome　Lobo；　de　la　Compagnie　de　Jesus；　Traduit　du　Portugais；　continue　et　augmente　de　plusieurs　Dissertations；　Lettres　et　Memoires；'　was　one　of　the　new　books　read　by　Johnson　during　his　short　period　of　college　life。　　In　1735；　when　Johnson's　age　was　twenty…six；　and　the　world　seemed　to　have　shut　against　him　every　door　of　hope；　Johnson　stayed　for　six　months　at　Birmingham　with　his　old　schoolfellow　Hector；　who　was　aiming　at　medical　practice；　and　who　lodged　at　the　house　of　a　bookseller。　　Johnson　spoke　with　interest　of　Father　Lobo；　whose　book　he　had　read　at　Pembroke　College。　　Mr。　Warren；　the　bookseller；　thought　it　would　be　worth　while　to　print　a　translation。　　Hector　joined　in　urging　Johnson　to　undertake　it；　for　a　payment　of　five　guineas。　　Although　nearly　brought　to　a　stop　midway　by　hypochondriac　despondency；　a　little　suggestion　that　the　printers　also　were　stopped；　and　if　they　had　not　their　work　had　not　their　pay；　caused　Johnson　to　go　on　to　the　end。　　Legrand's　book　was　reduced　to　a　fifth　of　its　size　by　the　omission　of　all　that　overlaid　Father　Lobo's　personal　account　of　his　adventures；　and　Johnson　began　work　as　a　writer　with　this　translation；　first　published　at　Birmingham　in　1735。　H。M。



THE　PREFACE



The　following　relation　is　so　curious　and　entertaining；　and　the　dissertations　that　accompany　it　so　judicious　and　instructive；　that　the　translator　is　confident　his　attempt　stands　in　need　of　no　apology；　whatever　censures　may　fall　on　the　performance。

The　Portuguese　traveller；　contrary　to　the　general　vein　of　his　countrymen；　has　amused　his　reader　with　no　romantic　absurdities　or　incredible　fictions；　whatever　he　relates；　whether　true　or　not；　is　at　least　probable；　and　he　who　tells　nothing　exceeding　the　bounds　of　probability　has　a　right　to　demand　that　they　should　believe　him　who　cannot　contradict　him。

He　appears　by　his　modest　and　unaffected　narration　to　have　described　things　as　he　saw　them；　to　have　copied　nature　from　the　life；　and　to　have　consulted　his　senses；　not　his　imagination；　he　meets　with　no　basilisks　that　destroy　with　their　eyes；　his　crocodiles　devour　their　prey　without　tears；　and　his　cataracts　fall　from　the　rock　without　deafening　the　neighbouring　inhabitants。

The　reader　will　here　find　no　regions　cursed　with　irremediable　barrenness；　or　blessed　with　spontaneous　fecundity；　no　perpetual　gloom　or　unceasing　sunshine；　nor　are　the　nations　here　described　either　devoid　of　all　sense　of　humanity；　or　consummate　in　all　private　and　social　virtues；　here　are　no　Hottentots　without　religion；　polity；　or　articulate　language；　no　Chinese　perfectly　polite；　and　completely　skilled　in　all　sciences：　　he　will　discover；　what　will　always　be　discovered　by　a　diligent　and　impartial　inquirer；　that　wherever　human　nature　is　to　be　found　there　is　a　mixture　of　vice　and　virtue；　a　contest　of　passion　and　reason；　and　that　the　Creator　doth　not　appear　partial　in　his　distributions；　but　has　balanced　in　most　countries　their　particular　inconveniences　by　particular　favours。

In　his　account　of　the　mission；　where　his　veracity　is　most　to　be　suspected；　he　neither　exaggerates　overmuch　the　merits　of　the　Jesuits；　if　we　consider　the　partial　regard　paid　by　the　Portuguese　to　their　countrymen；　by　the　Jesuits　to　their　society；　and　by　the　Papists　to　their　church；　nor　aggravates　the　vices　of　the　Abyssins；　but　if　the　reader　will　not　be　satisfied　with　a　Popish　account　of　a　Popish　mission；　he　may　have　recourse　to　the　history　of　the　church　of　Abyssinia；　written　by　Dr。　Geddes；　in　which　he　will　find　the　actions　and　sufferings　of　the　missionaries　placed　in　a　different　light；　though　the　same　in　which　Mr。　Le　Grand；　with　all　his　zeal　for　the　Roman　church；　appears　to　have　seen　them。

This　learned　dissertator；　however　valuable　for　his　industry　and　erudition；　is　yet　more　to　be　esteemed　for　having　dared　so　freely　in　the　midst　of　France　to　declare　his　disapprobation　of　the　Patriarch　Oviedo's　sanguinary　zeal；　who　was　continually　importuning　the　Portuguese　to　beat　up　their　drums　for　missionaries；　who　might　preach　the　gospel　with　swords　in　their　hands；　and　propagate　by　desolation　and　slaughter　the　true　worship　of　the　God　of　Peace。

It　is　not　easy　to　forbear　reflecting　with　how　little　reason　these　men　profess　themselves　the　followers　of　Jesus；　who　left　this　great　characteristic　to　His　disciples；　that　they　should　be　known　by　loving　one　another；　by　universal　and　unbounded　charity　and　benevolence。

Let　us　suppose　an　inhabitant　of　some　remote　and　superior　region；　yet　unskilled　in　the　ways　of　men；　having　read　and　considered　the　precepts　of　the　gospel；　and　the　example　of　our　Saviour；　to　come　down　in　search　of　the　true　church：　　if　he　would　not　inquire　after　it　among　the　cruel；　the　insolent；　and　the　oppressive；　among　those　who　are　continually　grasping　at　dominion　over　souls　as　well　as　bodies；　among　those　who　are　employed　in　procuring　to　themselves　impunity　for　the　most　enormous　villainies；　and　studying　methods　of　destroying　their　fellow…creatures；　not　for　their　crimes　but　their　errors；　if　he　would　not　expect　to　meet　benevolence；　engage　in　massacres；　or　to　find　mercy　in　a　court　of　inquisition；　he　would　not　look　for　the　true　church　in　the　Church　of　Rome。

Mr。　Le　Grand　has　given　in　one　dissertation　an　example　of　great　moderation；　in　deviating　from　the　temper　of　his　religion；　but　in　the　others　has　left　proofs　that　learning　and　honesty　are　often　too　weak　to　oppose　prejudice。　　He　has　made　no　scruple　of　preferring　the　testimony　of　Father　du　Bernat　to　the　writings　of　all　the　Portuguese　Jesuits；　to　whom　he　allows　great　zeal；　but　little　learning；　without　giving　any　other　reason　than　that　his　favourite　was　a　Frenchman。　This　is　writing　only　to　Frenchmen　and　to　Papists：　　a　Protestant　would　be　desirous　to　know　why　he　must　imagine　that　Father　du　Bernat　had　a　cooler　head　or　more　knowledge；　and　why　one　man　whose　account　is　singular　is　not　more　likely　to　be　mistaken　than　many　agreeing　in　the　same　account。

If　the　Portuguese　were　biassed　by　any　particular　views；　another　bias　equally　powerful　may　have　deflected　the　Frenchman　from　the　truth；　for　they　evidently　write　with　contrary　designs：　　the　Portugue