Pilgrimage, Book 7 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the Election of the Emperors: of their Scholes, Vniuersities, and royall Cities.
WHen the Emperor is dead, many solemne ceremonies are obserued, both religious and ciuill about the election of another, which is in the authority of the 2 military Abbots of S. Anthonies order in the mount. Oaths are taken both of the Electors and Elected, the first, to vse sincerity, the other to reigne iustly, obseruing, and causing in his Empire to be obserued, the laws of God, Christian religion, the soure first Councels, of Nice, Ephesus, Chalcedon, & Constautinople: and (if the aF. Luys de vrret.hist.Ethiop.Frier reach not, for in their holy Fathers case Irelie not much on their holines) to acknowledge the Florentine Counsell, and the Popes Supremacie, and lastly, the Constitutions of Iohn the Saint, and Philip the seuenth, anciēt Emperors: which done, in solemne Procession of all estates they goe to the Church, and hauing set the Emperour in his throne, the Princes of the bloud are brought out of the Pallace, where in the time of the election they had beene enclosed, to kisse his hand, and sweare sidelity, clothed in the habite of the Knights of Saint Anthony: the same oath is giuen also by the Kings, his vassalls (foure of which are present at the election) the Counsellers, Prelates, and others, according to their place. After this, fires are made on the towers of the Mount, to giuegive notice of this election, which being seene by the neerer Cities, they also by the like fires (as it were) proclaime the same in a moment through all the Empire: which is confirmed by Posts sent thence on Dromedaries, by the Abbat of the Abbey of the Holy-Ghost, one of the Electors, and the Councell, vntounto the Citie of Saba, and the mother of the New-Elect, if she be liuing, and to his neere kindred, to come and reioyce with him. The next day the Emperour goeth in blacke habite to the Palace where the Princes are, and saluteth them with kinde embracements, one by one, with his bonnet in his hand: which is done in the next place by the Prelats, whome in honour of their Ecclesiasticall dignities the Princes resalute standing, with their heads vncouered. The tributarie Kings follow, not with embracements, but kissing their hands, rendering their salutations, and after them the Embassadors. The Emperour, hauing remained some time in priuat talke with them, goeth to the Abbey of the Holy-Ghost, and putting off his blacke habite, is clothed in Scarlet; and being on horsebacke, attended with his Familie, the Abbats, and Councellors, passeth to the Abbey of the Holy Crosse, where the two Abbats of that Abbey meet him; and after oath giuen to preserue the auncient Customes, present him with the Keyes of the Treasurie and Librarie: the Emperour bestowing as much of the said Treasure as he pleaseth. After all other ceremonies, the Councellors of the Court come to the Hill with twelue thousand Knights of S. Antonies Order (which are the Emperours guard) and the eldest sonnes of the King, to conuey him solemnly to Zambra the Citie, where the Court and Councell reside, where with all solemnitie & magnificence he is likewise receiued, and conducted into the Palace, and placed on his Throne of twelue steppes, with acclamations of long life and happinesse on all hands. Fiue daies festiuall being here passed in all publike reioicings, he goeth to Saba to take the oathes of all his subiect Kings in person (whereof onelyonly foure had been present at the Election) and one holding the Crowne, another the Scutchion of the Armes of that tributarie King, he sweareth on the Scepter (which is a golden Crosse) true sidelitie and obedience, and the Emperour puts on the Crowne againe on his head: and the said Scutchion, with his Armes, he giueth into his hand, & licenseth him to depart to his Pauillion without the Citie. These Kings are truely Kings, & succeed in the inheritāce of their fathers, receiuing tribute of the subiects of their seuerall Kingdomes, and are not Deputies, or Vice-royes, at the meere pleasure of the Emperour: but if one be vponupon iust cause displaced, his sonne succeedeth: and therefore the Prete is called King of Kings. The eldest sonne of eueryevery of these Kings attend alwayes on the Emperour, and hauehave attending on them ten seruants of the sonnes of the Nobles of their Kingdomes. The Emperour is bound by auncient custome to take a wife of the posteritie of those three Magi which adored CHRIST in his infancie, whome the Aethiopian and Romane Traditions calleth Kings, by the names of Gaspar, Melchior, Balthasar; of which, the Aethiopians say, that Melchior was of Arabia, and Balthasar of Persia, which being forced by persecution of Arians bWhen were the Arians of such power in Arabia, but especially in Persia?, came into Aethiopia, in the time of Iohn the Saint, which reigned after Philip the seuenth, and receiued of his hands the Kingdomes of Fatigar and Soa, the former giuen to the posteritie of Balthasar, the other to the linage of Melchior. The F…er addeth, That all the legitimate descendents of these three Families are borne with a starre on one of their sides; and that at the Iubilee, in the time of Gregorie the thirteenth, 1575, there were three of those three Families at Rome, with that naturall ensigne of the supernaturall and miraculous starre. Yea, the legitimate Mahumetanes in Arabia and Persia, remaining of those kindreds, hauehave the same signe, as Don Iohn sware to him, that he had seene. The Councell gouerneth according to the 127 Statutes made by the first Philips, and Iohn the Saint. Nothing is punished with death but Treason, vnderunder which name they also comprehend Murther and Adulterie: of this mortall sentence the Lions are the executioners, which in eueryevery Citie are kept for that purpose. Some Italians had beene found guiltie of the sinne against Nature, a thing for which the Aethiopians (as some of the Ancients cCi… …for Parricide) had no law, as not thinking any would so farre degenerate; and therefore knew not how to punish them: but it was comitted to the Latin Councell, which adiudged them to be burned; a punishment not known before in those parts, yet fitting to those vnnaturall burning The fault and the punishment being of equall strangenesse, the Emperour would not hauehave it executed there, but sent them to Goa to the Portugall Viceroy for that purpose. Heresie and Apostasie are likewise punished with death. That Latine Councell was instituted by Alexander the third, for Causes and Persons of Europe to be tryed and iudged by Iudges of their owne, resident at the Court (as the Grand Councell is) and chosen of each Nation two, of the Venetians, Florentines, and Portugalls: the two former come thither by the way of Cayro. Andrew Oniedo a Iesuite, sent thither by the Pope with the title of Bishop of Hierapolis, was Author and Councellour to the Emperour of this Institution, and by him made President of the same. This man ( dG. Bot. part. 3. l.2. Mess.Hist.Ind.l.16. …ma….A.osta.Botero, Maffaus, and others say) had miserable entertainment, with the residue of his Societie: but Frier Luys (from the relation of Don Iohn) tells, That he had liued and died in great honour amongst them, as he doth elsewhere magnifie exceedingly their respect to the Romane Papacie and Religion. Credat Iudaus Apella. Cui bono eCic. pro Milone.is the rule of my Faith to Friers and Iesuites in their Relations: in Naturall and Morall Histories, which serue not to the building of Babylons Tower, I receiue them with attention, with thankes, and if need be, with admiration in some things: but when they come with Slime instead of Mortar, and would get Rome a name, I remember their Vowes & Profession, and yeeld no further attendance. That Claudius which was then Emperor, and his successor Adamas, were of schismaticall and tyrannicall qualities, as other Historians affirme, Frier Luys not only denies, but extolleth their good parts.
He which now is Emperor, was elected An. 1606, and called himselfe Zaraschaureat, asprout or budde of the linage of Dauid, assister of S. Peter and S. Paul. He is a man haughtie and valorous, and was therefore chosen, because the Turkish Empire was so full of seditions, and the Sophi had sent his Embassadour to them, to chuse a fit warrior, that they might with ioint forces assault the Ottoman.
There are in all the Cities of Aethiopia two Schooles or Colleges for the instruction of youth; one for the male sexe, the other for the female: each diuided into three parts; the first, for the Gentlemens children; the second, for Citizens; the third, for the baser vulgar, with their seuerall Instructers, and without communion, medling, or conuersing of the one with the other. The Seminarie of College of boyes is a quarter of a league without the Citie, the other within. There are they taught Letters and Religion. All, euen the Kings themselues, are bound to send their children thither to be instructed: and the Priests resort theither for Confession, and ministring the Sacrament to them. They may resort home at festiuall times: otherwise they are there detained; the Virgins, from tenne to twentie; the other, from tenne to sixteene yeares of their age. They hauehave not onelyonly this order in their well-ordered Schooles, but in their disordered misorderly Stewes, the Deuils worke-houses, and suburbes of Hell, which yet in Rome and places of that Religion are permitted and admitted the Cities, and his Holinesse selfe is not a little enriched with (that which GOD prohibited) fDeut. 23.18.the price of the Dogge, and of the Whore. The Aethiopians permit not any to be strange women, but strangers of other Countries, which may not enter into their Cities: Nor may the Nobles enter into the common houses which belong to the Citizens, or these to those of the Plebeians, nor any but to those peculiarly designed their state, vnderunder paine of death, as Adulterers, to be cast to the Lions. These women are hyred by certaine Officers at a common price, and are not to take any thing of particular men: They goe in pale-coloured Garments, and if they distast and forsake that beastly Trade, they send them to some places subiect vntounto the Portugalls, not admitting them to conuerse with their women, for feare of infection.
But to leaue these Beasts, the Aethiopians giuegive great respect to their Physicians, which are onelyonly of their Gentrie, and that not all that will, but onelyonly such as certaine Officers shall chuse, of eueryevery Citie to be sent to their generall Vniuersities (of which there are seuen in Aethiopia) there to be taught Naturall Philosophie (Logick, & other Arts they know not) together with Physicke, & the Arts of the Apothecarie and Chirurgian. They are there maintained at the publike charge of the Cities that send them. When the Doctors and Instructers see them sit to be Graduates, they goe with them to the Monkes of Alleluya, and of Plurimanos, who with a Monkes Cowle, of Hood, and other Doctorall Ensignes, doe inuest and inaugurate them in that Degree. They are great Herbarists. They make gMaking of Mummie.Mummia otherwise then in other parts, where it is either made of bodies buried in the Sands, or taken out of auncient Sepulchres, where they had beene layd, being embaulmed with Spices. For they take a captiue Moore, of the best complexion, and after long dieting and medicining of him, cut off his head in his sleepe, and gashing his bodie full of wounds, put therein all the best Spices, and then wrap him vp in Hay, being before couered with a Scarecloth; after which, they burie him in a moist place, couering the bodie with earth. Fiue dayes being passed, they take him vp againe, and remouing the Seare-cloth and Hay, hang him vp in the Sunne, whereby the bodie resolueth and droppeth a substance like pure Baulme, which liquor is of great price. The fragrant sent is such, while it hangeth in the Sunne, that it may be smelt (he sayth) a league off. The priuiledges of Physicians are, that they are freed from the common custome of giuing one in three of their sonnes for the Emperours Warres, that they may ride on Elephants in the Cities, which is allowed onelyonly to the Emperours, Prelats, and Priests, that are Virgins: They may also weare Miniuer-Hoods, and are free from Subsidies and Payments. Theologie and the Chaldee Tongue is taught onelyonly among their Priests and Ecclesiasticall persons in their Churches and Monasteries. They read Diuinitie in their natiue Tongue: the Text is the foure first generall Councels: the Scripture they reade in Chaldee, which is with them as Latine with vsus. They handle not questions as the Schoolemen, in Logicall Disputations and Arguings, but copiously and eloquently interprete the Scriptures.
Because we hauehave mentioned their Cities Saba and Zambra, let vsus take some briese view of them, and so leaue this Spaniard, whose Discourse hath (I hope, not without some delight and profit) thus long holden you. Besides these two Cities, none hauehave aboue three thousand houses in them. But these are populous and magnificent, with Towers, Temples, triumphant Arches, Obeliskes, Pyramides, and the like tokens of Industrie, Antiquitie, and Maiestie. Saba was founded by that Queene which visited Salomon, and was the mother-Citie of the Empire. It hath fiue thousand houses, great and sumptuous, the streets spacious, with Portalls, or Penthouses, that men may walke safe from the Sunnes violence. It hath foure chiefe Gates, all of Alabaster and Iasper, wrought with Antique-workes; the gate-dores of Cedar curiously carued. The waies that lead to these Gates, for the space of two leagues, are set with Palmes, Planes, Oranges, Cedars, Cypresses, and other Trees on both sides, for shade and fruit: the foure high streets goe through the Citie acrosse, and where they meet, is an Arch or Vault erected on high Pillars, fairely wrought and gilded, with the brazen Image of S. Mathew, their supposed Patron, as bigge as a Gyant, gilded also; the worke of Architects sent by Francis, Duke of Florence. Neere to this Citie are Mines of Gold, Gardens, and other places of pleasure and profit.
Zambra is greater, containing thirtie thousand houses, and innumerable concourse of people. It stands in the Kingdome of Cafates, and high that great Lake, which hereof is called Zambra: where the Emperour leauing his wonted manner of remouing vp and downe in Tents, hath fixed his Court royall: and yet without the Citie are many Tents that belong to the court. Here the Prete liueth, with two and fortie sonnes of Kings, and with his Great Councell, and the Latine. Alexander the third built the Pallace here 1570, with the Duke of Florence his workmen.