A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 17 – Chapter 18
CHAP. XVII.
Of the Abyſſins, Prieſt John called Lederwick, Subject unto the King of the Moors.
THeſe live at Jeruſalem in the Temple of Mount Calvaria, juſt by the Church Door towards the left, and have through their Lodging a peculiar way, ſo that without hinderance, according to their pleaſure they may go in and out; and pretend that their King hath made a peculiar Agreement to let his Subjects have Free-ingreſs and Re-greſs. According to all appearance they are a Naked People, yet for all that they may be Rich and Able; they are of a dark brown colour. When we ſpoke to them by an Interpreter, they ſhew'd themſelves very kind and friendly, and always did give with a great deal of diſcretion ſuch Anſwers to our Queſtions, that one might eaſily conclude that they were of good Underſtanding, and well Inſtructed and Grounded in their Religion. To their King is given, in the beginning of his Reign, the Sir-name of David, which elſe are called Lederwick, and by the Perſians Amma, to ſhew and to make known by it, that they are derived from the Kingly Race and Stem of David and Solomon; and to prove this, they alledge the Hiſtory of the Queen of Saba, called Merquerda, who, as we Read in Scripture, came from Rich Arabia, with many Camels Laden with Gold, Spices, and precious Stones, to Jeruſalem, to ſee the great Wiſdom and Glory of Solomon, whereof ſhe had heard much. When ſhe had been there a good while, and in the mean time was got with Child by Solomon, and brought him a Son into the World called Meytich, ſhe left him at Jeruſalem, but ſhe returned into her own Country again. Many Years after, duplicate page duplicate page when the Son was grown up, and came to his Underſtanding, his Father, ſeeing he had more Sons, was perſwaded to ſend him home to his Mother, who had a greater Kingdom than he. So he did diſpatch him, and ſent along with him the chiefeſt of his Courtiers, and ſent him away with a great Train, as did become a King. When he was come into his Kingdom, he entertained theſe Lords and Gentlemen very Honorably, and promoted them before all others to the higheſt and beſt places, that they might the willinger ſtay with him. But all this would not prevail with them, but they grew daily more tired, and unwilling to ſtay longer in theſe ſtrange and unaccuſtomed Countries; and this encreaſed daily more and more, and at length to that height, that they reſolved that (if the King would not give them free leave) they would endeavor to make their eſcape Clandeſtinly againſt the Kings Will to Jeruſalem in Judea. When this their deſign came before the King he was very angry, and ordered immediately, that a Mark ſhould be burnt on their Foreheads, that every body might know them; and iſſued a Proclamation, That all his Subjects might watch them, and if any or more of them, that were a going away ſhould be taken, they ſhould detain them, and ſend them to him again. Now as at this time the Marks did begin, and then thoſe had them that were of a great Race, ſo they are retained by their Poſterity to this very day, as we ſtill ſee in theſe times, that their Nobility have them on their Foreheads towards the right; yet not all, for there are ſome that wear them rather upon their Shields and Arms, &c. Theſe marks are not all alike, for in ſome you ſee a Bear, a Dragons-Head, &c. in others a Lyon, a Wolf, or three croſſed Arrows, &c. becauſe every one hath that made that they give in their Coats of Arms; they colour it with an Oil which they call A…a…cinte and is brought to them from Greece. Be…s this Cuſtom, they ſtill keep in many things to the Ancie… ones of the Jews, for they keep the Sabbath for their peculiar Holiday; and alſo they do not eat all ſorts of fleſh, nor any of them that are forbid as Unclean in the Old Teſtament: They pretend that the Holy Apoſtle Philip hath, when he Travell'd with the Chamberlain of Candaces Queen of the Moors to Gaza, and Converted him there, allowed them this and other things, being Born Jews. Circumciſion they believe unneceſſary, and that it can neither profit nor hurt a Chriſtian. And again, Baptiſm they believe to be neceſſary, wherefore through all his large Dominions, they bring their Children to it on the third day, and Baptize them yet with Fire, in the Name of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt, (whom they believe to proceed only from the Father, and not from the Son) according to the Words of St. Mathew, Chap. 3. Verſ. 11. He ſhall Baptize you with the holy Ghost and with Fire. They take the Oil of Achalcinte, dip a Stick into it, and lay Frankincenſe upon it, and ſet it on Fire; and ſo they let ſome drops fall down, which do not hurt the Children, being mix'd with the Oil; and at laſt they make a Croſs with it upon the left ſide of their Forehead near unto the Temple.
They begin their Lent about Eaſter, as the Armenians, wherein the Lay-men Eat nothing elſe but …, Herbs, and Pulſe; but their Prieſt generally nothing but Bread and Water, and ſo they do every Wedneſday and Friday throughout all the Year. They Marry alſo according to the Words of St. Paul, That a Prieſt ſhall be a Husband of one Wife: They give the Lords Supper to Young and Old alike in Leavened Bread in both kinds; and they confeſs their Sins like unto the Jacobites, to no body but only God. The Portugueſe that go to the Indies know them very well, and love them for being good Soldiers, and are glad if they will live among them, and go out and in with them.
CHAP. XVIII.
Of the MARONITES.
BEſides all theſe there is alſo a ſort of Chriſtians, who firſt after Maro the Heretick were called Maronites; who believed that their is but one Nature, Underſtanding, and Work in Chriſt, according to the Opinion of Macharius the Heretick, whom he followeth diligently; but ſince they have by degrees left this, and are returned to the Popiſh Religion again. And although they are ſtill of it, yet they give the Sacrament in both kinds to the Lay-men, as almoſt all other Nations do, according to the Words of the Inſtitution of our Lord Chriſt. In all other Points they follow the Roman Religion more than any other Nation. Their Prieſts wear over their Clothes black hair Veſtments. They live for the moſt part in Syria, but chiefly upon the Promontory of Mount Libanus, where upon they have a Monaſtery within a days Journey of Tripoli called our Ladies, which is ſituated underneath a large Rock, wherein their Patriarch dwelleth, whom they reſpect very much, and kiſs his Hands with their Knees bended, &c. whereof I have made mention here before. The Patriarchs are ſtill to this day choſen by the Commons, and afterwards confirmed by the Pope; and ſo this (when he after the Deceaſe of his Predeceſſor, came into a Diſpute with one of his Competitors concerning the Election) did preſently, unknown to his Adverſary, go to Rome, and ſo obtained in perſon the Patriarchal Seat from the Pope.
The Common People are in their Shape and Habits ſo like unto the Surians, and their Neighbours the Arabians, that except by their Turbants none can know them from each other. They are a Couragious and War-like People, very well provided with Guns and other Arms, as well as their Confederates the Truſci: And becauſe they are not ſubject, nor pay any Contribution unto the Turkiſh Sultan, therefore they ſtill keep their Bells, and other Priviledges.
They ſpeak the Arabian Language, and their Books are alſo written (as many as I could ſee of them in their Churches) with Arabian Characters or Letters, which they always kiſs with great reverence when they take them up, or lay them down, according to the Cuſtom of all other Eaſtern People or Nations, as well Heathens as Chriſtians.
They keep a very ſevere Order, and never Eat Fleſh, and on their Faſts neither Butter nor Eggs, but live upon Fruits, as Beans, Peaſe, French-Beans, and ſuch other common Victuals. But yet if any Merchants, or Pilgrims, come from Tripoli, or any other places, they let them want neither for Meat nor Drink; nay, they ſhew themſelves to every body ſo benevolent (as I have found it three ſeveral times) and civil, that one would wiſh to ſtay ſome time with them. Theſe live not continually in the Temple of Mount Calvaria, but go often thither on Pilgrimages.