immediate assistance from the King of Portugal, at the same time promising unqualified submission to the Pope. In 1540, Bermudez, after having been appointed by Paul III. to the high rank of Patriarch of Ethiopia, returned back to Abyssinia, and was accompanied by Don Christopher De Gama, with a force of four hundred soldiers, and a considerable supply of arms. This timely assistance changed the face of affairs: and Abyssinia, through the efforts of these brave men, who in the struggle suffered severely, and had to lament the fall of their leader, was rescued from the attacks of the Mahomedans, with the loss, however, of a considerable part of its southern possessions; which occasioned the court being removed for security to the mountainous district of Samen. A narrative of these transactions was afterwards published by Bermudez himself,[1] containing a very candid statement of all that passed; from which it appears, that owing to his own intemperate zeal in the cause he had espoused, he not only fell into disgrace with the Emperor Claudius, but even with his own countrymen, who almost unanimously disclaimed his authority.
About this period, at the urgent remonstrances of a very distinguished Abyssinian priest, named Peter, who had arrived in Europe, Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, undertook the conversion of Abyssinia; but the Pope objecting to his going into those remote regions, two distinguished prelates of his order, Nunez Baretto, and Andrew Oviedo, were appointed, under his sanction, to take charge of a mission to that country. The first of these died in India; but the latter arrived safely in Abyssinia, early in 1557; and continued to reside there the remainder of his life, greatly advancing the interests of the Catholic religion by his prudence, magnanimity, and forbearance; qualities which made him universally respected throughout the country. This venerable patri-
- ↑ Vide relation do Embaixada gō. Joaō Bermudez trouxe da Emperador da Ethiopia. Lixb. 1565, small quarto, (British Museum.) This book is extremely scarce; Ludolf himself (vide Comm. p. 6,) never having been able to get a sight of it; on which account he refers his readers to the translation of it in Purchas, for which, vide Part II. p. 1149.
